You know the sensation. You jump out of bed, put your slippers on, turn your head for a second – and boom! The excruciating pain begins to shoot from your neck down to your back.
Looking for relief from this god-awful neck pain, and twist & turn your head all you want? Well, because we’re here to help you out! This article breaks down 10 Incredibly Effective Treatments For A Stiff Neck.
Sports Massage
First, sports Massage is considered one of the most effective treatments for restoring balance to the musculoskeletal system and releasing muscle tension. The main goal of sports therapy is to restore full functionality to neck muscles and other soft tissues.
Furthermore, this will ease the tension in your neck and shoulders during long hours at work. It will also help quicken recovery and restore maximum performance of other muscle groups.
- This reduces the recovery time of damaged or overworked muscle or tissue.
- Improves lymph and blood circulation.
- De-stress tense postural muscles and improve spinal alignment.
- It helps improve the flexibility of muscles and joints.
- It enables muscles and joints to heal faster following an injury.
Thai Massage
If you ever happen to visit Thailand, one of the things you are not likely to miss is getting a life-changing Thai massage! Thai massage is a well-known therapy for stiff necks. Fortunately, it is also easy to find a place to get this massage.
This traditional Thai healing practice combines assisted yoga postures, Indian Ayurvedic principles, and acupressure. The Thai massage will help you relax and relieve any tension that’s built up in your neck.
- Reduce swelling by clearing out waste products and toxins.
- Break down adhesions within muscles to improve suppleness and mobility.
- Help prevent injury by treating any muscle weakness or problem area.
Cold/Hot Therapy
Cold/Hot Therapy is often recommended for people with stiff necks. It helps relieve aching neck pain that results from muscle or joint damage. For cold therapy, a water bottle usually filled with cold water, a pad cooled in the freezer, or cool water can be used. Heat therapy, or thermotherapy, involves using a heated water bottle, microwave-heated pads, and a warm bath.
- Cold treatment reduces inflammation by decreasing blood flow.
- Alternating cold and heat therapies may help decrease exercise-induced muscle pain in your neck.
- Heat treatment promotes blood flow and helps muscles relax. It can be used for chronic pain in your shoulders and neck.
Craniosacral Therapy
What is craniosacral therapy? Craniosacral Therapy, or CST, is a noninvasive therapy that enhances your body’s inherent healing abilities. This alternative treatment is typically used by massage therapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors. It aims to use a gentle touch to heal the joints in the cranium or skull, spine, and even parts of the pelvis. It is used for various issues, apart from a stiff neck.
- De-stresses tense muscles
- It helps improve the flexibility of muscles and joints.
- It enables muscles and joints to heal faster following an injury.
- A study on CST and fibromyalgia demonstrated that it may reduce anxiety and improve the quality of life in those with the condition.
Chiropractic Treatment
A chiropractor is an increasingly popular treatment that manipulates the joints and spine to alleviate neck and back pain. It’s a standard therapy that does not involve any medication, making it very useful for people looking to avoid medicinal cures.
Chiropractic treatments are called cervical manipulation for stiff necks. Most importantly, this helps loosen up the joints of the cervical vertebrae, decreasing pain arising from pinched nerves and muscle spasms. How can a chiropractor help with neck pain or stiffness? Chiropractors often use skilful hands to sharply twist the neck and snap the vertebrae back into alignment!
- This reduces the recovery time of damaged or overworked muscle or tissue.
- Help prevent injury by treating any muscle weakness or problem area.
- This process breaks down adhesions within muscles, improving suppleness and mobility.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep Tissue Massage mainly targets muscles and fascia at a deep level. In deep tissue massage, the therapist uses increased pressure and a firmer touch than is typically used in Swedish or therapeutic massages. In addition, people often claim that deep tissue massage can be initially intense and uncomfortable, but the results are worth it!
Most importantly, medical studies have also shown that deep-tissue massage provides patients with significant benefits, particularly those outlined below.
- Deep Tissue Massage Alleviates Stress
- Deep Tissue Massage Improves Your Range of Motion
- This process reduces stiffness and swelling by clearing out waste products and toxins.
- It enables muscles and joints to heal faster following an injury.
- It helps improve the flexibility of muscles and joints.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be used to treat most types of neck pain and stiffness. The points treated are on the meridians of the small intestine, gall bladder, lung, bladder, and large intestine. Moxibution may also be beneficial.
Reflexology
Reflexology massage is given to the reflex areas related to the neck, including the rotation of toe joints, as well as massage to the areas associated with the upper spine, the sides of the head, the shoulders, the arms, and the adrenal glands.
Osteopathy
Poor posture can often lead to neck pain and stiffness. Gentle manual traction and mobilisations may bring rapid pain relief. Some simple exercises are recommended to help maintain neck mobility. First, drop the chin to the chest and slowly stretch the head up and backwards when sitting. Second, with the head upright, turn round as far as possible to the left shoulder, then the right ear to the right shoulder. Repeat all three exercises five times.
An orthodox view
X-rays are not particularly helpful in diagnosing the cause of neck pain because they frequently reveal cervical spondylosis in patients over the age of 25, even if there are no symptoms of stiffness and pain. On the other hand, severe symptoms sometimes occur in people whose X-rays appear to be pretty standard.
After taking a patient’s history and physically examining the neck, a doctor may recommend a course of physiotherapy (often including massage), heat treatment, traction, or a cervical collar. Painkiller medicines such as aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen sometimes help, but they do not relieve muscle spasms.
Many neck problems can be avoided by maintaining an upright posture, lifting and carrying loads correctly, and being careful not to overextend the neck, such as when painting ceilings or washing high windows.
Poor work conditions, such as bending the neck for long periods while working at a desk at the wrong height, should also be avoided. Car headrests reduce the risk of neck injuries, such as “whiplash.”
What are the causes of neck pain and stiffness?
Most people experience neck pain and stiffness at some point in their lives. The cause can be trivial or profound, and it can be difficult to tell.
The neck is the most mobile part of the cartilage and is joined by ligaments. Wear-and-tear changes in the bones and joints, known as cervical spondylosis, begin at the age of about 25 and may result in pain and stiffness from bony fringes, called osteophytes, growing around the joints between the vertebrae (spinal bones)
Ligament sprains may occur after “whiplash” neck injuries caused, for example, by a car being shunted from behind. Trapped nerves frequently accompany neck pain. It is also often aggravated by reflex muscle spasms in the neck, with increased stiffness and restricted movement.
Tension headaches may also cause neck pain. If they occur suddenly, the patient may show signs of general illness. In that case, they can also be a symptom of meningitis—infection of the membranes surrounding the brain—or a brain haemorrhage.
Exercises to avoid neck pain and injury
Maintaining flexibility is the key to keeping your neck free of tension and pain. Try the following daily exercises to achieve this: Move only your neck and head.
Neck rolls are performed by slowly rotating your head clockwise. Breathe slowly in and out and gently stretch the muscles at the front and back of the neck.
Inhale as you bend your head back. Then exhale and bring your head forward. Exhale as you get your left ear to your left shoulder. Then, repeat with your right ear and shoulder.
How do you massage a stiff neck?
If the pain originates from the neck muscles or joints but is not due to glandular issues or disease, apply firm, stroking effleurage movements down the back of the neck and over the shoulder area. Also, give deep friction with the pads of the fingers along the band of muscle at each side of the neck vertebrae. But avoid the front of the neck and throat regions.
Bottom Line!
In conclusion, neck Pain arising from a Stiff Neck can range from mild aching to stabbing-sharp pain on movement. Subsequently, it can be harrowing and distressing.
Although almost all cases show improvement in 4-5 weeks, a stiff neck can be very stubborn. However, it is a common condition and can be significantly improved using Sports Massage and all other treatments mentioned above!
