Stiff Neck? 3 Natural Steps to Get Your Neck Moving Again
Jun 7th, 2009 by Kathryn Merrow
Did you wake up with a stiff neck? It’s amazing the crazy things we can do to ourselves in our sleep! Sleeping with your neck tilted forward, or to one side or the other, can cause your muscles to get unhappy and become tight or go into a spasm. Being in one position for a long time without moving (like sitting with your head turned toward someone) can aggravate your neck muscles, too.
A hard jarring sneeze or cough can also cause a stiff neck, and this may be even more uncomfortable than the one that comes during your sleep. An accident that whips your head from side to side or front to back might cause pain in your neck, too.
When the muscles go into spasm, or seize up and keep you from moving your neck, that can be a protective step by your body to prevent injury. Be mindful as you apply the following steps and pay attention to what your body is telling you. If something doesn’t feel appropriate, don’t do it.
Here are the 3 natural steps you can take to help your neck relax:
1. Use heat on the muscles on the tops of your shoulders. You can also apply heat to your upper chest and upper back. If heat is not the best treatment for you to use, you’ll be able to tell; you’ll feel slightly worse afterward. If you use a hot shower, direct the water to your upper back, tops of shoulders (each separately) and the front of your upper chest and neck.
2. Use ice on the muscles at the back of your neck. Also, wrap the ice pack around your neck to benefit the muscles on the sides and front. It may feel like the pain is in the back of your neck, but there’s a good chance that all of the neck muscles are involved. Some muscles run from your collar bone to the back of your head. If you only have a small ice pack, your muscles will just have to take turns!
The rule of thumb is: Heat for tight muscles and ice for nervy symptoms. Since a stiff neck may involve the nerves in your neck, go for ice around your whole neck and upper chest toward the middle. Ice will relax the muscles and also helps numb the pain.
3. Gently, slowly move your neck into slightly different positions but only a very small amount. Breathe into these little tiny movements. Stretching tight muscles won’t help, but warming them with subtle, gentle, slight movements will help them relax.
It also helps to place your neck in the most comfortable position you can manage. That’s called the ‘position of ease.’ Doing the tiny movements while you are in your position of ease helps the most.
If you have a liniment, you can rub it on your neck and shoulder tops. The rubbing helps at least as much as the liniment. Remember your chest, too. Some people will take some over-the-counter pain relief medicine which may help relieve symptoms. Prescription muscle relaxants apparently relax all of the muscles but they don’t relieve spasms.
Massaging or rubbing tight areas will also help, but don’t expect your stiff neck to get better instantly. If it’s stiff from sleeping or some over-activity, it may take a couple of days. If a hard sneeze or some type of jamming activity caused your neck pain and loss of range-of-motion, it might take 5 days or so to gradually feel better.
If you feel that you need to see your doctor, be sure to do that. Just remember, bodies change all the time. Just because something is happening today, tomorrow may be a whole different story. Today’s tests may be inaccurate by next week as your body has begun to heal itself.
Your body wants to be well and it has the ability to heal. These 3 natural steps will help you get rid of your stiff neck.
