Causes and Remedies for Your Neck Ache

Do you need to get rid of a neck ache? But, first of all, what causes your neck ache?

The muscles of our neck and upper back support our head which weighs close to eight pounds. Thus, one of the most common complaints of adults is neck pain. This is not surprising as a lot of regular activities of adults can put stress and strain on the tissues, tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the neck.

Most adults sit at a desk for a long time and drive long distances and these two activities are major causes of neck aches. Working on computers for lengthy periods, moving too fast for the neck, bad posture, bad sleeping position, and using a pillow that is either too high or too low are some other causes of neck aches. But not only physical activities could cause neck aches, mental stress and tension coupled with insufficient sleep could also make our neck ache.

The tension and strain in the neck can shorten the tendons while the ligaments can lose their tensile strength and the muscles may experience spasms. And sometimes, these do not only cause neck problems but also headaches and can also radiate the pain to the shoulders and arms. To relieve neck aches, below are some ways to help you.

• First, you should take a hot shower. Make sure to use hot water. Use the hottest water that you can stand and to loosen the muscles, allow it to beat down on your neck for 15 minutes. Also, to reduce the swelling of muscles in your neck and shoulders and to relieve the neck pain, take some ibuprofen.
• Next, for 15 minutes, use an ice pack on your sore neck and then, for the next 15 minutes, apply a heating pad. Repeat the cycle for the next 1 hour. To help penetrate deep into your muscles to relieve neck soreness, put some sports cream on your neck. For pain relief, you can use a medicated patch like those of Icy Hot and apply it on your sore neck. Make sure that you buy enough for it to last for 5 days.

And to support it during sleep, you need to use a rolled up towel under the back of your neck. Sleeping on a firm mattress and lying flat on your back is recommended. You must carefully follow all the instructions above for you to immediately feel better.

For additional information, here are some tips and warning.

— Consult your doctor if your neck ache is still there after several days because there might be serious problems you’re having and that it must be immediately looked at.
— Always remember that you must never fall asleep with a heating pad since it can burn your skin and you may not be aware of it.
— You should not also use scalding water since it can burn your skin, too.
— Finally, in order for you to avoid future neck aches, you must avoid doing activities that can cause it.