Cervical spondylitis which causes neck pain and stiffness is affecting many youngsters due to increased usage of computers and phones. The pain is just a signal for us to take care. Paying attention to posture, eating easy to digest foods, exposure to sunshine, proper exercises to stretch the muscles of the neck and back and most importantly, rest will help heal this condition.

A rising number of youngsters are suffering from cervical spondylitis because they spend too much time in front of their computer screens. What’s the solution? They can’t stop working!!

What they can do is make a few changes in their diet & the way they function. It will require effort & commitment, but isn’t that better than being in pain?

What is cervical Spondylitis?

It’s a degenerative disease of cervical region of the spine. The main causes are faulty posture, poor dietary habits, psychological strain leading to muscle spasm, lack of exercise & injury.

What is the body trying to tell you?

When there is damage, the body wants to repair & it indicates this damage through pain. The pain felt in cervical spondylitis indicates 2 things:

1. degeneration in the cervical region is faster than regeneration
2. the body needs help with repair.

What can you do to support your body ‘naturally’?

Follow an integrated approach & focus on 4 things: exercise, rest, food & sunlight

1. Exercise: When in acute pain, please consult a qualified physiotherapist or accupressurist. Once the acute pain has subsided:
   1. Do shoulder & neck rotation & stretching exercises regularly.
   2. Many people have found relief from cervical pain through regular practice of yoga asanas such as matsyasana (fish pose), bhujangasana (cobra pose) & ardha naukasana (half boat pose).
      
      
       
2. Rest
   1. 2-3 times a day, drop everything you are doing...just sit with your eyes closed, focus on deep breathing & do a few stretching exercises.
   2. If your work is laptop based, try to take a break after every 1 hour of intensive work.
   3. Make no phone – no laptop time zones, say 8 pm - 8 am or no phone – no laptop days, say Sunday !!
   4. Ensure you get good amount of deep sleep every night.
   5. Be positive - Don't take mental / emotional stress, work on keeping a positive attitud
   6. Oil massage – Gently massage the back of your neck & shoulders with coconut oil. This will create better blood flow in the area & support pain management.
      
      
       
3. Food:
   1. Increase intake of raw foods as they are the easiest for the body to digest. Only when body is free from the work of ‘digestion’ will it be able to focus on getting your cervical area back to normalcy.
   2. Eat a generous serving of fruits in morning & evening. Eat a generous serving of raw vegetable salad with every cooked meal.
   3. Reduce intake of refined & processed foods, including white sugar, refined salt, refined oil, packaged foods, et
      
      
       
4. Sunlight – Sun is a natural unadulterated source of energy required for all life on earth. Sit in the sun & feel your body soaking this energy.

Be in sync with nature & manage your cervical spondylitis naturally.