Treatment Tips On How To Get Rid Of A Stiff Neck Fast
Its 6:30 a.m. and your alarm is blaring inches from your head.
As you roll over to hit the snooze button, you realize your neck isnt wanting to roll over with the rest of you. It is stiff from sleeping on it the wrong way.
You awkwardly go about your day, trying to do everything without having to move your neck. It doesnt take you long to realize this is not a sustainable way to live. You need to find a solutionfast.
You wonder, How can I get rid of a stiff neck?
You arent alone, and many people have found relief from a stiff neck.
Read on to learn many science-backed ways to get rid of a stiff neck.
Limit How Long You Look At A Smartphone
Constantly looking down at your phone can pull on your neck muscles, putting a constant strain on them, and sometimes leading to pain. This phenomenon has even earned its own term: tech neck, or text neck.
A small 2019 study of 500 university students in Jordan found that the length of mobile phone use was positively correlated with increased pain severity and duration.
Researchers found that more than 24 percent of students assigned their neck pain a score greater than 4 on the 11-point Numeric Rating Scale for pain, indicating moderate pain or worse.
Overall, the authors stressed the importance of being mindful of how using mobile devices can contribute to neck pain and that changing positions and reducing the usage duration may be advised.
If you have to use your smartphone often, try some of these tips to reduce your neck strain:
- Hold your phone at eye level.
- Dont hold your phone between your shoulder and your ear.
- Use earbuds or headphones.
How To Warm Up
First things first: Loosen up the muscles in your problem area with a dynamic warmup that includes mobility exercises.
Before you start your workout, you want to prepare your muscles, ligaments, and joints for the work ahead. Therefore, adding in some dynamic stretching can help you warm up. You may also benefit from a 510 minute cardio warmup, such as walking, cycling, or a gentle jog .
While static stretches where you hold a stretch in one position for a length of time helps restore and maintain flexibility and promote range of motion, they should mostly be left until after your workout or included within a more dynamic warmup routine beforehand (
3 ).
If you do want to add some static stretching to your warmup, try to limit the stretches to 1020 seconds. Otherwise, leave it until your workout is completed.
Summary
Before starting your workout, perform some dynamic exercises to warm up your muscles. Ideally, leave static stretching until after your workout.
Recommended Reading: What Should I Do For Back Pain
Change What You Sleep On
Who knew you could make so much progress toward relieving your back pain by simply just going to bed?
Make sure you have the right pillow.
You should be sleeping on a feather pillow or a memory foam pillow at night. These will adapt to the shape of your head and change shapes throughout the night as you move.
Firm pillows elevate your neck too high and that type of angle for a prolonged period is a common cause of neck pain.
How To Get Rid Of Upper Back Pain
When we think of pain, it is usually associated with an injury or trauma.
But a lot of upper back and neck pain seems to come out of the blue, leaving you uncomfortable and asking how to get rid of upper back pain.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, half of all working Americans report suffering from back pain and another study reveals that nearly 60% of Americans wouldnt tell a medical professional if they were suffering from chronic pain.
This pain can be caused by a number of factors such as working at a computer or simply sitting at a desk too long and can interrupt your life.
If this is you and youre left asking how to get rid of upper back pain, dont worry weve got your back!
Here are ten things to try when you need to know how to get rid of upper back pain.
You May Like: What Causes Sudden Back Pain
Rhomboid Muscle Pain Symptoms
Youâll usually feel rhomboid muscle pain as aches or tension in your upper back between your shoulder and your spine. â
Symptoms of rhomboid muscle pain may include:
- Aching pain
- Working out your shoulders and back with weights
- Injury
Some health conditions can also cause rhomboid muscle pain. If you have joint problems in your shoulder, the surrounding muscles might be affected.
Myositis. This condition can cause muscle weakness and inflammation. It usually shows up first in your shoulders and hips.
Polymyalgia rheumatica. This is a disorder that causes shoulder and hip pain and stiffness. It typically affects people over age 50. The pain and stiffness may be worse in the mornings and affect both sides of your body.â
Rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to attack your joints. It usually causes a lot of pain and swelling and can lead to joint deformities. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect your shoulders, which might also impact your rhomboid muscles.â
Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative bone disease that causes loss of cartilage. This can cause pain and stiffness. You might not have much movement in your shoulder, which can cause discomfort in the surrounding muscles.
When To See A Doctor About Neck Stiffness
Usually, a stiff neck doesn’t require a trip to the doctor.
“Most neck stiffness resolves by itself,” Gordon says.
However, you should see a doctor if:
- Your pain or stiffness doesn’t resolve within two weeks.
- You were in a car accident or other accident, including falling down. It’s best to get checked out to rule out any serious injury, says Shah.
- You experience shooting or electric pain, which might indicate a pinched nerve.
- You experience pain or numbness that radiates down the arm or into the hand.
Quick tip: If you experience a stiff neck with a fever, confusion, incontinence or changes to your gait, seek emergency medical attention, Gordon says.
Don’t Miss: What Medicine For Lower Back Pain
Suboccipital Release With Massage Balls
Targeted muscle: Suboccipitals.
How to do it:
Begin by placing two tennis balls inside a sock. Lie on your back and position the tennis balls just below the base of your skull, move around until you find a tender area. Hold this position for 1 to 2 minutes.
Targeted muscles: Upper cervical extensors and Suboccipital
This exercise will activate and strengthen your deep cervical muscles .
- Place 2 fingers at the bottom of your chin.
- Gently tuck your chin in and retract your head backwards. At the same time, use your fingers to keep the chin tucked in the entire time.
- Hold the end position for 3 to 5 seconds.
- Relax your neck for a moment .
- Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
** You should feel like the back of your neck is lengthening or pulling up, and there will be packing in front of your neck.
Crick In The Neck Heres What To Do
You might be comforted to know that crick in the neck isnt a real medical diagnosis. So, does that mean you dont actually have neck pain? If only.
Instead, a crick in the neck could be any number of neck ailments. It will be up to a spine expert to give your particular neck crick a proper name, but the good news is most neck cricks can be eliminated with some at-home remedies.
You May Like: Aleve Or Ibuprofen For Back Pain
Also Check: Can Not Pooping Cause Back Pain
Fall Asleep Faster And Sleep Longer
When you have a restful nights sleep, your back will feel less sore during the day.7 A night of restorative sleep can have healing benefits and make you feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and less stressed.
Watch Video: 11 Unconventional Sleep Tips: How to Get to Sleep and Stay Asleep
Try these natural sleep aids, one at a time, to see which one works best for you:
- Vitamins C and B6. The natural steroids in your body control your metabolism and promote good sleep.8,9 Supplements of vitamins C10 and B611 are known to help the body produce and regulate natural steroid hormones.
- Melatonin. Your natural sleep hormone, melatonin can be taken as a supplement to improve your sleep cycle.
- L-theanine. An amino acid found in tea leaves, L-theanine may help some people feel relaxed and get better sleep.
- Valerian. Supplements made from the root of the valerian plant may help you sleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Another option is cherry juice or cherry extractscherries contain certain enzymes that help promote better sleep.4
See Natural Remedies and Herbal Supplements as Sleep Aids
Fixing Upper Back And Neck Pain
Overview
Upper back and neck pain can stop you in your tracks, making it difficult to go about your typical day. The reasons behind this discomfort vary, but they all come down to how we hold ourselves while standing, moving, and most important of all sitting.
Neck and upper back pain can limit your movements and capabilities. If you dont do anything about your pains, they can get worse, spread, and limit you further. This is usually because the muscles around your immediate area of pain have tensed up to protect that one spot. That expansion limits movement and can turn one clenched muscle under your shoulder blade into a painful shoulder and a tension headache.
Causes of upper back and neck pain include:
- improperly lifting something heavy
- smoking
Our love of screens is also a likely culprit in upper back and neck pain. Sitting all day working on a computer screen, craning your neck to read the news on your phone on the way home, and slumping on the couch to watch several hours of television are great ways to throw your body out of alignment.
Like many health conditions, the effects of neck and back pain can be more severe in people who smoke or are overweight. Excess weight can add more pressure on the muscles.
Don’t Miss: How To Make My Lower Back Pain Go Away
Could It Be Serious
We understand that neck and back pain seem really scary since these areas seem to be more vulnerable than others.
The good news is that neck pain is rarely anything serious. Can neck pain be a sign of cancer? Yes, but its rare. Less than 1% of those reporting shooting neck pain on the left side or neck pain in general have something serious, such as cancer or a tumor.
If you are concerned that your pain in the left neck area could be an artery dissection, you should know that this affects only 2 out of every 100,000 persons. If your neck pain is unusual, persistent, and is accompanied by a severe headache, go to your hospital emergency room or call 911.
How To Soothe A Sore Neck
Sore neck? It’s pretty common. And most men get neck painfor the same reasons they suffer low back pain. “In the vast majority of people, it’s routine muscle strain and sprain,” says Dr. Robert Shmerling, Senior Faculty Editor at Harvard Health Publishing and Corresponding Member of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “The neck has to support that heavy bowling ball on top.”
The remedies for neck and back painalso have some things in common. First, ease the early intense pain with rest, ice, and heat then move on to gentle stretching and strengthening exercises. Later, avoid bad posture and other habits that could trigger another neck pain crisis.
You May Like: How To Get Va Disability For Back Pain
Deep Knots In Shoulder Blades Remedy #: Full Back Stretch
Stand arms length in front of a doorknob, arm rail, or heavy object that you can grip, and then lean forward with arms slightly bent so that you can grasp the table with both hands.
Keep your arms straight with the head level with your shoulders. Hold for 10 seconds.
You should now be feeling like those deep knots in shoulder blades are just a distant memory.
Pain between the shoulder blades, or interscapular pain, can have many causes. Muscle strain is a common one, but pain in this area could also be a sign of something more serious, like a heart attack or lung cancer.
Pain is your bodys way of telling you that somethings wrong. Its important to find out why you are experiencing pain between your shoulders.
This article goes over some of the reasons why it may be occurring and when you should see a doctor.
Verywell / Joshua Seong
Take A Hot Shower Or Bath Before Bedtime To Relax The Muscles In Your Abdomen And Chest
We all know that exercise is important for our physical health, but did you know it can also help us sleep better at night? Studies show that people who regularly work out are more refreshed in the morning and less likely to take naps during the day. Whats more, theyre less inclined to stay up late at night because their bodies need less time to recover from a workout. If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed every night, try adding some activity into your routine. It might be just what you need!
Exercise regularly to keep your muscles strong and healthy. Exercising is a great way to build up abdominal muscles that may have weakened due to pregnancy or just the natural aging process, but you can also exercise them by doing simple exercises such as crunches and pelvic tilts. Here are some tips on how to get started with exercising today!
Read Also: Does Aleve Help With Back Pain
Read Also: Does Walking Backwards Help Back Pain
Upper Back Pain During Pregnancy
There is a lot of focus on pre-natal lower back pain, but clinically I treat many women in this population that experience upper back pain as well.Upper back pain during pregnancy can occur at any point, but is most common in the third trimester. This occurs for several reasons.First, as pregnancy progresses, the growing size of the baby and the uterus shifts the center of gravity forward placing increased pressure on the muscles in the back.Secondly, a woman can gain 25-30% of their body weight in a relatively short period of time, which also places increased stress on the muscles in the back.The changing hormones in the later stages of pregnancy can also have an effect.As the body prepares for delivery, hormones are released that loosen the ligaments and muscles in the body.When this occurs there is less inherent stability in the pelvis and back, which causes the muscle to work harder, and sometimes this increased demand on the muscles can cause muscle spasm.Lastly, the enlargement of breast tissue during pregnancy can alter posture and increase strain on the neck, shoulders, and thoracic spine.
While upper back pain during pregnancy is common there are some steps that you can take to prevent this from occurring and relieve symptoms when they do occur.
Neck Pain From Sleeping Is Manageable
Neck pain from sleeping can be your worst nightmare in the morning. This can be caused by sleeping on your stomach, sleeping with your hand placed on the forehead, or having pillow problems like stiff or thick pillows cramping your comfort level during sleep.
Luckily, sleep posture matters. Try sleeping on your back or side, or sleep without a pillow. Sleeping without a pillow is known to benefit the neck, spine, and face. At the same time, it might also improve the quality of your sleep.
Other ways to relieve neck pain include neck exercises, showers or baths, applying heat or cold, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and an anti-inflammatory diet.
Also Read :
Recommended Reading: What Can You Use For Lower Back Pain
Ways To Relieve Back Pain Naturally
There are a wide variety of natural remedies to soothe your back, which can help reduce the intake of medications or provide an added benefit to your existing medical treatment.
Take a look at these natural pain-relieving strategies and find out what works best for you:
Read on to learn more about effective pain-relieving strategies for chronic back pain from natural methods.
Neck Pain Treatment And Remedies
Remember that any pain, stiffness, or mobility issues involving your neck should be evaluated by a doctor. Its important to rule out injuries and infections. Always ask for professional medical advice before trying approaches on your own.
A physical evaluation by a doctor can help identify the cause of your pain. X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound imaging can also be helpful in making a diagnosis.
You May Like: How To Cure My Lower Back Pain
Work In An Ergonomic Environment
If you sit slumped over at a desk all day, you are bound to end up with some pain and stiffness.
Try sitting up straighter to offer your neck more support.
You can also try:
- Getting a back support for your chair
- Investing in a wrist support for your keyboard
- Trying a different type of chair
- Opting for a standing desk instead of sitting all-day
Have Enough Of Night Sleep
After doing four methods above, make sure you sleep enough at night with at least 7-8 hours for adults. Having enough of night sleep time can recover your body and nerves as you sleep, thus giving you more energy for your daily routines. Having enough energy for all day also can prevent you from taking a nap with wrong position .
Also Check: Can Chronic Back Pain Cause High Blood Pressure
