Natural Home Remedies for Neck Pain Relief

There are a variety of reasons as to why you may suffer neck pain. The pain may be accompanied by stiffness, tenderness, swelling and difficulty in swallowing. These are not symptoms that you may wish to keep around for long. We discuss home remedies for neck pain including natural and herbal remedies. These should help you to ease the pain within a short time. These are also accompanied by tips on how to manage the pain and avoid its recurrence.

Best Home Remedies for Neck Pain

The neck plays an important role in coordinating the body’s mobility. It is important for it to always be healthy to facilitate movement. When the neck is in pain, it becomes hard to move the head to any direction. This can make day to day activities hard to do. Research shows that 60 per cent of the working population experience neck pain with the blue collar workers being most vulnerable . The use of home remedies for neck pain can help to get rid of the pain and enable you to go back to your activities with ease. These are as discussed.

Hot and Cold Packs for Neck Pain Relief

Giving an area cold treatment helps to reduce inflammation and pain due to the cool temperatures that have a numbing effect. A warm pack goes a long way in soothing sore neck muscles. When using these packs, ensure you wrap them up with a towel and they do not go directly on the skin to avoid frost bites and burning. Applying these a number of times each day will help to relieve neck pain.

1. Get some crushed ice cubes and put them in a plastic bag.
2. Wrap the bag in a towel that is thin.
3. Place this ice pack on the aching neck for 15 minutes every three hours.
4. Cold packs should be used for the first 24hours after which you switch to warm packs.
5. To give the neck some heat treatment, hold a hot water bottle around the area.

Hydrotherapy

The use of force from running water helps to ease soreness and reduce pain on the neck. Hydrotherapy has been used for a long while to treat pain. Cold water helps to reduce inflammation while hot water increases circulation of blood.

1. While taking a shower, let the paining neck be the target surface of warm water for around four minutes.
2. Switch to cold water and let it hit the neck for around one minute and repeat as may be necessary.

Epsom Salt Bath for Treating Neck Pains

Magnesium sulfate found in Epsom salts is a natural muscle relaxant. This kind of bath will help to relieve tension in the muscles, relieve bad neck pain and reduce stress.

1. Run warm water in a tub and add a cup of Epsom salt in to it.
2. Soak in it ensuring the neck is well immersed for 20 minutes.
3. Repeat each day until the pain goes away.

Neck Exercises and Yoga (in Hindi)

Doing motion exercises for neck pain can help to reduce it. These strengthen and stabilize the neck muscles and the upper back. There are two types of motion exercises that are most applicable in easing neck pain. Before performing the exercises, apply a moist warm pack on the neck.

1. While sitting, slowly move the neck in circular motions. Start doing so clockwise and then move to anticlockwise. This will stretch your agitated muscles and may cause some pain in the beginning. With time though the neck will loosen up and heal.
2. Another way of achieving the same is by moving your neck side to side and back and forth slowly.
3. There also are various yoga poses that can help with neck issues such as spinal twist and shoulder opener poses. These are quite common in Hindi . You could try these yoga for neck pain exercises and see which works best for you.
4. With each exercise, carry out at least five movements three times a day. In case the pain aggravates, abort the exercise and see a doctor.

Turmeric

Turmeric contains curcumin which is an important chemical that acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It also helps to improve blood circulation thus helps in easing pain.

1. Get a glass of hot milk and add a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
2. Add some honey to it and allow to cool down.
3. Drink the remedy twice daily until the pain is no more.

Devil’s Claw

This is a herb that is native to Africa. It is so called because the skin of its fruit looks like it has small hooks. It has anti-inflammatory properties which make it effective in treating pain. The remedy is available in powder form and can be mixed with water to form a paste which is then applied on the aching part. It helps to relieve lower back as well as neck pain.

Skin Scrapping

This is a method that may require assistance from someone else. You will need massage oil such as lavender or rosemary oil and a spoon.  Apply a few drops of the oil on the neck and use the spoon to gently scrape the neck. The scraping should not cause any pain. When skin scrapping is conducted, circulation of blood is improved. This can help to get rid of stiff neck and pain.

Celery Leaves

These can help to get rid of pain caused by a stiff neck. Blend celery leaves extract it juice. Drink this up each day to relief pain.

Horse Radish

This is yet another one of the herbal home remedies for neck pain. Get fresh horse radish and apply it on the paining area. Do not leave it on for too long as it could cause numbness or a burning sensation.

Natural Remedies for Neck Pain

Neck muscle tension, over use of the neck muscle and at times spine injuries are some of the causes of neck pain. Due to the current day lifestyles, neck pain has become very common. The use of natural remedies for neck pain helps to get rid of the discomfort without having to see a doctor. With regular and consistent use, the pain should go away with time. Where no improvements are observed, see your doctor.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Another way on how to help neck pain is by the use of apple cider vinegar. This acts as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent. These qualities help to relief pain fast. When taken orally it eliminates pain related to nutritional deficiency.

1. Have a paper towel soaked in apple cider vinegar.
2. Place this on the aching part of the neck and leave it on for as long as it is still wet. Repeat the procedure as may be necessary.
3. You could also use the vinegar in bath water. Add two cups of it in lukewarm bath water and soak in it for 15 minutes. Repeat procedure daily.

Menthol and camphor

These two components are normally used in over the counter analgesic pain balms. When rubbed on an area, menthol and camphor help to increase circulation of blood. They also produce cooling effects on the area thus soothing the pain away. The effect lasts for long hours. Rubbing menthol and camphor on the neck is one of the ways on how to treat neck pain.

Lavender Oil

Lavender flowers have been used since ancient times for the medicinal properties they contain. In modern days, the use of lavender oil in aromatherapy is quite common. Lavender oil when used for massage is a great home remedy for neck pain. It works by easing tension on the muscles.

1. Begin by taking a hot shower or bath to increase the penetration level of the oil.
2. Get some lavender oil and rub it on your shoulders and neck.
3. Apply gentle pressure using circular movements for 10 minutes.
4. Repeat the massage daily as need be.

Ginger

This contains anti-inflammatory agents that help to improve blood circulation and flow to the affected area. It also helps to reduce pain.

1. Slice a ginger root into small pieces. Boil the ginger for 10 minutes in two cups of water. Strain the mixture and add honey to sweeten the tea. Drink three cups of it through the day.
2. In case you have powdered ginger, add half a teaspoon in a glass of water and drink it. This can be done three times in a day.
3. A ginger compress for topical application is another way on how to relieve neck pain and works wonders. Grate some fresh ginger root and wrap three tablespoons in a cheesecloth. Dip this in hot water for around 30 seconds allow it to cool to warm temperatures and place it on the aching part of the neck for up to 20 minutes. Repeat procedure each day until you get relief.
4. You could also consume ginger juice or extract to reduce inflammation and pain.

Cayenne Pepper for Severe Neck Pain

This is known to contain capsaicin. This has anti-inflammatory as well as analgesic agents which are great in getting rid of severe neck pain.

1. Warm two tablespoons of olive oil and add a tablespoon of cayenne pepper powder to it. Mix this up until all the contents are consistently spread. Apply the mixture twice daily in the neck for relief from sore muscles.

Tips to Help Prevent Neck Pain including During Pregnancy

At times, neck pain is as a result of lifestyle tendencies. Correcting the causes of the pain can help to ease it as well as prevent its recurrence. Below are some tips you can apply daily to avoid neck pain.

• Check your posture at work as this could be the reason why your neck is paining. Poor posture aggravates the pain as well. Sit using the right angles.
• Sleeping position can as well cause a stiff neck and pain. Use a firm pillow for neck pain relief when sleeping but avoid using too many of them as they could cause unnatural bend.
• Avoid working too long without breaks. Take a break of about five minutes every hour.
• You can take paracetamol to manage pain in case the pain is too much. Before taking anything for neck pain during pregnancy , consult your doctor.
• Hold a hot water bottle or a heat pack on your neck to reduce pain.
• If you are having difficulty turning your head, avoid driving until you get better.
• Stress can trigger muscle tension. Adopt relaxing techniques such as yoga and meditation to avoid it and to get rid of neck pain in the long run.
• To strengthen the back and neck muscles, swim regularly.
• Avoid crimping your phone between your shoulder and neck and instead hold it to your ears with your hand.

Neck pain should not last long. If it lasts beyond a week, is accompanied by severe symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever, swollen glands and lumps on the neck, seek medical attention.