Ayurvedic cure for neck pain

Neck and back pain have become a common problem for all age groups alike.    
 
Present day sedentary lifestyle coupled with excessive use of computers has lead to an upsurge in cases with people suffering from neck and back aches.
In fact, pain in the neck is a common medical condition among older people. But, what is a cause for alarm is that it is now affecting people at much younger ages, with a number of students falling prey to this problem. Cityplus takes a look at this common problem and Ayurvedic cure for it.

Causes of Neck Pain:
Neck pain may be caused due to various reasons. These range from trauma, injury, worry and  stress, apart from sleeping and sitting in wrong posture while working on a computer and  sitting in  one position for a long period of time. These factors result in pain and stiffness of the neck muscles, sometimes even causing weakness of the shoulders or arms.
 Neck pain can come from a number of medical issues ranging from degenerative disc disease, neck strains, neck injury such as in a whiplash, a herniated disc and a pinched nerve.Not many people know this,  but neck pain may also be due to common infections  such as viral infections of throat, leading to the swelling of the lymph glands.
Dr. Venugopal Chtteti, who specializes in curing neck, knee and lower back pain through natural means, says that neck pain can also be a result of  rare infections like tuberculosis of the neck, bone infections of the spine and meningitis. Medical conditions directly affecting the muscles of the neck like fibomyalgia,polymyalgia and rhumatica are also the causes of severe neck pains at times.

Symptoms:
Symptoms of neck can be headache, shoulder pain, arm numbness, dizziness and lower back pain.

Ayurvedic Treatments
Basic  Ayurvedic treatment entails a gentle massage over the muscles of neck and shoulder joints with Mahanarayana thailam. This may be done two times a day. Several stress relieving exercises, intensive muscle training yoga and pranayama has also to be practiced on a regular basis for relief.

The therapies included in Ayurvedic treatment may be carried out in the form of:
•    Sirodhara or pouring a stream of medicating oil and butter milk on the fore head,  while gently massaging the head
•    Sirovasthi or bathing the head with medicated oil by way of  a cap like apparatus
•    Nassyam or administration of medicated oil through the nose, cleansing  the accumulated Kapha toxins from the head and neck area
•    Abhyangam or whole body massage with herbal oils for harmonizing the body, mind and soul.
•    Nadiswedam or medicated steam bath
•    Elakkizhi or massaging with herbal leaf bundles
•    Shastikasalipindaswedam , a highly effective rejuvenation technique
•    Greevasthi a neck massage to decrease the cervical spinal compression.


Treatment:
Ayurvedic treatments for neck pain stress upon:
•    Diet management
•    Stress relieving exercises
•    Researched internal medicines
•    Intensive muscle training and Kerala Panchakarma therapies

--Danish Manzoor