Just about everyone tends to get a stiff neck once in a while! It could be due to your stiff pillow or a long day at work. You try to turn your head when your colleague calls out, but ouch! Your necks hurts!
There is a big difference between a stiff neck and a neck that hurts so bad, that you feel dizzy! But how do you know if it is time to get some medical attention for your neck?
Let us first tell you, how you can manage neck pain at home.
Simple hacks to remedy an aching neck at home
Use ice: A cold compress can be a boon when you are suffering from a bad neck ache. Just hold a pack of frozen veggies or a cold pack to your neck for instant relief. 20 minutes off, 40 minutes on and repeat!
Change your pillow: If you use a really soft pillow, it is time you get yourself a new one! Use a firm or extra firm pillow and try to sleep on your back or sides. A soft or flat pillow can force your neck to bend in an unnatural position, and leave you with a stiff neck.
Neck stretches: Light neck stretches can come in handy if you wake up with your neck feeling sore. Gently tense your neck muscles, as you look up and down, and then side to side.
These are a few simple tricks that can help alleviate the symptoms that accompany a stiff neck. However, it is prudent that you know when it’s bad enough, that it is the right time to knock on the doors of a chiropractor.
It is time you paid a chiropractor a visit, if…
- Your neck pain does not improve with a few stretching exercises
- Your neck pain fails to abate with a massage or cold compress
- You need to strain to look to your sides
- You feel you cannot do without painkillers to get past the day
- You feel numbness or tingling in your wrists
- Your neck pain started within a few days of an injury
- You cannot move your neck with ease
- Your neck pain is really bad when you first wake up, but gets better as the day progresses
Neck pain should not be ignored or left untreated, as it can lead to more severe complications. An experienced chiropractor at Wirth Chiropractic in Greenville, NC will restore normal motion in your neck by gentling realigning your vertebrae, and help you get back in shape in no time at all!
