How to Soothe a Stiff Neck
Simple remedies to relieve a pain in the neck
TRY A GENTLE STRETCH
Physical therapist Shelly Coffman recommends gentle stretching of the neck muscles to get blood flowing and relieve inflammation. Lying down flat, with a rolled towel behind your neck, rotate your head slowly as if saying ‘no’. Then nod your head slowly as if saying ‘yes’. Do two sets each of 20 reps, two to three times a day.
APPLY HOT AND COLD COMPRESSES
Applying heat to your stiff neck helps to relax the muscles and bring fresh blood to the sore spot, Coffman says. You can get the heat you need with a warm face cloth. Alternate with an ice pack to numb the pain and bring down inflammation. Continue using both for up to ten minutes each, several times a day and up to every hour if your neck is particularly sore. If you are experiencing a lot of pain however – not just stiffness – stick with the ice, cautions Coffman. Heat can make pain worse by increasing inflammation.
TAKE A SOAK
A warm Epsom salt bath does double duty as a stiff neck remedy. The warm water helps to relax the muscles, while the magnesium and sulphates in the salt help reduce inflammation and improve blood flow and oxygenation.
CHANGE YOUR SLEEP HABITS
To avoid neck pain in the morning, it’s best to sleep on your side or on your back and never on your stomach as this can lead to twisting your head one way or the other, which can hurt your neck. You may also consider buying a pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SAVES MILLIONS OF LIVES
Insufficient exercise contributes to around 3.2 million deaths worldwide, according to calculations by Australian, UK and French researchers. On the flipside, physical activity prevents an even bigger number of deaths, including 3.9 million that would have been considered ‘premature’ (before age 75). The researchers believe that we should celebrate what exercise is already accomplishing, as a way to encourage even more people to get moving.
HYSTERECTOMY IS NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR FIBROIDS
They’re not normally life-threatening, but uterine fibroids, which typically arise between the ages of 30 and 50, are a source of recurring pain for roughly one in six women. These non-cancerous tumours in the womb can also cause bloating, painful sex, a constant feeling of needing to urinate and difficult, heavy periods.
For years, hysterectomy (surgically removing the uterus) has been the one-size-fits-all treatment. But with many women choosing to conceive after 30, there’s a need for other treatments. UK scientists have found two newer womb-sparing alternatives: myomectomy (cutting out the fibroids) and uterine artery embolisation (blocking the blood flow to the fibroids) have both proved effective at providing relief, and women were able to give birth afterwards.
A SINGLE INDULGENCE MAY NOT HARM YOU
For a UK study that sounds more fun than most, healthy young men ate as much pizza as they could. On average, they stuffed in about 12,550 kilojoules
– far more than most adults need in a full day. Yet, their blood sugar didn’t climb more than it would after a normal meal, and fat levels in the bloodstream were only slightly higher than usual. Of course, frequently eating too much can lead to obesity, diabetes and other health issues. But an occasional overindulgence isn’t enough to make people suffer metabolic consequences.