Depending on how severe your compression is, you may have to visit the physical therapist once to twice a week. You can practice easy exercises at home as well. Try lying on your stomach with your arms at your side. Rest your forehead against the floor. Keep your chin tucked as you lift your forehead off of the floor.
A chiropractor can also make specific measurements of your neck and spine to see how far along your misalignment is.
This is especially important if your job requires you to sit at a desk.
Avoid exercises that put unnecessary strain on your neck, like barbells. If you are going to a physical therapist, talk to them about some low impact exercises you can do safely. While exercising won’t necessarily reverse your injury on its own, it will help you strengthen your muscles and stay healthy.
Try keeping a few ice packs in the freezer so you can grab them as you need them.
You can get a soft neck brace from your medical care provider. Your insurance might even be able to cover it. If you wear a soft neck brace too much, you could weaken your neck muscles and cause more problems in the long run.
This will help stretch and elongate the muscles in your neck without hurting your vertebrae.
Your doctor may also prescribe antidepressants, anti-seizure medication, or muscle relaxers since those have all been shown to reduce pain in patients with straightening of the cervical spine. Steroid injections may also be helpful for pain management. Always follow your doctor’s instructions on how much and when to take pain medication. If you use them too much, you could become dependent on them.
Your doctor may do a nerve study to test the strength and speed of your nerve signals.
You may also need surgery if you are feeling numbness in any areas of your body because this means that your nerves are being compressed.
