How Can I Relieve Pain in My Neck?

Stiffness or soreness in the neck can be painful and interfere with your routine activities and work. It often makes it hard to get a good night’s sleep. If neck pain is affecting your life and peace of mind, call Pain Physicians NY Clinic and schedule an appointment with our board-certified pain relief doctor to address the problem timely and prevent it from worsening. Dr. Leon Reyfman and Dr. Boleslav Kosharskyy specialize in treating pain-related issues and offer the best pain care services to provide lasting relief. They evaluate your pain, stiffness, and mobility issues using advanced diagnostic tools and come up with a comprehensive treatment plan that delivers quick and effective results.

Neck pain is a common complaint and for most people, it is routine muscle aches and pains. Problems in any part of the neck, such as the muscles, nerves, bones joints, and the discs between the bones, can cause neck pain. It usually results from poor posture, muscle strain, and stressing routines at home and work, but it could be an outcome of an injury or specific health conditions.

Over time, poor posture can damage and cause weakness or strain in neck muscles and joints. When the pain or soreness makes it difficult to move the neck, this condition is usually called a stiff neck. Osteoarthritis also is a common cause of neck pain.

Neck pain does not start overnight. It usually evolves over time and may be spurred by stress, declining muscle strength, or even a lack of sleep. While most neck pain is temporary, it can become chronic without proper care and treatment.

Symptoms of Neck Pain

The most common symptoms include:

Pain in the middle or on either side of your neck, that may extend to the shoulder or the upper chest
Pain that often worsens by holding the head in one place for long periods, such as when driving or working at a computer
Tension headaches
Muscle tightness and spasms
Restricted head movement, especially when you are reversing a car

Neck pain is rarely a symptom of a more serious problem, and a few simple remedies can bring lasting relief.

Home Remedies for Neck Pain

Mild to moderate cases of neck pain or stiffness can be treated at home with simple home remedies and exercises.

Move More

Most of us believe that rest is the best remedy to relieve pain and stiffness, but on the contrary, your neck and back like movement. A little movement or a gentle exercise helps to reduce inflammation and increases blood flow to the stiff muscles, easing their tightness. Avoid any jerking or twisting movements, as they can enhance or lead to neck pain.

Hot and Cold Therapy

Both hot and cold therapy are good for relieving pain in the neck. Ice reduces inflammation and numbs pain, while heat relaxes the stiff muscles and promotes the flow of blood, which helps in quick healing. You can use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel as an ice pack and take hot showers or use a hot water bottle on the affected area.

For best results, alternate between hot and color therapy several times a day, and you will see how it eases your discomfort.

Over-The-Counter Pain-Relieving Medications

Mild to moderate neck strains can be treated with over-the-counter pain-relieving medications. These medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), help to reduce inflammation and discomfort.

Posture Correction

Correcting your posture is essential for easing your pain and stiffness and preventing it from returning. Notice how you hold your head throughout the day, especially when using your computer, tablet, or phone. Tilting your head down can put extra strain on neck muscles and even lead to a repetitive stress injury called tech neck.

You can improve your posture by:

Drawing your shoulders down and away from your ears
Holding or popping your devices up to an eye level instead of bending your neck down for long hours
Maintaining a straight spine with your head in line with the center of your body

A few days of taking it easy and home remedies are enough to clear up a temporary spell of neck pain. If you are experiencing a more complex or persistent neck problem or mobility issues, call your doctor. It is necessary to rule out injuries and infections before starting treatment for your neck pain.

How to Loosen up the Tensed Neck Muscles?

You can also loosen tense neck muscles by applying gentle heat to the affected area. Wrap a heating pad in a towel and place it on your neck for a few minutes, or stand under a warm shower, and you will see how hot water soothes your tight neck muscles.

Once your muscles are warm, a gentle neck massage can further loosen the muscles and relieve neck pain that results from tension. Make direct massage movements toward your heart to promote proper blood flow and quick healing.

How to Release Tension in the Neck?

Regular stretching is the key to releasing tension in the neck muscles, especially if you spend long hours in a seated position.

Shoulders should be in a straight line over your hips. Ears should be in line with your shoulders. Try to keep a good posture whether you are walking or sitting. Taking breaks every hour or so to stretch for a few minutes can prevent stiffness. Simple self-care and resting for a day or two is enough to get rid of neck pain.

Neck Pain Exercises

You should do stretching exercises daily to release the neck muscles and relieve neck pain symptoms. The simple exercises strengthen neck muscles, ease stiffness, and restore your range of movement. The best way to do them is by starting very gently and gradually building up.

Some of them include:

Head presses – Sit on a chair with a headrest or clasp your hands behind your head. Keeping your chin level, gently press the back of your head against the headrest or into your hands. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat a few times.
Head tilts – Move your neck forward and backward by bringing your chin to your chest. Pause for a moment and extend your chin to the sky. Once you have tilted your neck forward and backward a few times, move to side-to-side tilts. Bring your ear to your right shoulder, and hold for a few seconds. Repeat the same exercise on the other side.
Shoulder blade squeezes – Sit up and straighten your spine, keeping your feet firmly on the floor. Gently squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat this stretch multiple times.
Shoulder rolls – Relieving tension in your shoulders and upper back can help reduce neck tension. Shoulder rolls work best when you coordinate the exercise with your breathing. As you inhale, roll your shoulders up to your ear, then draw them down to your back as you exhale. Repeat this stretch at least 5 times.

What Is the Fastest Way to Cure a Stiff Neck?

There is no shortcut to curing a stiff neck. Gentle heat, stretching, and over-the-counter pain-relieving medications are usually effective in relieving pain and easing stiffness in the neck.

The majority of neck pain is a combination of bad posture, injury, or general wear and tear as you age.
Lifestyle modifications and simple adjustments can help you find relief from neck pain and prevent it from returning.

They include:

Focusing on your posture and avoiding habits that trigger neck pain, including sitting for extended periods in positions that strain the neck, such as watching TV, computer work, or sleeping
Asking for help if you have to lift or move something heavy to prevent potential injury to your neck and back muscles
Adjusting your workspace, schedule, or responsibilities according to your individual needs to keep the pain away
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
Exercising regularly, as it strengthens your neck muscles and incorporates flexibility
Reducing stress with healthy coping techniques such as meditation, exercise, talk therapy, or journaling
Quitting smokes as it can lead to wear and tear on the cervical discs and makes healing difficult

Attending to the causes or risk factors of neck pain may stop some flare-ups and prevent neck pain from becoming a chronic concern.

For most people, neck pain is nothing serious and gets better with rest and home care for a day or two. However, if it is occurring with other concerning symptoms, such as pain that radiates down to your arm or lower body, weakness, or numbness in arms or legs, it is important to seek medical help. If you are not sure about your pain or its causes, ask for professional advice before trying any approach on your own.

When to See a Specialist for Your Neck Pain?

If your neck pain is severe, the soreness or stiffness does not go away after several days or weeks, and home remedies have not provided the desired outcomes, it is time to see a specialist.

Call your doctor in case of the following:

You have symptoms other than pain and stiffness
Your symptoms feel worse in the morning
You have pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms and legs
You experience severe pain after a fall or injury
You suddenly develop neck stiffness along with difficulty lifting both arms above your head
Your pain radiates into the shoulder
You have weight loss associated with your neck pain
The pain and soreness is making it difficult to move your head

Read more: 8 Tips to Help Ease Your Back Pain

Tell your doctor about these symptoms, as they may be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Sometimes neck pain can also result from:

A fracture
An infection
A tumor
A compressed nerve
Inflammation, which can happen in ankylosing spondylitis or meningitis

Most neck problems can be diagnosed and treated based on your symptoms and physical examination. If needed, your doctor may ask you to have an X-ray, an MRI, or a blood test to rule out other important causes of neck pain.

Depending on the diagnosis, your doctor will recommend additional treatment or even surgery to relieve your pain so you can get back to your normal activities.

Read more: 9 Stretches to Relieve Neck Pain

Whether your neck pain results from leaning over a computer, hunching over a workbench, sports injury, or a medical condition, there are treatments to get rid of neck pain successfully. At Pain Physicians NY Clinic Dr. Leon Reyfman and Dr. Boleslav Kosharskyy work with you to figure out the causes of your neck pain to alleviate the discomfort. Dr. Leon Reyfman and Dr. Boleslav Kosharskyy are top-rated Pain Management Doctors & Specialists in Manhattan and offer extensive evaluation and strategies to make you feel better. They understand how constant pain can affect your life and work and come up with personalized treatments, therapies, and remedies that help you achieve long-term well-being.