Hi. Dr. Chris Tomshack here. I hope you’re feeling better after doing the NECK-Towel Trick I showed you in the last e-letter. If not, don’t worry, this next letter uses a tried and true remedy for relief—but first, a little quiz to see how best to help you:
 Question #1: When you cough or sneeze, do you get sharp pain in your neck or down the arm?
Question #2: Does your neck feel like it’s going to “break” when you get up in the morning?
Question #3: Does the pain move around so it’s hard to figure out where it’s coming from?
Question #4: Is there any sharp pain in your shoulder, arm or hand?
Question #5: Have you had the pain before? Is there any numbness with it?
 If you answered “yes” to 1 or more of the above questions, what I’m going to show you next may help—but it’s only a temporary fix—though STILL worth doing. The real solution is Chiropractic and Progressive RehabTM—our combination approach that doesn’t just cover up your pain, but deals with muscles, spine, nerves, tendons ligaments and balance.
 OK, now here’s the truth about ice.
 It’s almost ALWAYS better for pain than heat—and safer too. You see, with heat, it usually feels good, but can also INCREASE SWELLING. So you can feel wonderful while cooking yourself with the heating pad. But later, when you try to get up, you may not be able to move.
 There are few times we recommend heat, but it’s only in certain situations, and we’d only recommend it if we see you in person—otherwise, it’s too risky.
 To make it easy to remember which to use, think of a sprained ankle—it feels like it’s on fire! You DON’T want to put gas on the fire—but cool it down instead.
 Same with your neck. And how much icing do you do? About 15 to 20 minutes ON…then 30-40 minutes OFF.
 It’s IMPORTANT not to keep it ON all the time—like many trainers tell you—but to alternate ON-and-OFF. This is almost like a pumping action to remove inflammatory chemicals that always come with swelling and pain.
 You can use ice many times a day, but make sure you’re also using some barrier so the ice is not right against your skin—like a folded towel or washcloth. You don’t want frostbite!!
 Sometimes the simplest methods are the most powerful, so why not combine the Neck-Towel-Trick from the last letter with this one—you can use ice after you do the Neck-Towel-Trick to help ease any soreness.
 And make sure you read tomorrow’s letter: Pain Relief with Tennis Ball Magic! It’s another simple, inexpensive technique we use in the office all the time—but you can put it to work at home.
 And remember, what I’m showing you here are just a few simple techniques from the dozens and dozens we use to relieve pain in the office—so call us at XXX XXX XXXX to take advantage of our limited-time offer—our 17-point, Community Service Screening that finally gets to the bottom of why you’re in pain.
 And if you’re still hurting after doing the Neck-Towel-Trick and ice for a few days…better click on this link xxxxxxxxxxxx to schedule an appointment and get down to the deeper causes.
 We’ll talk again tomorrow. My best to you,
 Dr. Chris Tomshack for HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive RehabTM