Have you woken up with a stiff neck, began to get headaches after working at your computer, or had to reach for painkillers to ease your neck pain? Neck pain rarely starts overnight, its usually a build up over time. And the strain on your neck is made worse by poor posture, weakening neck muscle strength, stress, or even a lack of sleep.
We have put together this article to help you get on top of your neck pain!
Why Do I Have Neck Pain?
Neck pain has a host of factors, but an increasingly common cause is people spending a lot of time in the same posture such as staring down – whether that’s at a computer screen at work, driving, reading or looking at their smartphones.
These activities all create the same overload on your neck and over time some muscles become tight, and some become weak. And the joints in your neck can become stiff and you can even lose the normal curvature of your neck.
On top of the strain you’re experiencing during the day, sleeping with your neck in a poor position can make your neck more irritable, which results in neck pain that won’t go away, and gets a bit worse all the time.
A history of neck trauma from a fall, whip lash or sports can affect how prone to pain your neck is after and can leave you with a neck that’s easily irritable and doesn’t move well.
Everyday life isn’t kind to your neck. You may be all too familiar with that creaky sound in your neck when you look around, or a strain in your neck after long hours on the computer.
How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Without Painkillers
First thing first, most neck pain is nothing serious but on the very odd occasion neck pain can be very serious.
If you feel like something is wrong rather than just a stiff neck, here are some signs you should look for so you know what to do.
Loss of consciousness
You faint or just wake up on the floor, or turning your head makes you dizzy. This isn’t normal with neck pain and you should chat to your GP.
Numbness/ pins and needles/ Loss of arm strength
These symptoms can become permanent if ignored rather than getting the area assessed and treated by a physio or doctor.
blurred Vision, problems with speech or swallowing
These can be signs your neck pain is something more serious and you need to speak to a medical doctor as soon as possible
How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Using Ice Or Heat
Your neck rarely needs ice to make it feel better. Think of how tight your neck and shoulders would feel if you jumped into a cold bath. Your shoulders would immediately travel up towards your ears as all your neck muscles tighten.
You don’t want that, when you already have a stiff neck. A wheat heat pack over the upper traps is often the best option. The warmth will relax the muscles and reduce the strain on your neck.
Neck Stretching
How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Using Stretches
If the cause of your neck pain is stiffness, then some stretches, like upper trap stretches and neck movements side to side can start to free things up.
However different people need different stretches, depending on what’s wrong with your neck, stretches can make it feel better or worse. So, we would recommend speaking to our team who can create a tailored stretching plan specific to you, and your neck issue. Which gives you the solution you need to get on top of your neck stiffness.
As a general rule neck stretches should be done lightly, and aggressive neck stretching can make things worse.
How To Cure Neck Pain Fast By Avoiding Activities That Created The Pain
Avoid staying in one position for too long. It’s hard to quickly change your lifetime posture habits, but if you get up and move around often enough, you’ll avoid getting your neck stuck in an unhealthy position. This gives the affected area time to recover.
Sometimes we have you dial down a little on specific activities, but our team can ensure you recover much faster through a variety of solutions which may include osteo mobs, physio mobs, massage, trigger points, stretching and exercises.
With our approach we will reintroduce the activities you love as soon as possible, and have you back enjoying them, without you needing to worry about what’s wrong with your sore neck.
How To Cure Neck Pain Fast By Better Sleeping Habits
If your neck is most irritable when you’re trying to get comfy in bed or when you just wake up after a rest then that’s a sign that you might not be in the best position at night. Here’s some tips
Don't use too many pillows
Sleeping with several pillows all packed under your head can fix your neck in an upward position and limit your neck’s range of motion.
Avoid a mattress that is too soft
A soft mattress that you sink into can have a similar effect as your body isn’t supported, your head can be elevated by the pillow relative to your body. Putting extra stress on your neck.
Side or back sleep
Almost everyone we see in clinic who sleeps on their front struggles with their neck. Generally, it’s better to sleep on your side or on your back. People who are quite bendy can often get away with sleeping on their front as they have the range to comfortably do that but most people with a stiff neck will become uncomfortable sleeping on their front.
How To Cure Neck Pain Fast With Good Posture
If poor posture is aggravating your pain, then improving your posture can bring you back towards being comfier. Here’s our top tips.
Computer posture tips
Position your computer monitor at eye level so you can see it easily. Use the hands-free function on your phone or wear a headset. Prop your tablet on a pillow so that it sits at a 45° angle, instead of lying flat on your lap.
Walking posture tip
You can trick your brain. If you have a poor neck position when you walk an easy way to improve this is to walk with purpose, like you’re running late for a train. The increase in muscle activity in your legs will also increase muscle tone in your upper body triggering you into a more alert upright posture.
Be mindful of your limits
Until you strengthen your neck it’s best to be sensible. For example, before you move a big armchair across the room, or carry a heavy item such as bag or grandchildren on one side for hours. Think about the strain on your neck and how you can break up the activity into segments or ask someone for a little help to lift heavy items
How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Using Massage
The final tip to get on top of your neck issue to is to get a massage to loosen and stretch tight and overworked neck muscles that are a part of the problem and contributing to the neck pain you’re suffering with. Massage is a great way to speed up the recovery time from a neck strain.
It’s best to seek professional help, to assess the area and find out what’s wrong. Sure, its tempting to ask someone at home to dig into your neck pain. But they don’t know what’s wrong and what’s going to make your pain better or worse. It’s best to seek professional help, find out what’s wrong, and know what’s safe to do and make a plan to get on top of your pain.
When Is Best To Seek Help For Your Neck Pain
Some stresses on your neck will settle within a few days, and if this happens as a one off then there’s probably no need to worry.
However, if your discomfort doesn’t resolve, or maybe even slowly gets more stiff and painful, or becomes recurrent, then it’s likely that you will need some expert help to cure neck pain.
If you are in the “suffered with neck pain for weeks, and it’s not getting any better” group, then our team are here to help.
At Glossop Physio we have a clinic based in the heart of Glossop on Norfolk Square, and we offer free physiotherapy consultations, where you get to sit down with a member of our team. Get answers to the questions you have and find out what can be done to help you move and feel better.
When you are ready just give us a call on 07517421800 to organise your free consultation. Or if you like to do things online you can start organising your free consultation by filling out our webform Click Here
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