Why It's Important To Prioritize Neck Health + 4 Ways To Help At Home

As I learned new ways to treat tension and pain, I was especially amazed at the ways I was learning to treat patients' necks. I saw this body part's remarkable connection to a wide range of ailments—from thyroid inflammation to migraines and tension headaches, digestion issues, shoulder pain, tinnitus, and even hearing loss. Through my work in integrative medicine, I began to see the neck in a whole new way: as a control center for the entire body. 

The vagus nerve is one of the master nerves that control many functions in the body, and it exits your brain at the base of your skull and travels down through the neck. This nerve affects a wide range of bodily functions, including your heart rate and blood pressure, breathing, liver function, digestion, hunger, mood and mental health1, and immune system. So there are a huge number of issues that can occur if your vagus nerve malfunctions.

Whiplash associated disorders from car accidents, sports accidents, or assaults can lead to a whole host of serious issues—and they're not just limited to head and neck pain. These issues can include everything from tingling in the arms to fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, memory loss, and insomnia. Studies have even linked a greater chance of thyroid problems after neck trauma and motor vehicle accidents3. 

These trigger points are simply bands of muscle tightness that not only cause pain patterns but also contribute to inflammation and reduced blood and oxygen flow, which can have lasting health effects. As it turns out, inflamed muscle bands can be a root cause of conditions like migraines, tension headaches, and TMJ disorders that are often perceived as difficult to treat and are frequently misunderstood by Western medicine.

Many adults—some experts say up to 71%4—experience neck pain. The frequency and severity of your neck pain can be linked to a number of factors, some of which are totally beyond control—for instance, women, unfortunately, tend to suffer more from neck pain than men do, laborers who do repetitive motions for their jobs than those who engage in more varied tasks, and older people are typically more at risk than younger ones. However, there are some ways to care for your neck and proactively keep this important part of your body as healthy as possible:

A bonus of stretching and doing yoga is that these activities can also lower stress levels, which is important for your neck health, too. It's also a great idea to incorporate activities that stimulate the vagus nerve, such as breathing exercises, meditation, singing, gargling, and laughing. Yup, watching your favorite comedy is actually great for your neck health—you're welcome. 

What's more, if you're a smoker, in addition to the host of problems that can stem from this choice, it can negatively affect your neck health.

And when you're exercising, be careful to use very good form—when lifting heavy weights or doing certain yoga poses, you may inadvertently create strain on the neck or shoulder area. 

This is the best prescription from a doctor ever, right? Honestly, I believe that regular massage can be a hugely important part of your preventive medicine routine. I know that this may be difficult for many of us to achieve during the pandemic, so learning to be your own massage therapist through acupressure can be a great tool for alleviating those tight, tender spots.