The proverb "Mend the fold after the sheep are lost" can never compare to "Make hay while the sun shines." Instead of waiting for a neck injury and undergoing lengthy and tedious treatment, it is better to be proactive and take care of our necks with care.
7:00 AM - Proactively Adjust the Temperature
In ancient times, people liked to wear long clothes, not only for etiquette, but also for health reasons. Regardless of the season, we should provide a comfortable temperature for our necks. Even for the sake of beauty, it is advisable to keep a shawl in the office to protect the neck and back. If you feel cold, make a bowl of warming soup: mix 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 7 slices of ginger, and boil in water for 10 minutes. Drink it 1-2 times to drive away the cold.
10:00 AM - 5-Minute Neck Exercises
Even in a crowded office, you can still take good care of your neck, such as doing neck exercises during breaks: sit upright, keep your body still, and move only your head. Do the following movements: lower your head, lift your head, turn left, turn right, lean forward, and lean back. Then, rotate your head clockwise and counterclockwise. Persist for 5 minutes each time, and perform the movements gently and smoothly.
2:00 PM - Two Massage Techniques
After a morning of work, by 2:00 PM, your neck may already be exhausted and your energy may be depleted. Here are two simple remedies:
1. On the back of the neck, there are three points of the Bai Lao Acupoint, from the bottom of the skull to the upper body. When working hard, take a few minutes to massage these three points to instantly relieve neck fatigue and relax the whole body.
2. Cross your fingers and place them behind your neck, then rub the back of your neck gently. Rub continuously for 50 times with a gentle force. After the neck becomes warm, you will feel relaxed and comfortable.
6:00 PM - Engage in Outdoor Activities
The nutrition of cartilage tissue is not supplied through blood, but through changes in pressure. Lack of exercise can lead to nutrient deficiency in the cartilage, which can cause degeneration. Increasing outdoor activities is one way to maintain the health of the neck. Recommended sports include swimming, playing sports, flying kites, and practicing yoga.
8:00 PM - Dinner for Kidney Nourishment
As a busy office worker, you may not have enough time to prepare a healthy and nutritious breakfast and lunch. In this case, you can eat foods that nourish the kidney during dinner. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that walnuts, dogwood fruits, Rehmannia root, black sesame, and beef bones have the function of nourishing the kidney marrow. You can add these ingredients to your dinner to strengthen the bones and delay the decline of the kidneys and spine.
10:00 PM - Enjoy Traditional Hot Compress
Stir-fry a small amount of fennel and 250 grams of salt, put them in a cloth bag, and apply it to the back of the neck for 30 minutes. Do this once a day. It can improve blood circulation in the neck and relieve muscle spasms. Be careful not to let the temperature be too high or the duration be too long.
11:00 PM - Choose a Healthy Pillow
Pillows and mattresses are intimate companions to the neck. If the pillow is too high or too low, or if the mattress is too soft, it can strain the neck. A health pillow with a width that reaches the shoulders, a low middle part, and high ends, like a gold ingot, can provide good support for the neck and allow it to rest well. For those with poor neck conditions, a wooden bed or a firm mattress is recommended, as excessively soft beds are not conducive to neck maintenance.
