Home remedies for neck pain
Medically Reviewed By : Dr Sravya, MBBS, MS
Introduction
In this smart era of the 21st century, everyone is behind gadgets like computers, smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The digital world is where most of the work is done, at your fingertips. During the Corona pandemic, office workers and children started working and taking online tuition from home.
These factors are responsible for bodily disturbances. Working and sitting in one place for long hours requires fewer activities and movements of the body.
his homely comfort is not for long, and people are suffering from body pains; the most popular among them is neck pain. The neck is more involved in posture and maintaining the balance between the head and the rest of the body. Its function is complex, just as the neck pain is! But this is not the only cause; there are different causes of neck pain and different types of home remedies available so let’s see what causes neck pain
What is neck pain?
Neckpain is the most popular pain among all age groups 70% of people experience it once or multiple times. So people rely mostly on home remedies to reduce it. Neck pain is a stiffness of the muscles of the neck that results in pain in movement and discomfort in carrying out daily activities. Strong muscular spasms are experienced if the neck is forcefully moved or if it is strained hard, which worsens the case.
Neck pain can be experienced on either side, depending on the cause, thus hampering the movements on the affected side.
The neck is a cervical joint surrounded by veins, ligaments, bones, and muscles. Any stretch or mechanical disturbance in the joint can result in neck pain radiating to the arms or back.
The neck carries out a complex mechanism for balancing posture. The muscles are continually working to manage their function, so any posture that strains the muscles of the neck for a long time can result in neck pain. Sitting, standing, or sleeping in the right posture is often neglected, which is why it is more common
What are the causes?
- Sitting or standing for long in the wrong posture with the neck forward at an acute angle Sitting and staring at mobiles, computers, or driving a car.
- Sleeping in the wrong position, sleeping on the belly with head tilted on either side or sleeping high on a pillow with the neck raised and resting body on the lower side.
- Looking continuously at mobile devices, computers, or tablets can stiffen the neck muscles.
- Exercise and lack of knowledge about it can cause strain on neck muscles. Muscles can go into spasms. But in the above cases, generally, taking precautions and trying home remedies prove helpful
- Accidents and injuries to the neck joint
- Cervical spondylosis is a condition in which there is degeneration of the spine, leading to pain radiating to arms along with tingling and numbness.
- Torticollis is a condition in which any trauma to neck muscles causes the muscle to go into spasm. (contraction), it is one-sided torsion. Any attempt to move on the affected side can cause extreme pain in the neck.
- Meningitis is a bacterial infection of the protective layer of the brain called meninges. It is associated with high fever, body aches, and neck stiffness. But it's an emergency condition requiring urgent treatment
- Birth defects in the vertebral column can affect the cervical joint and cause neck pain
- Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with inflammation of all joints of the body, including the cervical joint, causing neck pain
- Other conditions, like cancer and heart attacks, cause neck pain as a secondary symptom of the disease.
- Above cases neck pain needs urgent attention and remedies
How to decide when to seek professional help:
- Neck pain is experienced by everyone at least once in their lifetime. Generally, if it is a primary symptom, it means that if some lifestyle changes and not secondary to any disease, then Such neck pains are of shorter duration. duration, trying home remedies helps to reduce the pain or sometimes it goes on its own
- If prolonged sitting, standing, or driving in the wrong posture can cause neck pain for a considerable period, But if appropriate home remedy measures are taken in time, it will go away. If you change your lifestyle, like sitting in the correct posture, sleeping properly, avoiding long drives, etc.
- If the cause is permanent, which means one has to sit for work or stand for long hours, or one is in the driving profession, then the person can experience neck pain recurrently, and it can take months to resolve. In that case, some home remedies can help reduce the pain better than over-the-counter medications.
- If the neck pain persists even after changing lifestyles, use home remedies or if painkillers work temporarily to reduce pain. Then it's important to know the cause and rule out any other underlying disease that may be responsible for pain.
- Sometimes neck pain can be a symptom requiring urgent medical attention, like a heart attack or meningitis. Other associated symptoms like feeling pressure or heaviness in the chest, sweating, and pain in the neck radiating to the jaw are alarming signs of a heart attack. Fever, body aches, and neck stiffness point towards meningitis, so the symptoms can indicate an emergency
- Neck pain with underlying diseases like spondylosis, arthritis, and cancer needs special treatment for the disease to alleviate the symptom.
How to treat neck pain at home:
- Early in the morning, you wake up with discomfort in your neck while moving, as you slept the whole night with the wrong posture. The next day, you can use ice packs. Keeping an ice pack on a painful area is an immediate home remedy; it can work if the pain started just a few hours ago. It helps in relieving the pain
- If you have neglected the pain for one or two days, then ice packs may not help, but hot water bags or applying warmth to the painful area may be helpful. Be aware of applying extreme heat to the area, as it may cause burns. It should be soothing to the skin.
- Massage has been a prominent home remedy for neck pain since the ancient era. Applying pressure to a painful area through massage can help relieve the pain. Pressure is applied to the points till the person feels "this is the spot" where it's feeling good
- Lavender oil, basil oil, and olive oil are considered essential oils. The tissue paper or paper napkin soaked in the oils is kept on the painful area. These oils have pain-relieving properties.
- Exercise can be beneficial if you are unable to eliminate the maintenance cause of neck pain, such as drivers and IT professionals who must work despite aches and pains. Taking 10-minute breaks for exercise every two-three hours, turning the neck sideways, rotatory movements, forward movements towards the chin, backward movements towards the back, and rotatory movements of shoulder joints An exercise routine can significantly reduce the pain and its recurrence.
- Turmeric has been considered to have antiseptic and analgesic effects since ancient times. So turmeric soaked in water can be applied externally at the site of pain, or turmeric can be consumed with warm milk, which can prove beneficial in some cases.
- Proper neck braces are sometimes helpful temporarily to support neck muscles. But overuse of neck braces should be avoided, as it weakens the muscles.
- Arranging screens at eye level can also help to maintain the right posture.
- Sleeping in correct posture, on sides or back, but sleeping on the belly with the head tilted on the sides, should be avoided. Pillows are also avoided or Neck pillows can be used
When to seek a doctor
- If neck pain is a result of accidents, injuries, or jerks to the neck,
- Torticollis
- Cervical spondylosis
- Meningitis, fever, and neck stiffness
- Any neck pain radiating to the arm with numbness Or radiating to the jaw can be dreadful.
- If neck pain persists even after taking all the precautions, home remedies, and medications, then one must seek specialist help to rule out the possibility of cancer after age 50.
