How to relieve back and neck pain at home: Physiotherapist shares her DIY lockdown treatments – including pinching an acupuncture point in your hand and brushing your jaw with a TOOTHBRUSH
- Renata Nunes , a trained physiotherapist, acupuncturist, offered DIY remedies
- The tips included firmly pressing some useful acupressure points on your hands
- Also included using a toothbrush to massage around your neck and jaw
Working from home can be a pain in the neck – literally.
Many people are finding themselves with pain in the neck, jaw and shoulders as they spend hours sitting on a dining room chair or kitchen stool while hunched over their laptop while working during the lockdown.
And with no way to leave the house, we look at alternative ways to relieve the pain.
Renata Nunes, a trained British physiotherapist, acupuncturist and masseuse shared with FEMAIL her top tips to try relieve pain at home, using things which can be found in the house.
From using facial oil to replicate a massage, to rolling up an old towel and even using a toothbrush to help ease aches and pains, the psychotherapist shared easy and homemade ways to make you feel better.
Here, FEMAIL reveals her top tips on how to ease pains and niggles for your neck, jaw and shoulders.
FEMAIL has revealed how to relieve pain at home, using things which can be found in the house, according to a physiotherapist. Pictured, stock image
Identify your acupuncture points
One simple way of relieving pain is to press your acupressure points, which may be a lot less complicated than you think, as Renata reveals two easy to find spots on your hand to help pain in your back.
She said: ‘With fingers closed and your thumb beside your index fingers, press the ‘mountain’ of skin which forms at the bottom of your thumb crease firmly and keep pressed for 1 minute.
‘Breathe deeply, relax shoulders. It is very good for neck pain, but do not do if you’re pregnant.
‘The other point is at the outer side of your hand. Curl your fingers, and follow where the bottom knuckle of your little finger is into the palm of your hand, between two creases of skin.
‘Press firmly and when you do this, move your head from side to side, roll your head, and try not to hunch your shoulders whilst doing this.’
Pain in the neck can be counteracted with a massage using facial oil. Stock image
Ease your jaw with a toothbrush
To ease pains, the physiotherapist suggested using the bristles of a toothbrush to massage around your neck and jaw.
She said : ‘Use a clean toothbrush to gently stroke the neck muscles downwards towards the shoulders, and up from your jaw to the cheekbone. Press very softly and do as often as required.’
Massage your face with your tongue on the roof of your mouth
Everyone has an old bottle of face oil lying around, and Renata advised using some of the beauty product to help ease pain through your neck, shoulders and back.
Renata said: ‘Use four or five drops of facial oil and massage it along your jaw and neck. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth whilst doing this, with teeth apart but lips closed for maximum effect. ‘
Create a ‘towel sausage’ to cradle the head
Another simple method of pain relief is using a rolled up towel as a pillow, while also massaging your neck, shoulders and back.
She said: ‘Take a small-medium towel and roll it into a long sausage. Hold it at each end so that it cradles the base of your head, top of your neck, and relax your head into the towel. Keep the weight of your head in the towel.
‘Twist the towel from side to side to rock the head. You can also roll the towel up your neck for extra massage. ‘
https://www.rkntherapist.com/