Three tips for treating neck pain at home

neck pain treatment

Sooner or later, you’re bound to experience some form of neck pain. It can occur after you’ve strained yourself during some physical activity, slept on it in an awkward position or have been sitting with poor posture for too long. Typically, this kind of neck pain is temporary, but it can benefit from some home treatment methods to help reduce the pain.

Signs of neck pain

Neck pain may either be dull and achy or sharp and burning. Additional symptoms of neck pain include:

  • Tightness of the neck muscles accompanied by spasms
  • Increased pain when holding your head in certain positions
  • Difficulty turning your head or looking up or down
  • Headaches

Neck pain treatment you can do at home

If your neck pain is mild and doesn’t seem severe enough to seek medical attention, you should try some of the following neck pain treatments from the comfort of your own home. Remember, though, if you’re in doubt about how serious your neck pain is, it is a safe decision to seek medical assistance.

  1. Improve your posture — Simply improving the way you hold yourself while standing and sitting can go far in reducing neck pain. While standing, keep your spine straight and shoulders squared. Hold your head up and don’t slouch your shoulders. While sitting, keep your knees and hips parallel, and keep your feet flat on the ground. Keep your back straight and avoid looking down at a screen for too long. If you work with a computer, raise the screen to eye level.
  1. Stretch your neck muscles — Your neck muscles are very active throughout the day in holding up your head and moving it. Stretching these muscles with head rolls and shoulder rolls should help increase their strength and flexibility, which should help reduce pain.
  1. Drink more water — The discs in your spinal column are cushioned by fluids that your body produces. Making these fluids requires water, so drinking a lot of water can help reduce pain in your neck that develops from lack of cushioning between discs.

When to turn to a physical therapist for neck pain treatment

Many cases of neck pain usually recede after a few days or a week. However, if the pain persists or is unbearable, you should not hesitate to seek professional neck pain treatment. Health care professionals, like physical therapists, can help reduce pain and assist with restoring your neck’s range of motion.

A physical therapist can build you an individualized treatment plan for neck pain that can include: 

Visit Whatcom Physical Therapy for effective neck pain treatment

Are you suffering from neck pain that will not go away with the help of home remedies? This kind of neck pain can grow worse or cause more severe problems if left untreated.

At Whatcom Physical Therapy, our physical therapists are experts in treating the human musculoskeletal system. If you are experiencing neck pain, contact us today to schedule an appointment to discover how we can develop an individualized treatment plan for you.