Tag: Stiff Neck

Relieve Tight Neck Muscles-What A Pain In The Neck

“What a pain in the neck!” is often used as a humorously mild insult to somebody who is a pest. But when that pain is real it’s no laughing matter. It doesn’t matter if it only happens once in a while, or on a more frequent basis, when you have that kind of pain you want to know how to relieve tight neck muscles.

The good news is that are things you can do to get rid of the tension in your neck. As a caution though, if the pain won’t go away or if it’s a chronic problem, then you should go see your doctor to discuss your concerns.

The first step to relief is to look at your habits. For example, if you sit at a desk all day and bend your head down slightly to look at your computer, that can cause a stiff neck. Having good posture will go a long way toward preventing the problem. Try to avoid staying in any one position for long periods of time.

Stress is often one of the main culprits in having tightness in the neck; therefore reducing stress will help bring relief. Imagine a calming scene and take a few slow, deep breaths when you start to feel stressed. Meditation is an effective way to train yourself to stay calm, and that will keep you from getting tense as often.

A nice warm bath with Epsom salts is an excellent stress reliever that will loosen up your muscles and have you feeling relaxed. Light a few scented candles and put on some soft music (this goes for all you guys, too!) to feel even more relaxed as the cares of the day melt away.

It’s hard to beat a good massage to relieve tight neck muscles. You can go to a massage therapist for that professional touch, or you can enlist a friend or loved one to give you a good rub down. There are also massage devices such as pillows and rollers that you can use when nobody is around to lend a hand.

Note: Before you try any exercises to relieve tight neck muscles, it is critical that you make sure you are using smooth and gentle movements. You should never overstretch your neck, and jerky motions could make the problem worse.

Exercises are a great way to relieve tight neck muscles. You can start with a slow and gentle tilting of the head from one side to the other. Stop as soon as you feel any strain. This is meant to be relaxing, not painful.

Some people like to visit a chiropractor when they experience pain in the neck. Even though some people in the medical field scoff at chiropractors, most do agree that they are good at relieving pain in the back and neck. Patients of chiropractors are often amazed at the results after just a few visits.

As you can see, there are plenty of options that you can use to relieve tight neck muscles.

What May Cause Back Neck Pain

Though cases of cervical neck pain is more infrequent as compared to lumbar pain, a large portion of the American population still undergoes neck pains that often come with arm pain. The majority of such cases may be healed in time without the need of medical interventions. But there are a number of symptoms that may prove to be indications of more serious cases and need immediate medical help.

One such symptom is the progressive neurological degeneration, which may manifest as weakening of the arms or loss of sensitivity and coordination of the limbs. Another sign is the sustained pain that is accompanied with unplanned weight loss, fever, shakes and chills, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting that are signs of spinal infection or tumor.

While the majority of back neck pain does not have identifiable anatomical roots, many are closely linked to general conditions such as muscle strain and herniated vertebral disc.

Acute Back Neck Pain
The most common causes of acute neck pain are muscle strain, neck strain and strain experienced by other softer tissues such as ligaments and tendons. Neck strain is due to stiff neck caused by wrong bed position and partly due to carrying too many loads. A sudden jolt and pressure on the other hand may cause muscle strain.

Majority of minor injuries on the soft tissues usually heals a couple of days after the pain. There is good blood supply in this section of the body, which allow the circulation of protein and essential nutrients that trigger fast healing. To alleviate the pain and symptoms of back neck pain, the sufferer may use conservative methods such as physical therapy, ice or heat, osteopathic manipulation and medications.

Chronic Back Neck Pain
This form of neck pain is very much the same in effects with acute back neck pain. However, they largely differ on the symptoms. Listed below are some of the symptoms of chronic back pain:

Neck back pain that goes down to the arms
Neck pain that may be linked to certain activities
Arm pain due to lack of coordination
Neck back pain that may be felt for much longer duration of time
Neck pain that may go worse by the end of the day and in the morning

Other than these, there are a number of common symptoms that may be associated with cervical conditions. These may bring other cervical problems like wrist pain, shoulder pain, headaches and elbow pain.