6 Home Remedies To Treat Stiff Neck

Are you looking for home remedies to treat stiff neck? Today we will share some of them and we will also talk about the main causes of this pain in the neck, such as maintaining the same posture for many hours, sleeping poorly, lifting a lot of weight or making sudden movements.

If you don’t want to take painkillers to treat this muscle contracture, read this article, where you’ll find the best home remedies. Symptoms will disappear in a matter of hours.

Causes and characteristics of torticollis

Torticollis is a contraction of the muscles in the neck that does not allow the head to move properly. You feel a kind of “pull” and pain when you want to perform certain movements. Torticollis is caused by inflammation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. We may wake up in the morning without being able to move our neck, or the pain may arise in the evening.

Cases of congenital torticollis, according to this study, can be treated with physical therapy and stimulation control. Typically, this type of torticollis occurs in babies and younger children. However, today we are going to talk about the most common type, which occurs due to poor posture.

Although anyone can be affected by torticollis, it usually appears in people between 30 and 60 years old, that is, during the active age of adults. The causes of torticollis are diverse.

In most cases, it occurs due to poor head position during sleep, a strong or forced movement in the neck, a violent trauma such as in a car accident, maintaining a posture for a long time (working in front of the computer, for example) or standing in front of an air flow in the same direction for a long period.

The symptoms of torticollis are easy to recognize : stiffness in the back of the neck, severe pain in the neck when trying to make a specific movement, and head in an unusual position.

Tips and Home Remedies to Treat or Prevent Torticollis

When neck pain appears, it is due to the presence of some of the causes listed above. To avoid it, or for the treatment to take effect faster, pay attention to these tips.

sit correctly

The back should be straight, fully supported on the back of the chair, the feet fully flat on the floor. You can use pillows to get more upright.

Use a taller backrest that allows you to support your neck while you work, especially if you spend many hours in the same position.

Use the car seat correctly

It should be firm, not allow you to sink too far, and provide proper lumbar support that is adjusted to your height.

If your car isn’t new, consider changing seats, even if it’s just the driver’s seat. The headrest is very important as it protects the neck from possible collisions.

Attention to the bed and pillow

The mattress must be firm, with foam or springs whenever possible, and must not budge. Some people choose to place a rigid board under the mattress. The best sleeping position is on your side, with your legs bent and your knees at chest level, in a “fetal position”, as they say.

The pillow should not be too high or too low. For neck pain, the worst position is prone. Get 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night to help relax your muscles.

Don’t stay in the same position for too many hours

If you work in an office and have to sit at your desk all day, take short breaks and stretch your muscles. Get up every now and then so that all your muscles rest and move.

If, on the other hand, your job requires you to stand or walk, you can also sit down to rest every two hours. This is essential and necessary.

do cervical exercises

Move your head in more or less large circles, say “yes” and “no” with your head, bring your ears to your shoulders, raise your shoulders to ear level, and so on. Movements should be slow. This way you will be strengthening your cervical muscles and it will be more difficult to suffer from torticollis. They are very easy to make and, above all, effective.

Home remedies to treat stiff neck

The first home remedy to treat stiff neck is heat. Apply a heating pad or blanket to the painful area for about 20 minutes.

Another option is to take a shower with very hot water (as much as you can handle). Thus, the muscles relax and the pain decreases. However, there is another series of home remedies to treat stiff neck:

• Take a cabbage leaf and flatten it with a rolling pin. Heat it in a skillet and place over the painful area for as long as possible.
• Pour a few drops of camphor essential oil into a small bowl and mix with a crushed garlic clove. With this paste, massage the painful area. If the stiff neck is caused by a bruise, you can rub arnica tincture.
• Oregano is an amazing remedy for neck pain. Drink two to four cups of tea made with oregano (one tablespoon for every ¼ liter of water). The muscles will relax. You can also make a poultice with oregano leaves and some hot water so that the liquid penetrates the affected area.

• Mix five drops of chamomile essential oil and five drops of eucalyptus oil in 20 ml of vegetable oil (olive oil, sunflower oil or corn oil). Massage this mixture several times a day so that the neck temperature rises and the pain is relieved.

Have you tried these home remedies to treat stiff neck? Which one had the best effects on you? We hope you can resolve this painful problem as quickly as possible.