Thursday, January 12, 2012

How to Reduce Neck Muscle Soreness and Injuries in Boxing?


If you watch what happens to a boxer's head and neck when he takes a solid punch, it's not surprising that a sore neck is a common boxing injury. It's more surprising that the sore neck isn't consistent and severe. If you want to box, you'll have to get used to this symptom, but you'll also need to be vigilant for more serious injuries in the same area.
Causes
When you get punched in the head -- a common event while boxing -- it can snap, whip or rotate your neck. At the mild end of the spectrum, this abuse causes microscopic tears in your neck. These heal quickly and even build neck strength, but the tears can mean a sore neck in the short term. Severe neck trauma from a boxing punch can result in whiplash -- a neck injury more common to auto accidents than martial arts.
Muscle Soreness
The soreness from simple muscle tears is inconvenient but not serious. You can treat it by icing your neck as soon as possible after boxing. The sooner you can reduce inflammation by applying cold, the better your neck will feel. An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkiller also can alleviate the muscle pain. You can continue to work out with simple muscle soreness, and, in fact, a light exercise session can help reduce your discomfort.
Whiplash
Whiplash is serious trauma to the muscles in your neck or back. Ice your neck immediately if you suspect whiplash, just as you would with muscle soreness. However, your next stop should be with the doctor. He can confirm the extent of the damage and work with you to determine how long you need to rest and when you can return to the ring.
Other Injuries
Neck pain also can indicate damage to your spine or spinal cord, which is bad news. If your neck pain is stabbing or grinding, shoots to other parts of your body or is accompanied by numbness or tingling, you should go to the doctor immediately. Avoid moving your neck in the meantime, since severe neck damage can be made worse by moving your neck.
Common Sense Caution
Your neck is important. Neck soreness can be just muscle pain, or it can indicate a potentially lethal or debilitating injury. When in doubt, check with your doctor. Boxing often has a culture that celebrates training through pain and injury, but this is not the kind of injury you want to try to "macho" your way through.
Exercises for Neck Pain Exercise to stabilize your neck and decrease pain.

 
Design by Free Wordpress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Templates