By: Hello Doctor Updated 21 Apr 2022, 18: 01 pm EDT
Neck pain is a very common discomfort.
It usually occurs due to poor posture, blows or as a consequence of some joint or musculoskeletal disease, such as osteoarthritis. Learn about different remedies and tips to relieve pain here.
Take care of posture
Posture is the way in which our body is maintained or supported. It can be static, that is, how the body is held when we are not moving (sleeping or sitting) or dynamic, the posture we have in movement (walking, running or bending over).
Having a good posture is very important to maintain balance and avoid discomfort and injury. The origin of your neck pain may be due to bad positions throughout the day. To avoid this, keep these tips in mind:
How to sleep
Experts recommend getting a medium-firm mattress to avoid sleeping with a hunched spine. Your head and neck should be in line with your torso, and you can place small pillows under your neck or thighs to align your spine.
Stand up straight
Weight must be placed towards the tips of the feet or distributed throughout the sole of the foot, you should also prevent the abdominal area from moving forward. Keep your head up and shoulders slightly back.
Remember: You should always wear comfortable shoes when walking or standing for long periods of time.
Sit well
To achieve a good posture when sitting, the feet must be in contact with the ground, the head straight, aligning the cervical and dorsal spine, and the knees and hips must be flexed, forming an angle of 90 ° each other.
Eyesight
If you are working, studying or reading, the book, computer, or cell phone should be at eye level (head should be up and not flexed). This advice also applies to television.
Other advice
Other habits that can cause neck pain are:
- Carry thoughtful bags with your shoulders. This can be fixed by carrying her with her arms outstretched, shoulders and neck straight, and eyes straight ahead. You should also balance the weight so as not to force one side more than the other.
- Hold the phone between your ear and shoulder while talking. This can be fixed by turning to the speakerphone or using headphones.
- Have overweight or obesity. They are diseases that weaken the abdominal muscles, cause problems in the pelvis and affect the spine, contributing to neck pain. This can be solved by abandoning sedentary habits, exercising regularly and incorporating a healthy diet.
- Smoke. Although it sounds strange, it can contribute to neck pain, since tobacco hinders the distribution of oxygen and the absorption of nutrients by the tissues of the spine and neck, favoring discomfort and injuries.
- Looking straight ahead, lower your chin until it rests on your chest. Cross your hands over the top of the back of your head to intensify the stretch as you hold for 5 seconds. Do three daily sessions of three repetitions each.
- With the shoulders relaxed, tilt your head to the side as if you wanted to touch your shoulder with your ear (careful, it should not be your ear with your shoulder). Hold that position for 5 seconds. Repeat and switch sides. Do three daily sessions of three repetitions each.
- Looking forward With your shoulders relaxed, rest your chin on the side of your chest as if you wanted to look at your armpit. Hold for 5 seconds, repeat and switch sides. Do three daily sessions of three repetitions each.
- Cold compresses: are used when there is inflammation or dull pain from a blow. The cold constricts blood vessels and decreases blood flow to the affected area, controlling inflammation.
- Hot compresses : used for contractures (tight muscles) or chronic pain. The heat dilates the blood vessels, increases blood flow to the affected area and restores flexibility and elasticity to the ligaments and tendons.
- Natural remedies for muscle pain
- Acupuncture: consists of penetrating the skin with small needles at specific points on the body to stimulate certain nerve endings in the body and relieve pain.
- Acupressure: a therapist exerts pressure on certain points of the body (in this case the neck) to relieve pain.
- transcutaneous electrical stimulation : A small box is placed over the point of pain, which sends mild electrical pulses to the nerves.
- Use of oils : natural medicine promotes the use of essential oils with anti-inflammatory properties to calm neck pain, such as from arnica, eucalyptus, ginger, lavender, or rosemary. You just have to dilute a couple of drops in a carrier oil (such as coconut or olive oil) and gently massage on the affected area.
- Neck pain lasts for more than a week.
- The neck pain was caused by an accident or fall.
- The neck pain becomes more and more intense.
- The neck pain neck prevents you from turning your head normally or moving other parts of your body.
- You feel a strong migraine along with your neck pain.
- You have fever, numbness, or weakness.
Exercises to relieve neck pain
If your neck hurts, try these exercises to find relief:
Compresses
To relieve neck pain, you can use hot or cold compresses. Just keep in mind the following:
Complementary and alternative medicine
In addition to the tips and exercises above, you can relieve neck pain with any of these options:
Remember: these options should work like complements for traditional treatments recommended by a health professional, never as a substitute.
When to visit the doctor?
You should consult a doctor if you have any of these symptoms:
It is also important that you do not resort to self-medication to relieve neck pain, since, on certain occasions, the origin of this discomfort may not be muscular.
Sources consulted : US National Library of Medicine, Mayo Clinic , Harvard Medical School, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.