One way to help with this pain is to relax. Take one to three days off from doing anything strenuous. Activities to avoid include weight-bearing exercise, like running, hiking, or playing tennis, and heavy lifting.
Try to lessen both pain and inflammation by applying a cold ice pack or ice wrapped in a towel to your neck. You can apply this cold therapy to the area for up to 20 minutes a few times a day.
You can also alternate cold therapy with heat. With heat, you’re working to ease muscle tension and pain. You may want to take a warm shower or hold a heating pad on your neck.
Taking time to stretch your neck each day may also help. You might want to wait to do any exercises until the worst of your pain has gone away.
Staying in one position for too long may cause neck pain. In fact, you should aim to get up or move every 30 minutes from sitting or standing positions.
Slumping over all day can create a lot of aches and pains. Take a look at yourself in the mirror to see if you’re standing or sitting up straight.
You may have heard that going to the chiropractor can help with all sorts of aches and pains. It’s true. Chiropractic adjustments target the spine.
Sore muscles may also respond well to massage by a licensed practitioner. During a massage session, the muscles and other tissues in your neck are manipulated.