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Friday, March 29, 2024

What to do to get rid of stiff neck –

Putting a warm compress on your neck, giving a massage, stretching your muscles, and taking a muscle relaxant are a few different ways to treat stiff neck at home. These treatment options complement each other and help to heal your stiff neck faster and can be helpful in relieving pain and discomfort.

In some cases, physical therapy sessions or the use of anti-inflammatory medicine in the form of an ointment or tablet may also be indicated, which help to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by torticollis.

Torticollis is due to a muscle spasm that makes it impossible for the person to turn their neck from side to side, which can be quite uncomfortable and limit the performance of daily activities. See more about torticollis.

Some tips on what to do to get rid of stiff neck are:

1. Lean your body forward

By leaning the body forward, leaving the head hanging, it makes the weight of the head act like a pendulum, which will increase the space between the cervical vertebrae and decrease the spasm of the neck muscles, helping to relieve pain of torticollis.

It is recommended to stay in this position for about 2 minutes, keeping your arms and head very loose. You can move your head with small movements back and forth, just to make sure the muscles in your shoulders and neck are relaxed.

2. Pressing the muscles

By pressing the neck muscle, you can encourage it to relax, helping to alleviate symptoms. To do this, the middle part of the muscle that is sore must be pressed with the thumb for 30 seconds. Then, press the part where the muscle starts, in the back of the neck, for another 30 seconds. During this part of the treatment you can be standing or sitting with your head facing forward.

3. Physiotherapy

Physical therapy is indicated in cases where torticollis pain is very intense and happens frequently. One of the techniques used in physical therapy for torticollis consists of placing your hand on the head on the side where the torticollis is located and pushing the head against your hand. Maintain this strength for 5 seconds and relax by resting for another 5 seconds. Repeat this exercise 4 more times. Little by little the range of motion will increase.

If, after finishing the exercise, there is still movement limitation, you can move to the opposite side. This means that if the pain is on the right side, you should place your left hand on your head and force your head to push the hand. Maintain this strength without moving your head for 5 seconds and then rest for another 5 seconds. Then you will stretch the muscle to the left side, which is what is affected.

4. Neck massage

Massaging the neck using sweet almond oil or moisturizing cream is also a good way to lessen pain and discomfort. The massage should be performed on the shoulders, neck, neck and head, but it should only be performed at the end of the treatment, after having performed the exercises and techniques previously indicated.

The massage should not be done too hard, but the palm of your hand can be pressed a little on the neck muscles, moving from the shoulders towards the ears. Small silicone cups, which form a vacuum inside, can also be used, with little pressure to increase blood flow and help loosen muscle fibers.

Finally, a warm compress can be placed on the neck, leaving it to act for about 20 minutes.

5. Torticollis Remedies

Remedies for torticollis should only be used after medical advice and usually include anti-inflammatory ointments such as Cataflan, muscle relaxant pills or anti-spasmodic remedies such as Ana-flex, Torsilax, Coltrax or Mioflax, for example. Applying a patch like Salompas is also a good strategy to cure stiff neck faster. Find out about other remedies you can use to treat stiff neck.

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