Home Remedies For Neck Pain

What is Neck Pain?

Neck Pain is a common complaint these days that forces the afflicted individuals to look for a number of conventional as well as natural home remedies for Neck Pain that sometimes work and sometimes do not work. The reason behind this inconsistency is the lack of knowledge about the actual reason causing this non specific ailment. Neck Pain is mostly caused by muscular tightness, joint disruption and other such factors.

Neck Pain, also known as Cervical Pain is generally not considered a serious condition unless caused by some serious factors.

Injuries affecting the soft tissues present in the muscles, tendons or ligaments of the neck usually cause Neck Pain. Abnormalities in the bones and joints of the spine may also give rise to Neck Pain or Stiffness.

Causes of Neck Pain

Muscle strain due to poor posture is one of the most common causes of Neck Pain. Minor activities like gritting the teeth, reading a book on the bed in a wrong posture or improper sleeping posture have been known to cause straining of the neck muscles thereby causing chronic Neck Pain.

Conditions like Whiplash injuries, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Meningitis, etc may also cause serious Neck Pain. Moreover, as the age increases, the joints present in the neck tend to develop Osteoarthritis due to the normal degeneration of the neck joints.

At times, Bone Spurs caused by Cervical Spondylosis or other degenerative disc disorders may compress the nerves present on the neck, thereby causing Neck Pain.

A condition called Diffuse Skeletal Hyperostosis characterized by abnormal calcification in the tendons and ligaments of the spine may lead to stiffness and pain in the neck.

Other factors include problems like herniation of the cervical disc, changes in the structure of the cervical intervertebral discs or congenital abnormalities of the discs may also trigger Neck Pain.

Conditions like Depression, Psychological Stress, Insomnia and other related problems may also cause Neck Pain due to involuntary tightening of the neck muscles.

Symptoms of Neck Pain

The most obvious symptom of this ailment is the presence of a mild or severe pain in the neck. In case of Neck Pain caused by pressing of the nerves, symptoms like numbness, tingling or weakness may be felt on the hands, shoulders or other parts of the body.

Other symptoms of Neck Pain include headache, inability to touch the chin or the chest due to severe pain, limited range of neck movement, stiffness in the upper back, changes in bowel movements, etc.

In addition, Cervical Spondylosis may also lead to dizziness or blackout. Neck Pain and tenderness accompanied by a sharp or electric pain in the shoulder is considered serious.

Natural Home Remedies for Neck Pain

• Various stretching exercises serve as excellent natural home remedies for Neck Pain, especially in case of muscle injuries. These exercises help to strengthen the neck muscles thereby acting as a natural cure for neck stiffness and pain.

However, these stretching exercises should be performed carefully to avoid further injuries. Shoulder rolls, neck rotation, neck tilting, neck bending, upper back stretches and back bending are some of the most common stretching exercises that help in the home treatment of Neck Pain.

These exercises should be performed two times per day, preferably in the morning after waking up and at night before going to sleep so as to avoid stiffness in the neck.

• Massaging the neck and upper back muscles is one of the most effective home remedies for Neck Pain. Massaging with natural aromatic oils tends to relax the neck muscles and hence reduces and heals Neck Pain to a great extent.

• Acupuncture therapy is yet another highly beneficial natural remedy for Neck Pain. It is particularly beneficial in the natural treatment of chronic Neck Pain.

• Cold compresses and ice packs are the most popular natural home remedies for Neck pain. About 15 to 20 minutes of application of these methods helps to ease Neck Pain and Neck Stiffness by reducing tenderness. While following this home remedy, remember not to place ice cubes directly on the skin.

• Similarly, application of heat also serves as one of the most widely used Neck Pain home remedies. This remdy is particularly helpful when used after the application of ice packs. Application of heating pads or having hot baths help to relieve Neck Pain naturally by improving blood circulation.

• Relaxation exercises like yoga, deep breathing and meditation are also considered as efficient natural remedies for Neck Pain caused by Stress.

Diet for Neck Pain

A healthy diet with special emphasis on adequate amount of magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, fibers, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids is highly beneficial in preventing as well as curing Neck Pain.

Therefore, foods like green leafy vegetables, fish oils, walnuts, soy products, legumes and whole grain products should be positively included in the diet when dealing with Neck Pain, whether mild or severe.

Plus, consume plenty of water throughout the day at regular intervals in order to avoid dehydration. Water helps to maintain the natural electrolyte balance in the body that is necessary for the normal functioning of the nerves and muscles.

Besides, restrict the consumption of flesh foods with saturated fats that help cause inflammations. Smoking and alcoholism should also be avoided in order to avoid Neck Pain due to weakening of the joints.

Apart from these measures, adopt the habit of maintaining a good body posture at all times, especially while sleeping. Certain individuals have reported an improvement in the intensity of Neck Pain simply by dumping the habit of using pillows while sleeping.

Moreover, experts suggest that opting for fetal sleeping postures while sleeping instead of sleeping on the stomach is another effective natural treatment for Neck Pain.