HOW TO RELIEVE TIGHT NECK AND MUSCLES
Tight neck and muscles, and sadly this is becoming a norm around the world.
With the introduction of work-from-home due to the corona outbreak, almost everyone had faced the liability to work from their home.
Since the folks were not habitual to this new work schedule and have not had the proper workstation set; the neck stiffness is making rounds and rounds affecting the majority.
The work-from-home requires proper exercise and activities to relieve the tension and stress out of the body parts. And the good thing is, you can adopt the easy-to-practice methods involving how to relieve tight neck muscles by yourself.
Do not neglect if the tight neck muscles happened for the first time. And do not wait for it to keep happening regularly and then revert to the curation.
What are Tight Neck and Muscles Causes and Symptoms?
The stiffness of the neck muscles could be triggered due to many many reasons. Some are that petty at their intensity we would never count them as one of the reasons.
Symptoms of Neck Stiffness:
- Difficulty in turning your head around
- Stiffness intensity increases and decreases at certain levels
- Muscle spasming
- Feeling pinches on the neck
Causes of Neck Muscles Tightness:
- Sleeping at the Wrong Posture: It is vital to keep your neck aligned with your body. Stuffing the pillows, resting your head on the hard surfaces, and sleeping on one side all night or for a few hours can cause neck stiffness.
- Carrying Heavy Bags: If you have been carrying heavy bags and those with the straps to mount on your shoulders can shoot your body balance. That puts a straight strain on your neck causing the stiffness to catch up.
- Weightlifting: Weightlifting is not a problem but lifting the weight you are not used to, can certainly take you down impacting your back which may result in triggering the neck tightness issue.
- Sitting on Computer: Again it is not bad to sit against the computer. Especially when you are a freelancer and have to be up online for long hours every single day. You cannot just retain the upright sitting posture for long and that can also cause neck stiffness.
- Teeth Grinding: Do you have a teeth-grinding habit in yourself? Of course, that can also become part of developing neck tightness for sure.
- Headache: The typical and high-intensity headache can also trigger tightness around your neck.
- Anxiety/Stress: Dealing with the anxiety or stress, pumps the blood up and down at a rapid speed causing stiffness.
- Phone: Responding to the phone for hours keeping your neck and shoulder in the same posture can be one of the vital reasons for emerging neck pain.
- Injury: Getting into an accident or other similar incidents that impacted the neck can also radiate pain down the neck.
How to Relieve Tight Neck and Muscles
And it is easy without going into extreme procedures.
What we praise the most is, the relief can be obtained without taking any pain killers or other medications.
Step #1: Going Through the Series of Stretches
Yes, not just one but have a multitude of stretches that are beneficial to relieve tight neck muscles in a natural way.
Seated Neck Stretch
It is the easiest stretching methodology that directly involves the neck.
Let’s get to know how you can practice this seated neck stretch.
- Sit on a chair taking your feet to touch the ground
- Take your left hand under your bottom, and your right hand sat on top of the head
- Now pull your head to the right in a gentle mode where your ear should be coming close to your shoulder
- Hold that posture for 30 seconds
- And then you should be repeating the same stretch on the opposite side; take your right hard sit under your bottom and your left hand to sit on your head
- Pull the head down on the left side and have your ear almost touching your shoulder and keep up with that posture for up to 30 seconds
Chin to Chest Stretch
- Sit down on the floor in a cross-legged posture and clasp your hands on the back of your head with elbows sticking outward
- Pull your chin close to your check and hold it for 30 seconds
Cheek Push Stretch
- Sit or stand whichever you feel preferable and then place the right hand on your right cheek
- Now try to look over the left shoulder with keeping the right hand on the cheek
- Push your right cheek gently and try to gaze upon the spot on your back
- Hold this position for 30 seconds
- And then repeat the same in the opposite direction
After repeating all these three stretches, you should already be feeling well, don’t you?
Step #2: Acupuncture Process to Relieve Neck Stiffness
The old-traditional treatment that was incorporated centuries ago takes needles to stimulate your body.
Not that popular around the world now but those who know its worth can determine how effective it is to relieve neck stiffness.
But make certain you get in touch with the certified and professional acupuncture clinic in your town and do not fall prey to the fake ones as it takes the needles and the prevailing infection is an all-time high.
Step #3: Go Through Massage
The neck massage is another vital treatment to get the intensity of neck stiffness lower to a greater extent.
Although we have covered the self-massage method, what we recommend is to take the help of a professional massager.
Upon your arrival at the massage center, make sure to talk about your neck pain so that they go with gentle hands. Going rough around the neck could worsen the situation, so do not hide the fact of why you are there at the massage center to actually relieve your neck pain.
Step #4: Apply Heat or Ice Around Your Neck
It is a natural remedy that takes almost no effort to apply.
And we are talking about applying heat or ice around the pain area which can take away the pain.
But you cannot just use the two simultaneously. In the first round, use ice for up to 48 hours and see if it takes away the inflammation.
If not, then go to the second round of taking the warm showers or apply a heating pad around your neck and keep it there for a few minutes.
We do hope it would take the pain away, if not completely then the intensity should be reduced for sure.
When is the Time to See a Doctor for Your Stiff Neck
If any of these remedies including the stiff neck exercises do not work out and take the pain away then come back again — it is time to visit a doctor.
So, that is when a stiff neck is serious and you should take it seriously as well. Do not leave it hanging there in the wake of it being gone on its own.
Prevention Is Far Better Than Looking for the Cure
Of course, prevention is far better than cure. Although the treatments are available, both naturally and medically, the good thing is, how about avoiding letting the neck turn stiff at first?
Check Your Sleep Pattern
And the critical element here is what kind of pillow you got? Sleep on a pillow that is flat and firmer to rest your head on an aligned scale.
Take Breaks and Start Moving
Do you spend your entire day sitting in the office and gazing upon the computer? Okay, do not blame your job for the frequent neck pain.
Rather than get off the work chair and move around after every 60 to 120 minutes to de-stress your entire body.
Play Up with Ergonomics
Prolong gaming or doing freelancing, what we tend to skip looking at is a wall clock.
For prolonged seating, this neck pain is the first thing that will haunt you almost every single day.
To fight it off, get a chair with the best ergonomic design that will literally not have the neck pain to strike you.
Practice Yoga
This is the absolute pain reliever all over the body. Take it as a daily exercise and see yourself coming off from the stress and anxiety.
Elevate Your Sitting Posture
It is proportionally interconnected with how you sit in front of a computer. Make sure your chair and the table elevate between each other where your arm should rest on the table in the aligned level.
And sit in an upright posture without bending your back.
Conclusion!
The neck stiffness can become serious if not treated on time.
Although there are common reasons which can trigger it due to excessive sitting and repeating the common problems that we highlighted.
When you are facing it, scan this whole guide from top to bottom which includes the natural and quick remedies stating how to relieve tight neck muscles to go pain-free.
But let’s not keep hanging with the stiffness for long.
Do not forget to visit a doctor if you do not find relief.
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