A stiff neck can make movements difficult and painful, especially while doing important activities like driving or working. The stiffness is usually associated with sports injury or whiplash. Stiffness an chronic pain develop slowly and it usually lasts for days recurring in waves. If the stiffness was caused by an injury then performing self-care for the first few weeks will help heal the injury quickly and also avoids relapse. Home remedies are effective in treating neck pain, stiffness and inflammation but if the issue is severe then physical therapy can give you long term relief. The remedies described in this articles address inflammation, mechanical functioning and muscular stress giving the person pain relief and comfort.
Medications
Swelling and inflammation are the main cause of a painful stiff neck. You can ease the pain by taking regular anti inflammatory prescription drugs which initiates the healing process when taken as soon as the problem arises. Severe pain can be relieved using pain relief drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen.
Rehabilitative Exercise
Chronic pain can be relieved effectively with gentle exercise. Rehabilitative exercises soothe the stiff muscles and helps improve the recovery process.
Controlled Activity
It is important to rest if you are suffering from a stiff neck. You should return to any form of activity gradually. When the pain begins the muscles around the neck swells, so you must rest as long as possible and resume regular activities gradually after 3-4 days. During the initial stage you must avoid participating in any type of sports, sitting idle for long periods and lifting heavy objects. You can take short walks to loosen the stiff muscles. Normal activity can resume after 2-3 weeks.
Massage
Massage will improve your circulation, relieve inflammation, muscle tension, spasm and pain. It also help improve flexibility and relieves neuromuscular problems. Apply a generous amount of Biofreeze with gentle massage to the affected. BIOFREEZE is natural analgesic pain that helps in the relief of back pain, arthritis pain, muscle strain neck pain and other aches and pains.
Temperature Therapy
For long term relief from chronic or acute neck pain use temperature therapy. Gel packs can be heated or chilled making it a portable and easy pain relief treatment. The gel packs are reusable. Cold compresses can reduce inflammation while hot compresses relax stiff muscles. For swelling the cold compress should be applied for 20 minute sessions. You can alter the cold compress with a hot one for neck stiffness. The gel pack is ideal for temperature therapy but you can substitute an ice bag or frozen peas for cold compress. Heating pads or hot showers will suffice for hot compresses.
Support a Stiff Neck
The neck and shoulders are under stress continuously because of the weight of the head. In order to relieve the neck pain it is recommended to support the cervical area when lying down or sitting. If the neck muscles are weak then a soft neck color can be used for a week or more to ease the stress and aid the healing process. A good pillow should be used to support the head when lying down. There are special cervical pillows designed to maintain the right posture for the neck and to support the head. This reduces the strain on the cervical spine. Avoid lying down on the abdomen instead lie down on the back or sideways.
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