Do you wake up with unbearable neck pain? Stiff neck is hard to prevent, here are some tips to help you quickly relieve it

I felt everything was normal yesterday, but when I woke up today, I found that my neck was in unbearable pain, especially when I turned my head, the pain became more severe and even affected my shoulders... I believe many people have had this experience, and it is called - stiff neck!

1. What is “stiff neck”?

Stiff neck is a common neck discomfort, which is mainly manifested by severe pain in the neck and limited movement. The pain is usually concentrated on one side, and rarely occurs on both sides at the same time. This pain is caused by damage to soft tissues such as neck muscles and ligaments. So, how does stiff neck occur? And how can we recover quickly?

2. What are the causes of stiff neck?

There are many reasons for stiff neck, mainly the following:

1. Improper sleeping posture: The height of the pillow is not right, or the neck is twisted for a long time during sleep, which may cause stiff neck.

2. Bad posture: Not only sleeping posture, but also long-term bad posture such as daily sitting and standing posture may lead to neck sprain and stiff neck.

3. Feeling cold: A cold neck may also cause stiff neck.

3. How to prevent stiff neck?

1. Pay attention to your posture: Whether you are sleeping or sleeping, you should maintain a scientific posture to avoid your neck hanging in the air. Choose a suitable pillow with moderate height and material.

2. Keep warm: Keep your neck warm to avoid cold wind.

3. Strengthen the neck muscles: Enhance the strength and flexibility of the neck muscles through targeted exercises such as neck stretching and rotation.

Changde Fourth People's Hospital reminds: If you suffer from stiff neck repeatedly, it may be a precursor to cervical spondylosis and you should seek medical attention in time.

4. Quick recovery method after stiff neck

1. Acute phase treatment

When stiff neck is in the acute stage and the pain is severe, you should avoid vigorous massage and large-scale activities. Continuing activities at this time will not only fail to alleviate the symptoms, but may aggravate the condition.

2. Exercise during remission

When the pain subsides a little, you can do the following small exercises to help you recover:

① Pitching exercise: look up at the sky, look down at the ground, move slowly and gently, which helps stretch the neck muscles.

②Rotational movement: look left and right, and move your neck muscles, but avoid excessive force.

3. Hot compress

Place the towel on the painful area, making sure it is at a moderate temperature to avoid burns. Hot compresses can promote blood circulation and relieve muscle tension.

4. Massage, cupping, acupuncture

These methods have good effects on stiff neck, but they should be treated in a regular hospital. Do not massage casually to avoid aggravating the condition.

Stiff neck generally does not last for a long time, and most people can get relief in about a week. If the symptoms do not get better after a while, and worsen or are accompanied by numbness in the hands, shoulder pain, and a feeling of walking on cotton in the feet, it is likely caused by cervical spondylosis. At this time, you should seek medical attention in time and receive treatment and rehabilitation under the guidance of a doctor.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhang Huan, Department of Orthopedics, Changde Fourth People's Hospital

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(Edited by Wx)