An over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen Tylenol or an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen Advil, Motrin or naproxen Aleve can help with pain in your joints. Applying heat to the site of your stiff muscles can help loosen them up.
Once your muscles are moving freely, the nerves in your spine can relax and your range of motion should return. Applying a heating pad to the area for 8 to 10 minutes is one way of using heat to relieve a crick in your neck. You can use hot water and steam as a way to massage and relax your neck.
Standing under a hot shower with the jets massaging your neck may be enough to get your muscles moving freely again. You might also try visiting a steam room or taking a long, hot bath for the same effect. Gentle stretches might free the nerves in your neck from the stiff muscles that surround them. Try carefully and slowly rocking your head from side to side, before rolling your head forward and feeling the tension of gravity on your neck as you circle your head around.
You might also try lying down flat on your back, raising your arms to shoulder level, and slowly moving your head from side to side.
Breathing in deeply and moving carefully through these stretches will be key to relieving your stiff muscles. If you feel sharp pains, discontinue stretching right away to avoid pulling a muscle and making your discomfort worse.
A chiropractor or physical therapist may also have suggestions about your posture and lifestyle habits that can help prevent future neck stiffness. Poor head and neck posture effectively multiplies your head weight, further stressing the muscles of the neck and upper back. Many experts believe muscle spasms are responsible for the majority of neck cricks. Cervical herniated disc : A herniated disc is when soft inner layer of an intervertebral disc punches through the hard outer layer.
However, radiculopathy that affects the upper back and shoulders may feel like neck pain. Stenosis is often a result of bone spurs caused by osteoarthritis in the spine. As with herniated discs, cervical spinal stenosis is more likely to cause radiculopathy than neck pain.
Most of the time, a crick in the neck will go away on its own. Before it goes away, neck pain can wreak havoc on your quality of life. Going to a spine specialist is a good idea, but be aware that he or she will want you to try conservative, nonsurgical methods of treatment before any sort of surgery will be considered.
Again, remember that most cricks in the neck resolve on their own, so by the time surgery is scheduled most will be long gone. If these conservative treatments fail to get rid of your neck crick, or if it hangs around longer than a few days, a visit with a spine specialist is probably warranted.
A spine expert can give you access to other, possibly more effective nonoperative treatments, including:. I f you wake up with a cricked neck, begin slowly, says Sammy Margo, a physiotherapist practising in north London: "This means moving within your pain-free limits. I always encourage lying on the bed and gently turning the head side to side.
Keep active, unless the pain is really acute. Keeping your neck warm and semi-supported by a scarf or a roll-neck jumper is also a good idea, says Margo. You can use an anti-inflammatory drug, or a little pain relief. People who frequently have a crick in the neck may benefit from changing the way they sleep or sit. Investing in a firm pillow, an ergonomic chair, or a neck cushion for long flights or drives can help prevent stiffness in the future.
People with chronic neck stiffness or pain sometimes find help from acupuncture or massage therapy. If home treatment fails, talk to a doctor before trying alternative medicine. If the crick in the neck is caused by an underlying condition, such as osteoarthritis, it is essential to work with a doctor to find the best treatment. A doctor may recommend a wide range of treatments, including physical therapy , medication, exercise, steroid injections, and surgery. If a person has meningitis, they may require antibiotics and a stay in the hospital.
Likewise, someone who has a heart attack, stroke, or a broken artery will also require hospitalization. They will likely also need a variety of additional treatments, which may include medication, removing a blood clot, surgery, or blood thinners.
Most people recover from a crick in the neck within a few hours to a day or two. When the stiffness is due to an injury or associated with muscle pain, recovery can take longer.
Because a crick in the neck is often due to lifestyle factors, it may come back. It is essential, therefore, to make some lifestyle changes to prevent muscle stiffness and injuries occurring in the future. While most people can treat a crick in the neck at home, people should see a doctor if a crick in the neck occurs with intense pain, other symptoms, or gets worse over several days.
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