Things you can do at home! Tweet
Helpful tips from your Raleigh Chiropractor, Dr. Kira Cervenka
Click on the area of the body that is aggravating you to find some simple, at home tips you can try to gain some relief. The information and reference guides on this website are intended solely for the general information for the reader. The contents of this web site are not intended to offer personal medical advice, diagnose health problems or for treatment purposes. It is not a substitute for medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional.
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Headaches/Migraines
There are many types of headaches. For more information please click here. Symptoms: Headache / Migraine What you can do:Self-massage, Ice back of head, Breathing/relaxation techniques
Neck and Neck/arm
Symptoms:Radiating neck pain into arm (does not go beyond elbow), mid back, or head. What you can do: Self-massage, look for a spot that recreates your pain when you push on it. Symptoms:Radiating pain, numbness, and/or tingling into the hand/fingers. What you can do: Nerve flossing For symptoms in pinky and ring try this. For symptoms in first three fingers on palm side try this. For symptoms in first three fingers on top of hand try this. Symptoms:Weakness into arm/hand What you can do: If the weakness is very noticeable please see a medical professional. Retract neck (give yourself a double chin) and slow extend the head back until it is uncomfortable then return to normal. Repeat this many times throughout the day. Symptoms:Sharp local pain with certain movements What you can do:If this is following an injury see a medical professional, if not:Ice area and try gentle traction, as shown here. Symptoms: Aching neck/ upper shoulders What you can do:Check Desk Ergonomics. Double chin exercise. Place a tennis ball against the wall and lean your back into it and roll. Find spots that are more intense and remain there for 10-15 seconds then continue searching. Pec doorway stretch. TheraCane.
Temporomandibular complaints (TMJ/Jaw)
Check out my blog about the jaw!
Symptoms:Aching jaw, difficult opening or closing mouth fully, click or popping of jaw
What you can do:
*Graston/Guasha soft tissue technique
*Stablizing and strengthening exercises for the jaw
*Posture correction
*Stress reduction through nutrition, supplementation, meditation, yoga
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Chest / Stomach
Symptoms:Muscular tightness chest What you can do: Pec doorway stretch Symptoms:Muscular tightness in stomach What you can do: Cobra/ Extension exercises.
Mid-Back
Symptoms:Aching, stiff, tight mid back What you can do: Wall Angel exercise. Foam Roller. Symptoms:Sharp pain with motion not preceded by injury What you can do: Place a tennis ball against the wall and lean your back into it and roll. Find spots that are more intense and remain there for 10-15 seconds then continue searching.
Low-Back
Symptoms:Stiffness/achiness, Radiating pain into buttocks and/or leg (symptoms do not extend beyond knee) What you can do: Place a tennis ball against the wall and lean your back into it and roll. Find spots that are more intense and remain there for 10-15 seconds then continue searching. Foam roller. Cat/Camel. Symptoms:Radiating pain into buttocks and/or leg beyond the knee What you can do: Cobra/ Extension exercises.Side glides. Symptoms:Stiffness/achiness when you are sitting for a prolonged period of time What you can do: Hip flexor stretch. Check desk ergonomics. Set reminder to stand up every 20 minutes (you can stand up and sit right back down again, this is more about not being stuck in one position for hours at a time)
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Shoulder
Symptoms:Achiness especially with overhead movements What you can do: Wall Angel exercise. Symptoms:Sharp pain with overhead movements What you can do: Ice, rest, massage
Elbow
Symptoms:Sharp and/or achy pain on the inside or outside of the elbow (golfers or tennis elbow) What you can do: Gua sha or spoon on and around areas of pain. Exercise with either Flexbar or an equivalent substitute, as shown here.
Wrist, Forearm, and Hand
Symptoms:Weakness/numbness/tingling What you can do: Nerve flossing: For symptoms in pinky and ring try this. For symptoms in first three fingers on palm side try this. For symptoms in first three fingers on top of hand try this.
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Hip/Groin/Thigh
Symptoms:Aching/burning pain What you can do: Ice-Foam rolling, Hip abduction strengthening. Symptoms:Pain wrapping around low back to front of hip into groin What you can do: Hip flexor stretching.
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Lower Leg
Symptoms:Sharp, burning pain along shins with walking/running What you can do: Ice and rest, Dorsiflexion exercises (click link and scroll down to shin splint execise).
Knee
Symptoms:Pain on outside of knee especially when running/jumping/walking What you can do: Foam rolling IT band, Hip abduction strengthening. Symptoms:Pain around knee cap especially with going up and down stairs What you can do: Stretch out quads and hamstrings, as shown here and here.
Foot and Ankle
Symptoms:Extreme pain for the first few steps along arch or near heel What you can do: Warm foot then use a gua sha tool or spoon to "scrape" bottom of foot in all different directions then roll foot along frozen bottle of water Symptoms: Twisted ankle What you can do: Trace alphabet with your foot to promote healthy healing-Ice
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