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Best Recliners for Neck Pain

Best Recliners for Neck Pain over image of a white recliner chair

Are you dealing with a real pain in the neck? We don’t mean that annoying coworker who keeps stealing your lunch from the office fridge: we mean actual neck pain. From the occasional ache to debilitating, even life threatening damage, neck pain can range in severity. In this article, we’ll explore several common treatment options as well as the best recliners for neck pain. 

What Causes Neck Pain? 

When it comes to the human neck, a lot can go wrong. This is due, in part, to the neck’s complex structure.

The cervical spine–those first seven vertebrae that range from the base of the skull to just above the shoulders–are what form the foundation of the neck.

Inside the cervical spine runs the spinal cord–an essential bundle of nerves that carries messages from the brain down throughout the rest of our body. 

Between each vertebrae are intervertebral disks that act as shock absorbers, preventing everyday jolts and jostles from harming the spinal cord. Our necks also contain muscles, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels (including the carotid artery and jugular veins). 

Problems in any of these sensitive areas can result in serious pain that can radiate throughout the neck, back, shoulders, and head. 

The most common cause of neck pain is overuse or strain of the musculature surrounding the cervical spine. Exercise, bad posture, an unfortunate sleeping position, or accidents can all result in muscle tension and sprains. 

In more serious cases, however, neck pain may be caused by degeneration or movement of the intervertebral disks, irritation of the spinal cord, or the growth of bone spurs. 

Different Types of Neck Pain

Neck pain can range in severity and duration. 

 

Different types of neck pain. Acute 1-4 weeks. Subacute 4-12 weeks. Chronic 12+ Weeks. Over image of cartoon person clutching back of neck

Acute: 

Acute neck pain lasts four weeks or less. 

Subacute:

Subacute neck pain lasts four to twelve weeks. 

Chronic

Chronic neck pain lasts three or more months. 

How to Treat Chronic Neck Pain 

When neck pain becomes chronic, or is serious enough to cause problems with your daily life, ice packs and heating pads may not be enough to treat the pain. Here are some options to consider:

Best Recliners for Neck Pain

If your neck pain is chronic or severe, you might need a longer-lasting solution. Replacing some of your furniture with alternatives that provide greater support or that have neck pain amenities like heating, massage, or zero gravity positioning can help. We’ve compiled our top three suggestions for the best recliners for neck pain. 

Best Economy:
SMUG Recliner Chair
Price: $117.00

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The SMUG Recliner offers superior neck and posture support at an affordable price. With a soft leather headrest, padded back support, and two massage points at the shoulders, the SMUG Recliner can help ease muscle tension in the neck and upper back. 

The massage function offers eight different settings and the reclining back can extend up to 160 degrees. 

 

Best Mid-Range: 
2024 Massage Chair Recliner by BILITOK
Price: $699.99

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Enjoy full body massage and zero gravity comfort in the 2024 Massage Chair Recliner by BILITOK. The latest model from BILITOK features eight shiatsu massage rollers with five preset modes for full body massage action. Air bags at the shoulder, buttocks, arms, and legs offer additional compression for more intense relaxation. The BILITOK 2024 Massage Chair Recliner also includes a touchscreen with bluetooth connectivity so you can listen to music while you relax. 

 

Best Luxury:
Real Relax SL Track Recliner Full Body Massage Chair
Price: $1,199.99

Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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At the top of our list of best neck pain recliners sits the Real Relax SL Track Recliner Full Body Massage Chair. Featuring automatic body detection, the Real Relax SL Track senses and conforms its massage head position to fit your unique body shape for maximum relief. With up to 12 different massage techniques, back heating, and targeted neck massage options, the Real Relax SL Track Recliner is well worth the price. 

Chiropractic Care

A good chiropractor can help relieve neck pain through the use of spinal adjustments, electric stimulation, and other holistic approaches that don’t involve traditional medication. A 2012 study comparing different treatment options for acute and subacute neck pain found that Spinal Manipulation Therapy (SMT), a type of treatment utilized by chiropractors, was more effective than both medication and home exercise with advice in treating neck pain. 

Supplements

Good nutrition can help prevent further damage and encourage the body’s natural healing mechanisms. For times when your regular diet may not supply everything you need to help your body recover from neck pain, supplements can help close the gap. 

Magnesium: 

Magnesium is one of the most important nutrients in the human diet. Involved in over 300 different processes from sleep to muscle function and beyond, magnesium can help soothe tense, sore, or torn muscles. For an affordable and effective magnesium supplement, we recommend Dr. Eric Snow’s Magnesium Power.  

Bottle of Dr. Eric Snow's Magnesium Power

Turmeric: 

A popular anti-inflammatory and antioxidant supplement, turmeric can help your body reduce soreness and pain around strained neck muscles. Fermented turmeric can offer improved absorption and better taste compared to standard turmeric and curcumin supplements. For a 100% organic, fermented turmeric powder you can trust, we recommend Dr. Eric Snow’s Turmeric Power.

Container of Dr. Eric Snow's Turmeric Power

Boswellia:

You might not have heard of this all-natural pain reliever, but boswellia is an effective alternative to over the counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin. Also known as Indian frankincense, boswellia had been valued for centuries for its ability to treat soreness and pain in joints and muscles. Our top choice for safe, effective boswellia supplements is Standard Process Boswellia Complex.

Boswellia Complex, 120 Tablets