3 Tips to Relieve Your Neck Pain Fast (and Naturally)

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The average head weighs 11 pounds, meaning, for most of us, our necks support 11 pounds of weight almost all the time. The neck does this with only seven bones (vertebrae), about 20 muscles, and some powerful soft tissues.

Whether your lifestyle consists of extended periods of sitting, scrolling, mousing, standing, exercising, or gaming, your neck may be paying the ultimate price. 

Because we need our neck’s full function for numerous everyday movements and for our bodies to work correctly, you should pay attention when your neck shows signs of discomfort. Doing so may be easier and faster than you think.

This article gives three excellent ways to relieve your neck pain quickly, safely, and effectively. 

Tip 1: Apply heat and ice to the neck

Ice and heat provide two separate, contradictory services but work nicely together to naturally heal the body. 

Often, neck pain is due to inflammation of the muscles or other soft tissues. Ice will help control and reduce that inflammation by keeping blood away from the injury. You can keep an ice pack on the neck for 15 to 20 minutes at a time (use a cloth over the ice pack to ensure you keep your skin safe). Leave a few hours in between each icing session. 

Heat helps relax and soothe strained tissues, increasing the healthy circulation of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the damaged area, restoring the body. As with ice, use heat (such as a heating pad) on the neck for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. 

Once the swelling is under control, adding heat to the treatment plan encourages a quicker recovery process. Switch between ice and heat for three to four sessions daily for best results. 

Using both ice and heat can help relieve neck pain fast and contribute to a more effective healing process.

Tip 2: Massage the neck

Massaging the neck’s soft tissues helps promote strength and recovery by relaxing sore muscles and tendons, stimulating nerves, decreasing mental stress, and sending soothing messages to the brain (overruling the pain messages). 

The neck is one of the most common places we hold mental stress and anxiety. Massage is an excellent way to give a tight or stiff neck some attention, also helping to reduce mental and emotional pressures, using calming soft tissue manipulation techniques. 

Tip 3: Stretch and move 

You may think rest is the key to your neck’s recovery, but too much rest can actually lead to further injury. Downtime means your tissues are losing strength and flexibility, which can be challenging and time-consuming to build back up. 

While it’s important to stay active, you must do so within reason. You should always listen to your body; if your pain worsens as you stretch or move, you should stop pushing it so hard.

Stretching techniques to try include:

  • Gently turn your head from side to side

  • Nodding your head forward, then tilting it backward

  • Leaning your ear toward your shoulder on each side

  • Circling your head one way and then the other

Pro tip: Pay attention to your posture and correct it as needed; this can help diminish your neck pain and support your body’s overall function and movement patterns.

Bonus tip: Work with your local chiropractor 

When in pain, the body is telling you it needs your help. While these tips can give you quick pain relief and help start the healing process, they may not give you the long-lasting relief you need. 

Chiropractic care can safely, efficiently, and holistically give your neck the support it’s looking for by finding and treating the injury. Using various solutions, your chiropractor will determine a wellness strategy that fits into your lifestyle and goals so you get lasting results and the tools to help you stay strong and healthy. 

Visit Our Greenville Chiropractor for Fast Neck Pain Relief

Chiropractic services are a responsible way to manage your neck pain and learn how to support your body proactively. Our team is dedicated to your success, and we never take a one-size-fits-all approach to your care. 

We offer several chiropractic solutions to help reduce your neck pain quickly, including:

If you’re suffering from neck discomfort and it’s disrupting your active lifestyle, we’re here to get you moving again. Our Greenville chiropractic clinic is ready to find the optimal solutions to heal your injury so you can move restriction-free and confidently.  

Let’s start today; you deserve to live comfortably; contact our team.