Stiff neck is an uncomfortable and painful condition in which a person is unable to turn his head behind due to the resistance and pain from the neck. There can be many causes for stiff neck such as inappropriate sleep position, long phone calls without a headset, exposure of the neck to cold draft, working long hours on computer and many more.
Home Remedies
There are several home remedies for stiff neck which are simple to follow and easy to use. Some of the popular home remedies are:
1. One of the easiest home remedies for stiff neck is to apply hot compress or hot water bottle on the painful region of your neck. This will reduce the stiffness and give you relief from the pain. Or you can even try using ice or cold pack on the neck in order to get relief from the pain and reduce inflammation.
2. Cervical collar restricts the movement to the neck. Therefore try applying cervical collar on your neck to get relief from neck stiffness.
3. Stand under a shower and allow the warm water to fall directly on your neck. The pressure of the falling water will act as a massage and the warmth of the water will provide your neck with heat treatment.
4. You can even try using a towel soaked in hot water and then squeezed and placed on the affected neck region.
5. You can try a simple neck movement exercise at home. All you need to do is sit in a relaxed position and try to slowly rotate your stiff neck in clockwise and anticlockwise direction. This will help in gradually loosening up the stiff muscles of your neck.
6. Instead of a standard pillow you can buy orthopedic pillows available in the market to avoid further neck stiffness.
7. Make it a daily habit of practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and breathing exercises.
8. Inactivity or lack of movement can contribute to stiff neck. Try not to sit in a particular position for prolonged period of time and take frequent breaks.
9. In case of swelling and pain it is beneficial to eat raw pineapple. It will reduce your swelling and give relief from the pain.
10. Turmeric is also very effective in treating stiffness in neck. Just take a glass full of warm water and add one and half teaspoon of turmeric powder in it. Mix it properly and drink. Remember to drink this twice a day for better results. Or you can even try drinking a glass of hot milk mixed with one teaspoon of turmeric just before going to bed.
11. Take a piece of cloth and put some salt on it. Now tie this piece of cloth around your neck with salt in contact with your neck. This is one of the effective home remedies for stiff neck.
12. Cabbage is also very effective in treating stiff neck. Just take some outer leaves of the cabbage and warm them in a hot water. Now place them on the affected region of your neck and bandage it with a piece of cloth.
These were some of the effective home remedies for stiff neck which are simple, safe and easy to follow.
Read more Home Remedies for Stiff Neck. Also know useful Home Remedies for Stiff Joints.
