How to Relieve Neck Pain: 5 Tips from Doctor

A neck supports and allows your head to move freely. But neck pain caused due to an injury or inflammation can lead to serious problems. That is why you should know how to relieve neck pain and prevent these issues. 

A lot of people occasionally suffer from neck pain due to bad posture, whiplash, or an injury. And most of them don’t know how they can improve their neck stiffness. Even though there are fewer chances of neck pain leading to severe conditions, you still need to get rid of it to stay on the safe side. 

So, below are a few tips from professionals to cure neck pain or stiffness without visiting a doctor. You can also purchase an ergonomic chair help neck pain support.

Causes of Neck Pain

Before you know how to relieve the pain, understand what caused it. Here are some common causes of neck stiffness: 

Muscle strain

Muscle strain is the most common cause of neck pain. Strain in your neck muscles can cause a sore neck, which leads to throbbing pain in the area. It may also cause you sharp pain when you try to move your head. 

Muscle strain can be due to bad posture or sleeping in a position without neck support. It may also occur when you sit in front of a computer for hours without taking any breaks. 

Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis, also known as cervical disk degeneration, is a condition when the disks between your neck’s vertebrae are not in good shape. Due to this, there is an increase in friction between your vertebrae, causing stiffness or pain in your neck. 

Most of the time, cervical spondylosis occurs in old age. Your disks might wear down with age that leads to constant pain in the neck. In some cases, these disks even bulge out and put pressure on your spinal cord. If not treated on time, it could get worse and lead to herniated cervical disk fragment. 

Injury

Injuries are also a common cause of neck pain. Since necks are flexible and support the head, it is vulnerable to injuries. Neck pain can be a result of injuries caused by accidents, diving, falls, impact sports, weightlifting, or muscle damage. 

In serious cases, when your vertebrae are severely damaged, these injuries lead to a broken neck. 

Spinal stenosis

In spinal stenosis, your spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on your nerve roots. Not only neck pain, but spinal stenosis also causes pain in the back and legs. If you constantly move your neck, the pain worsens and causes serious issues to your neck. 

Meningitis

Meningitis causes inflammation in membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord. This inflammation might occur due to infection or a virus. If not treated properly, bacterial meningitis can become life-threatening. 

Here are some symptoms: 

• fever
• nausea
• sensitivity to light
• neck stiffness
• headache
• vomiting
• Cancer

How to Relieve Neck Pain 

Now that you know the causes, here are some tips on how to improve neck pain at home: 

Apply heat or ice 

If you are suffering from neck pain, apply ice on the aching area for about 20 minutes. Do it several times a day to relieve your neck from pain, stiffness, or inflammation. Instead of ice, you can also apply heat or alternate between both for effective results. A warm bath or a heating pad would be best to apply heat on the neck, 

Avoid sudden movements

You might want to stretch your neck to relieve or prevent the pain. But remember to stretch it slowly and gently; otherwise, it would cause inflammation, stiffness, and more pain in the neck. For better results, take a warm shower before you stretch your neck. 

Here are some stretching exercises for the neck: 

• Move your shoulders in a circular motion, backward and forward alternatively. 
• Slowly move your head from one side to the other. 
• Press shoulder blades together and stay in the position for a minute or two. 

Painkillers

Painkillers, as the name suggests, kill the pain in your neck or any other body part. It might work slowly, but it could reduce the pain in one or two days with proper doses and rest. Make sure you rest in the right position else the pain would worsen, causing severe injuries. 

Massage

Getting a massage from a professional will loosen up your neck and take away all the pain. It will stretch the muscles in your neck and back and even prevent injuries in the future. 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a process where an expert inserts needles into specific pressure points on your body. This practice has been around for thousands of years and is one of the oldest Eastern medicines. Make sure you visit a certified doctor only to prevent other issues in the neck or any other part of your body.  

How to Prevent Neck pain

The following ways will help you prevent neck pain in the future: 

• Buy high back ergonomic chair to fix a stiff neck at work or prevent it in the future. Choose the best ergonomic chair back support from thousands of chairs available in the market for neck support and back pain.
• Do not sit in the same position for too long. Move around every few hours to prevent your neck from getting stuck in a bad posture. You can also use  an office chair with neck support for best results.
• Do not use too many pillows to sleep at night as it could lead to a stiff neck and restricts it from moving. 
• When working, adjust your chair, desks, and monitor so that it is at your eye level. Use armrests on your ergonomic office chair to maintain a good posture.   

When should you see a doctor? 

Go to the doctor if: 

• You have headache and neck pain occurring simultaneously 
• The pain spreads to other areas of your body, such as arms and legs. 
• The pain started after an accident 
• There is weakness in the hands, arms, or legs. 

Conclusion 

Now you know what to do for a stiff neck and how to prevent it in the future. These were the best stiff neck remedies suggested by professionals. If you follow these tips carefully, the neck pain will go away in no time.