By 
Having an active lifestyle is surely a necessity nowadays. Living in the modern world where most activities are sedentary and require less movement due to convenience, can actually lead to many health problems such as obesity. Before a person faces major health issues due to less active lifestyle or wrong body posture when engaging in activities, some may start off as simple symptoms such as stiff neck. In this DoctorOnCall’s article, we will be talking more about stiff neck and what you can do to relieve it.
Stiff neck or neck pain can surely be a “pain in the neck”. It is so common that at least 10% of the world population will experience it at any point in their life. Stiff neck is rarely a sign for serious medical issues as it usually gets better in a few days and at most, weeks. A person can easily experience stiff neck from daily activities such as sleeping in an uncomfortable position and sitting in front of the desk with bad posture. Common symptoms include feeling tight muscles around the neck area, having difficulty moving the head and increased pain when attempting to turn the head in another direction after moments of holding the head in one position. Since stiff neck can cause great discomfort, getting relief for this can be a great deal. Below are what you can do to help relieve it:
1) Place an ice pack to the neck area that feels stiff the most to help soothe the inflamed muscle.
2) You may try placing a heating pad or warm compress after a day or two of placing the ice pack.
3) Take over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers to help alleviate the pain and remember to take it regularly until pain subside or tolerable.
4) Avoid sudden neck movement of jerking or twisting the neck as this may cause further inflammation to the muscle and worsen the stiffness.
5) Try doing gentle stretches of slowly tilting the head back and forth, up and down, side to side.
6) Use a neck collar for a few hours a day to help relax the stiff neck but not on a regular basis for a long time.
7) Consider investing more on a good mattress that is firm or a pillow that is designed to support the neck.
8) Learn to sit with the right posture; sit upright.
9) Constantly remind yourself not to keep the neck in the same positions for a long time such as when working in front of a computer or laptop.
While generally stiff neck does not mean anything serious, cautious need to be exercised and seeking medical advice is compulsory if:
1) Pain or stiffness does not subside after a few weeks of trying home remedies.
2) Severe neck pain.
3) OTC painkillers that do not alleviate the pain.
4) The pain or stiffness somehow feels like it travels down to the arms or legs.
5) Arm or hand feels numbness, pins and needles sensation, cold arm, weakness or tingling sensation.
6) Severe headaches.
7) Feeling nauseous.
8) Vomiting.
9) After an injury or accidents.
10) Sudden loss of bladder or bowel control.
11) Walking difficulty or balancing the body causes a person to easily fall.
12) Simply when you are worried about the neck.
It is important to take care of the neck and by making sure any pain or stiffness is improved. Getting help from physicians or medical professionals can greatly help a person gain recovery and relief. Failing to do so may result in long term pain or discomfort that surely compromise a person’s quality of life life. It is worth noting that supplements may help ease the pain but should not be the only way to treat.
Comments