How to Chew Gum to Relieve Neck Pain

Neck pain--whether it's the result of an injury, the aftereffects of a workout or from sleeping in the wrong position--is enough to ruin your day. It can leave you feeling tense, tired, and cranky. Fortunately, something as simple as chewing gum can help provide temporary relief from your neck pain. Studies show that the rhythmic motion of chewing gum suppresses pain responses in the body and can provide up to 30 minutes of relief.

Things You'll Need

• Chewing gum

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Instructions

Pain Relief From Chewing Gum

• 1

  Choose your gum of choice. If you're dealing with a chronic pain issue, choose a sugar-free variety, so you can chew as often as you need to without harming your teeth. If you are sensitive to aspartame or sucralose, try a gum sweetened with maltitol or xylitol.

• 2

  Begin chewing the gum. Chew gently and rhythmically. Over-zealous chewing can trigger jaw and neck pain, so it's important that you chew gently. Rhythmic chewing is important for the pain relief you're trying to achieve.

• 3

  Chew the gum for at least 20 minutes. Switch pieces in the middle if the gum's flavor becomes unpleasant or if its texture becomes too rubbery for comfortable chewing.

• 4

  Expect relief to last for 30 minutes after you finish chewing.

• 5

  Repeat as often as necessary for ongoing relief, but if you notice pain developing in your jaw, take a break from chewing for a couple of hours.