If you're constantly putting stress on your neck due to the way that you hold your head, if you slept on your neck in an unusual way last night, or if your neck just aches, there are a few different home remedies that you can try for relief. 

1. Rest Often

One of the main sources of neck pain is it simply being under pressure. There's no way for you to remain perfectly upright and have your head not put pressure on your neck. If you're experiencing a great deal of neck pain, consider resting your neck on a regular basis by lying on your back with your head supported on a pillow. If you take frequent breaks, such as lying down for five minutes every hour, you will be able to help your neck slowly recover. You could also consider getting a chair with comprehensive head and neck support in order to reduce the stress that your neck is under.

2. Alternate Hot and Cold Treatments

First, put freezer packs or bags of vegetables in the freezer until they are totally frozen. Then, wrap them in a towel and apply them to the part of your neck that is in pain. Keep the cold on the part of your neck that hurts for fifteen minutes. After you remove the cold pack, wait ten minutes and then apply heat to that same spot on your neck. You can either use a heating pad, or a wet washcloth that has been heated in the microwave.

If you're especially pressed for time, heating up a potato and wrapping it in a towel will create a source of heat that you can take with you. By alternating hot and cold treatments, you'll reduce the inflammation and increase how relaxed your muscles are, because they will have increased blood flow and oxygenation. This will help decrease the amount of pain that you feel, as well as speed up the healing process.

3. Use Relaxation Techniques

One of the main sources of tension in the neck is emotional stress. If you're stressed out, you might be likely to carry the emotional stress somewhere and that place might be your neck. To help you relax, try this relaxation technique. Lie on your back in a comfortable position. Then, tense every muscle in your body that you can. Then, starting at your toes, try to relax each muscle, one by one. By focusing on this task, your mind will be off whatever is stressing you out and you will emerge from the exercise much more relaxed, both mentally and physically, than before.

Share