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Did you just wake up with a cheery mind only to find that you can’t move your neck sideways? The painful situation, without a speck of doubt. But, how to get rid of neck pain? This is a question that lingers around in people’s mind when all they want is instant relieve from the stiffness and the pain.
If you woke up with a stiff neck, chances are that your sleeping position is to blame. If you don’t necessarily want a repeat of that, it is better that you don’t spread yourself like a starfish on the bed.
In here, we are going to suggest some of the best ways to get rid of stiff neck pain and suggest some exercises that can come in handy for the treatment.
What is a Stiff Neck?
Stiff neck is a condition which is characterized by the pain and cramps around the muscles and the tendons associated with the neck.
Often times, it is also caused because of the overused muscles, tendons, ligaments around the neck region. For the most part, it is believed to be the way of sleeping that causes this condition for the most part.
What Causes a Stiff Neck?
While the majority of the people tend to blame the way of sleeping as the sole and primary cause behind the condition of a stiff neck, it is not always the case which is why it is important that one knows about some of the possible stiff neck causes to administer the correct mode of treatment for faster recovery.
Some of the common causes of this condition include:
- Overusing of the neck muscles
- Minor sprain
- The strain on the muscles
- Whiplash
- Arthritis
- Meningitis
- Injury
Symptoms of a Stiff Neck
If you have experienced the condition associated with stiff neck pain, chances are that you are going to end up experiencing a varying number of symptoms that need to be tended to without many thoughts put into it.
The signs and symptoms of this condition are pretty straight forward, including:
- Stiffness around the neck
- Dissipating pain around the shoulders
- Headache (at times)
- Inability to move the neck around
- Severe pain around the neck
How to get rid of Stiff Neck?
If you have been experiencing constant stiffness around the pain since waking up, chances are that the stiffness won’t just go away. There are a number of ways when it comes to how to get rid of neck pain for good.
The remedies are not just effective but do help in getting your neck back to normal functionality without any kind of issues whatsoever.
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Check Out These Effective Remedies To Get Rid Of Neck Pain.
To help you find a better and faster cure for the condition, we have jotted down some of the best ways to fight through the condition of the stiff neck and get yourself back to normal.
1. Stretching Helps
Just as the name of the condition suggests, a stiff neck is caused when the muscles around the neck become stiff and overused.
It isn’t just the sleeping position that contributes to the problems because working in front of a system for extended periods of time have been found to have impacts on the condition as well. Stretching exercises have been found to have amazing impacts on relieving the condition without any issues whatsoever.
There are some beneficial stretching exercises that you can indulge in, some of which have been mentioned around for you to take a look into.
- Using your palm, squeeze your shoulders for 10 minutes
- Move your head sideways 10 times
- Roll your shoulders in the backward direction 10 times
2. Hot or Cold Compression
When you have a stiff neck, it is important that you get rid of the stiffness and the pain that accompanies the condition. While it is often hard to deduce what is causing this in the first place, overworking of the neck muscles is often considered one of the common reasons behind the same.
Hot compression is amazing in boosting the blood circulation around the neck region which further facilitates better recovery without any additional issues of cramping that you have been experiencing.
Cold compress, on the other hand, has been found to impose impacts in relaxing the stiff muscles around the neck, thus providing with faster impacts on the process of recovery.
All you got to do is apply them from time to time and ensure that you don’t apply it too hot or too cold, directly on the skin.
3. Keep an Eye Out on Sleep Environment
It is not just the way you sleep that could contribute to the pain and discomfort, it can also be because of the mattress or even the pillows you are sleeping on.
This is the primary reason why it is important that you keep an eye out on the sleeping environment around you. If you have been experiencing the stiffness quite frequently, chances are that the accessory things on your bed could be the contributing factor for this.
It is thus important that you do look out for the possible causes and find better ways to combat this by making changes to your bedroom essentials.
It is important to find pillows that well suit your sleeping position. If the same isn’t aligned well, chances are that you will end up experiencing issues with the neck stiffness quite a lot.
4. Reduce the Heavy Load of Physical Activity
Majority of the people who lead an active lifestyle on a daily basis will often find it quite hard to keep things in place for themselves even when they are suffering from neck pain.
If you want a quick remedy for stiff neck, it is important that you prevent yourself from indulging in excess of the heavy load physical activity.
Avoid going to the gym for a few days or even the normal sports like golf and football can end up worsening the condition of yours. It is best that you avoid doing such activities for at least 2-3 weeks and see whether the pain persists or not.
5. Rest
It might not seem like a lot when it comes to the ways to get rid of stiff neck pain but this definitely does work amazingly in handling the condition effectively.
Given that one of the primary stiff neck causes is overworking the neck muscles, it is best suggested to ensure that you avoid doing that. It isn’t as hard as you might think of it as.
Resting through the time till it heals completely has been found to help quicken up the recovery process even more so. Give your neck and the whole body a day or two for the tissues to recover well. This has been found to have amazing impacts in helping with the faster recovery of the condition.
6. Take a Warm Bath
A warm bath is also considered an amazing way to fix a stiff neck pain that has been bothering you for a long time. It is best suggested to ensure that you check the temperature of the bath before immersing your body into the tub.
It shouldn’t be scalding hot but warm enough to provide relaxing impacts on the neck and get rid of the stiffness and the sore neck that is causing the pain in the neck altogether.
If you have been struggling to keep things in place for yourself, one of the best remedies is to soak yourself up in a warm bath with some bath salt.
Adding in some Epsom salt further helps in reducing any kind of inflammation or pain that you might be experiencing because of the stiff neck.
7. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is yet another one of the best answers to how to get rid of neck pain. It is not a mainstream treatment form but has been found to have amazing impacts in the overall recovery process.
It is always best suggested to ensure that you seek help from someone professional who has registered experience in this field and won’t end up causing a nuisance for your health.
If required, do a proper bout of research first and then go around for the treatment for faster and effective recovery from the condition.
8. Keep an Eye Out on the Posture
If you tend to have a very lousy posture on a persistent basis, it is quite possible that the same will end up causing issues for your neck and the muscles around the area.
In order to fix stiff neck pain, it is important that you keep a close eye on the kind of posture you sit in. Don’t just sit in a constant posture and rather, keep on changing the same every hour or so for faster relief.
If you keep your head in a constant fixed state, chances are that the same will end up feeling stiff and followed by pain as well.
Move your head around while you are working in front of a system. Walk around, if possible. Take breaks and just ensure that maintain a good posture through the day.
9. Consult a Doctor if the Pain is Persistent
A doctor will definitely know what is causing you to have constant pain and the stiffness around the neck if it doesn’t go away even with all the administered remedies and treatments.
As we did mention before, neck stiffness and pain isn’t technically just because of the sleeping style and can be caused by a number of other underlying health conditions as well.
This is the primary reason why it is important that you do lookout for the signs and consult a doctor before it’s too late.
10. Do Some Self Massage
If you can feel the knots and the tension around your neck, chances are that the massage for the stiff neck can actually help combat the situation for the better. It is thus very important to ensure that you do indulge in some self-massage because it does help in quick recovery.
- Start by ensuring that you follow the steps we mention below:
- Sit in a comfortable position or even stand, whatever suits your bill the best
- Take three fingers to the back of the neck, on the point where the neck meets the shoulders
- Apply some pressure on the area and then gently move your fingers in circular motions
- Do this till you feel the muscles relaxing even more
- Additionally, you can also roll around your shoulders both forward and then back
- Repeat the entire process 5-6 times for better recovery
11. Use Essential Oils
If you massage for stiff neck pain, instead of doing it with just your fingers, you can also indulge in some essential oils for faster and better recovery.
Applying the combination of lavender and peppermint essential oil has been found to have amazing impacts in getting rid of the pain and the discomfort that many often tend to experience because of the varying number of reasons.
It is always best suggested to ensure that you do mix it with some carrier oil and then massage it on the neck region for better and faster recovery.
12. Manage Stress and Anxiety
Not many know this but the heightened levels of stress have been found to have contributing impacts on the condition of neck pain and stiffness.
Both stress and anxiety have been found to have impacts on the condition of tensing of the muscles around the neck which ends up making it hard for you to move your neck around and experience the signs and symptoms associated with this problem all the more.
Some of the best ways to manage stress and keep the levels of anxiety in control is by ensuring that you indulge in meditation, listen to soothing music or even indulge in the activities that bring you joy.
13. Check for Signs of Bruxism
If you have been experiencing jaw pain and headache along with the stiff neck, the best remedy for the stiff neck in such conditions is to go see a dentist to get checked for possible signs of bruxism.
This is a possibility that can inflict the pain and discomfort which is why it is very important to ensure that you do consult a dentist to get a better outlook on the condition.
Nighttime teeth grinding is a possible cause and it is always best that you do keep an eye out on such similar conditions to ensure that the same doesn’t end up being a problem altogether.
If required, you can even get custom made teeth protector made to prevent the condition from getting worse.
14. Try Medications
Over the counter medications and even ointments have been found to have amazing impacts in helping in the faster recovery of the condition of stiffness around the neck.
If you have been experiencing pain for quite a long time, get some analgesic ointments and put that on the affected area that has been paining constantly. This can actually help in better recovery.
How Long Does a Stiff Neck Last?
A stiff neck is yet another one of the conditions whose recovery depends on how well you tend to the treatment and the remedies.
If you are constantly working around and straining the area, even more, chances are that you are going to end up experiencing the pain and the discomfort all the more.
On average, it lasts for a few days to a week or even weeks if there is an underlying condition involved in this.
How to Sleep with a Stiff Neck and Shoulder?
When it comes to the sleeping position best for your stiff neck, the possibilities are quite extensive to be honest. If you want to know about the ways that you can handle the pain around in your neck while sleeping, it is best dependent on the way you are comfortable.
Don’t put excess pressure and just sleep the way that feels the most normal to you and the rest will most definitely fall into place.
When it comes to how to get rid of neck pain, the possibilities behind the same are quite extensive. To help you out with the best effective methods, we have jotted down some of the ways that do work. For the best results, it is always best suggested that you do things that you find comfortable and don’t put excess strain on the neck.
