Neck pain can be very uncomfortable as well as very concerning. This guide lists 8 neck pain remedies you can try at home.
Neck pain is a very common phenomenon; so common that we use it as a metaphor for anything annoying.
However, for some people, pain in the neck is more than just a pain in the neck.
Neck pain is typically described as chronic if it lasts longer than three months.
Chronic pain is a little more complex than occasional neck pain.
While occasional neck pain is usually the result of minor muscular irritation, chronic pain can have a psychological component.
The good news is that there are neck pain remedies, and they don’t have to cost more than your car.
We’ll discuss a few of these remedies in this article.
1. Change Your Pillow
At this point, it’s almost a cliche to see someone walking out of a bedroom rubbing their neck.
Somebody in the next room will ask them what’s wrong with their neck, and they’ll reply that they slept on it wrong.
Sleeping in the wrong position is a big issue for some people.
The biggest problem is that it’s a lot more difficult than it sounds to sleep in a comfortable position.
Medical experts advise against sleeping on your stomach because our bodies simply aren’t built for it.
Anthropologists agree that humans have been walking upright for somewhere between 3 and 6 million years.
For this to happen, our spines and backs had to become straighter so we could support our own body weight on only two legs.
The unfortunate downside of walking upright is a tendency to develop issues in our spines.
This leads to neck and back pain.
While our backs are flat, our stomachs and chests aren’t, regardless of what shape we’re in. Sleeping on your stomach pushes the uneven weight into your spine and the muscles supporting it.
These muscles can strain, causing backaches.
There can still be issues when sleeping on your back or side, though.
If your mattress is lumpy, or your pillow is either too flat or too stiff, it can also cause muscles to strain.
One of the best solutions for problems in your neck is a memory foam pillow.
Unlike other types of pillows, memory foam functions by conforming to the weight of whatever’s on it.
This allows your head to be supported on the pillow without being pushed into an uncomfortable position.
It’s a great remedy and it very comfortable, and we’re not the only ones who recommend it.
Go to https://www.everlastingcomfort.net/blogs/comfy-reads/neck-solutions-proven-tips-for-getting-rid-of-neck-pain to read their opinion.
2. Light Exercise
Light exercise is a great way to treat neck and back pain, provided you do the right exercises.
Pull-ups or distance running are not good choices, because they put too much strain on your muscles.
It’s best to go with light exercises to deal with pain. These include stretching and swimming.
These exercises allow you to stretch your muscles slowly, helping to work out issues such as stiffness without irritating the area even more.
Swimming may be an especially good idea.
You’ve probably noticed that it’s harder to move underwater, and almost impossible to move quickly.
This has to do with the density of water.
Water is heavier and denser than air, meaning that it takes more energy to move it.
Moving through water means moving some of that water out of our way.
Since it takes more strength to move that water, we aren’t able to move as fast as we would on land.
A jacuzzi might also be a good choice if you have access to one.
These awesome little tubs are often used for entertainment these days, but that wasn’t their original purpose.
The jacuzzi was invented in 1949 by an Italian immigrant named Candido Jacuzzi. Candido’s famous invention was inspired by a troubling event in his son’s life.
In the late 1940s, Candido had a son named Kenneth, who developed rheumatoid arthritis before he turned two.
In an effort to treat his son’s pain, Candido invented a pump that caused bath water to bubble, thus creating the jacuzzi.
3. Medication
Pain medication is a controversial topic these days due to the opioid epidemic.
However, treating neck pain doesn’t mean you have to ask about an expensive and potentially dangerous prescription.
Some of the best neck pain remedies are things you may already have in your medicine cabinet.
Common painkillers like Advil and Tylenol may be enough to stop neck pain.
Keep in mind that you should also talk to your doctors.
In many people, neck pain is the result of muscle strains or other minor issues.
However, it’s always best to make sure nothing more serious is going on, especially if you’re dealing with chronic pain.
4. Heat and Ice
Treating pain with heat or ice can be a bit confusing, not because it’s all that complicated but because there seems to be some disagreement on how to use them.
For instance, Some people suggest using ice packs exclusively to treat pain while other suggestive heat only.
Others suggest both but don’t agree on when or how to apply them.
Since there isn’t a general consensus, the best advice we can offer is to do what you think might work.
Feel free to try out some combinations of heat and ice to see which ones work best for you.
5. Use Your Phone Less
Ever since the invention of home computers, doctors have been warning us about the risks of craning our necks to get closer to it.
These days, cellphones are also contributing to the problem.
When we aren’t leaning forward to see our screens, we’re bending our neck sideways to hold the phone against our shoulders while our hands do something else.
Many of us use our phones for about two to three hours per day. If we look at that time over the course of a year, it adds up to over one month.
It’s important to note that this survey was conducted in 2019, before the COVID 19 outbreak.
Many of us would benefit from getting off our phones every once in a while, and in more ways than one.
Not having to crane our necks forward leads to fewer neck pains. Staying off your phone at night exposes you to less blue light, which may help you sleep better.
Reducing phone use may also reduce eye strain, pain and stiffness in the hands, and fewer distractions, which is probably the most important.
Americans are killed every day by distracted driving, so cutting back might be something we all need.
Even if you refuse to cut down on phone use, there are still steps you can take to reduce symptoms caused by overuse.
For instance, investing in a set of headphones will allow you to talk without craning your neck to hold your phone. Holding your phone at eye level will reduce neck strain.
6. Meditation and Talk Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, commonly called talk therapy, may not be something you can practice at home, but meditation is.
It’s often a good idea to pair meditation with talk therapy because a therapist will be able to teach you meditation and relaxation techniques.
Chronic pain can be stressful, and stress contributes to heart disease, strokes, and other potentially fatal issues.
Stress can lead to psychological issues, such as anxiety, which therapy can help with.
This process can also work another way.
Studies have shown that teens with mental health conditions are more likely to experience back and neck pain than those without.
Scientists still aren’t completely sure why certain mental health conditions can also cause physical symptoms, but they do seem to agree that there is a link.
Even if you don’t think talk therapy will help you, you may still want to try.
Even if you don’t struggle with physical or mental health conditions, having someone to vent to can make life a bit easier.
7. Massage
Depending on your situation this might be something you could do at home. Those in a relationship can ask their partner if they know any massage techniques.
This can be a comforting and intimate way to spend time together.
If you don’t happen to have a significant other, it may be best to seek out a professional. Professional massages can be relaxing and therapeutic in many different ways.
Perhaps the biggest benefit a licensed massage therapist can offer is knowledge of several types of massage.
If you’re suffering from muscle pain and stiffness, you may want to ask about Trigger point massages, Deep massages, and sports massages.
These are all deeper massages that target injured or tight muscles.
Some of these massages target sports-related injuries but can be used to treat tense or strained muscles.
Massage can also help with other medical issues, including headaches, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and digestive symptoms.
Massage isn’t for everyone, though. If you have medical disorders affecting your blood or bones, you should not see a masseuse.
This includes broken bones. A recent burn injury may be another reason to not get massaged.
If you do choose to seek out massage therapy, it’s important to remember that the session is controlled by you.
It’s okay to ask the massage therapist about their experience and qualifications.
It’s about making sure you’re comfortable, which is what their job is all about.
If you’re feeling any pain during the massage, it’s okay to say so.
Pain sometimes occurs when a knot in your muscles is being worked out, but it’s also possible that the therapist is pushing harder than necessary.
Not everything is going to be resolved in a single session, so don’t be surprised if you need a few appointments to fully treat your pain.
8. Acupuncture
Acupuncture may not be something you can try at home, but it might show promise as a treatment for neck pain.
The jury is still out as to whether or not there are any real benefits of acupuncture, but most agree that it’s harmless when done by a licensed professional.
Since acupuncture is still considered an alternative therapy, there are a few acupuncturists out there who are not legitimate.
The good news is that many of the qualified ones also have degrees in other medical fields, so your doctor may know a few of them.
It’s always best to ask your doctor to see if they can help.
Since acupuncture is still a controversial procedure, researching it can be difficult.
A result of this is that even some of those who believe in it have only vague ideas of how it works.
The belief is that the needles, which are designed to be very thin, may target the nervous system, causing reactions within our bodies.
Those who don’t believe in acupuncture claim that the placebo effect is responsible for any symptom relief caused by acupuncture.
However, even if it is a question of mind over matter, it might be worth it to seek out acupuncture.
Regardless of whether a patient is cured by scientifically-proven treatments or by the belief that they’re healthy, they’ve still been cured.
These Neck Pain Remedies Are Effective
If you’re one of the many people who suffer from neck pain, we’re glad to tell you that the are many neck pain remedies out there.
Most of them can even be practiced at home.
If you want to cover all your bases, we encourage you to do more research.
There could be other treatments that we didn’t have space to cover.
For more articles on health, relationships, faith, and other topics please check out the rest of our site.