In a previous piece, Preventing Common BJJ and CrossFit Injuries, along with my friend Sam Kressin of Embodied Strength, I discussed the most common injuries in these two sports - cervical strain and low back injuries. Now, we are going to focus just on cervical strain and give you some simple ways you can help yourself heal.
I'm going to let Sam take the lead on this one, as this is his expertise. So here's what Sam has to say about how to heal your neck:
In the case of a cervical strain/sprain, there are a number of things that can be done to facilitate healing. As a licensed acupuncturist I have been trained in numerous treatments and protocols to help this condition, but I wanted to pick techniques that wouldn’t require any special knowledge or training to do. These three therapeutic techniques are intended to be used after the acute-phase of the injury, which is the first four days after the incident.
Remember that after a neck strain/sprain, the muscles in the neck will often become tight, guarding the affected area and limiting motion and mobility. Anything that can be done to safely alleviate muscle tension, improve range of motion, and promote blood circulation to the affected area, is going to help the healing process.
A. Manual Cervical Traction
Applying gentle traction to the neck can often ease and elongate tight muscles, allowing pinched nerves or compressed blood vessels to be released. Tight muscles will constrict and compress everything around them. The idea behind using traction is to create more space and alleviate pressure by improving the blood supply to the neck muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the affected area.
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