Upper neck pain plagues many people in these fast paced and stressful times. Its fairly typical for people to carry stress and tension in their neck and shoulders, so its no surprise when complaints of pain result. The neck is also arguably one of the weaker points in the spinal column, and as such is more susceptible to injury.

Additionally, degenerative problems like herniated discs can easily occur in the neck. The discs that are meant to help the spinal column absorb shock and maintain mobility wear out over time and become damaged, causing herniated discs. This causes severe upper neck pain, when the disc is located in the higher portion of the spinal column.

There are a number of ways to go about getting rid of upper neck pain. One way is to pop a few pain pills, over the counter or prescription. However, its not the best idea to get in the habit of doing this. Over the counter pain medications are not meant to be taken regularly, and can have long term effects like ulcers and liver disease. Prescription medications can have similar consequences including addiction. In most cases, its better to deal with the cause of your neck pain and help to get rid of it for good than mask it with pain killers.

Surgery and cortisone shots are two methods for dealing with neck pain due to a herniated disc; however theyre not always necessary. In fact, a good portion of neck pain can be eliminated naturally, even if its due to a herniated disc.

One method is inversion therapy. This allows gravity to help realign your spinal column, and let displaced spinal discs move naturally back into place. It works by strapping into an inversion table and then flipping that table upside down. Inversion therapy has a tremendously high success rate for eliminating neck and back pain, without medication, expensive procedures or going under the knife. It can be done at a physical therapists office, or in your home with a home inversion table. The Healthy Back Institute offers several different types of home inversion tables. Youre sure to find one that suits you at www.losethebackpain.com.

Another method for relieving upper neck pain thats gaining popularity is acupuncture. The Asian technique has been the focus of recent scientific studies and has been found to be a proven method of pain relief. The Chinese believe that everyone has an energy or life force called Chi. Your Chi should always be flowing, and pain and medical ailments become apparent when it becomes stagnant. Acupuncture is their way of restoring the bodys natural flow of Chi. The procedure is relatively painless and involves inserting several long, but thin, needles into the affected area. Side effects are minimal 鈥?infection, bleeding at the site, etc. 鈥?and can be reduced further by going to a reputable acupuncturist.

The Healthy Back Institute strives to provide the most up to date information on relieving upper neck pain. To view their resources and get started on the road to freedom from neck pain, visit www.losethebackpain.com today.