The CDC in the research said that 20% of people suffer from neck and shoulder pain for three continuous months or on and off.
It is hard not to imagine that this number must have risen due to the stay at home workers continually staring down at their phones or working the whole day in front of a computer.
A stiff neck and subsequent pain in the shoulder is due to poor posture or stress or overuse of muscles, which weakens them.
There are other reasons for pain and stiffness in these regions, but most people experience this due to bad posture and overuse of muscles.
When we stare down at our phones to watch a video, read a text or place our laptop at our eye level to work, we can easily strain our necks.
In this article, we will learn about simple remedies that are effective in easing neck and shoulder stiffness and pain. But before that, let me explain the reason for this pain.
When you drive for long or look down on gadgets day after day, it builds up tension in your neck. It displaces the neck joints, which makes it impossible for the neck to turn or bend without pain.
The neck clenches itself so that you don’t hurt more, but it makes it stiff and unable to move.
Causes for Pain
- An injury to the soft tissue can lead to pain in the neck and shoulder.
- When you hurt your rotator cuff due to injury or stress to that region regularly, it causes
severe pain in your shoulder and upper arm. - When you are in continuous stress or anxiety, your neck and shoulder get stiff and
painful. - Having a bad posture while working on a laptop or using a phone can also lead to pain in
the shoulder and neck. - Straining the muscles due to bad posture or sleeping at a wrong angle or not changing
position while working
Other severe causes for this are:
- Whiplash
- Herniated disc
- Pinched nerve
- Cervical spondylosis
These diseases often have more symptoms, including neck and pain in the shoulder. They might get better with home remedies, but if they don’t, seeking help from a doctor is necessary.
Effective remedies to ease neck and shoulder pain
1. Use Only One Pillow
Sleep with only one pillow under your head at night.
Using more than one pad, whether soft or hard, can lead to neck pain and stiffness in the shoulder as well.
It is because if you use more pillows, it puts your head at an unnatural angle, which leads to pain.
This memory foam pillow has a proven contour design that perfectly supports and aligns your head, neck, and shoulder. Sleeping with the right pillow will help you fall asleep faster and for longer.
2. Massage
If you have slight stiffness or mild pain, try massaging the points of the neck and shoulder. You can do it yourself or ask your friend or go to a spa.
When they massage your neck and shoulder, it eases the tension in it and can work like a charm. Gently massage the back of the neck and, from there, move towards your shoulders.
3. Practice Yoga
There are tons of yoga asanas or neck exercises that you can perform every day to keep your neck healthy.
Instead of opting for the common excuse of “I just don’t have the time”, you can take a convenient online yoga class.
Incorporating yoga into your life can not only work wonders if you are suffering from pain or stiffness, but it can invite a sense of calm into a stressful life.
4. Stretching
Stretching can ease the pain or keep it at bay. Try these stretches while working or driving (stay put at one place and try):
- Bringing your ear to the shoulder ten times both sides can relieve some pain
- Rotating your shoulders down and backward
- Squeezing the shoulder blades together can help too
5. Sleep in a Correct Posture
When you have pain in your neck, it will most certainly radiate to your shoulders. Thus, make sure you are sleeping in the right position.
- Never rest on your stomach. It not only worsens your neck pain but can cause low
back pain too. - It is best to sleep on your side or back.
In a quest to find the root cause of back pain, Esther Gokhale studied at the Aplomb Institute in Paris and traveled to parts of the world where back pain is virtually unknown.
In her book, 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back, she shares a step-by-step method, which she refers to as “Stretchlying”, which helps you to realign and position your body for optimal sleep.
6. Use Ice and Heat Therapy
If pain and stiffness is the only problem, try using heat and ice therapy to ease the pain. For the first 48-72 hours, put ice on the neck and shoulder.
After that, you can switch to hot showers or
heating pads to relieve the pain.
A top reviewer of Tech Love Electric Heating Pad stated that after about 2 weeks, it still worked very well. It heated up quickly and helped her alleviate the pain in her neck, shoulders, and back.
7. Keep Moving
Keep moving your body and neck but in slow motions. Don’t jerk it; otherwise, it can lead to more pain and inflammation. Also, if the pain is more, you can take ibuprofen or some other pain medication.
8. Lifestyle Changes
Eat more plant-based food as they strengthen the muscles of your body because they are rich in magnesium.
Also, find out which food causes more pain or relieve it and use them or avoid them in your diet.
You can make your diet planner using Canva.
Address the causes of the stress, which is causing problems with your shoulder and neck. Try meditating or other stress- releasing methods.
If your pain doesn’t subside with these remedies in a week or two, see a doctor. They can diagnosis any severe illness, if any, or can point you in the direction of a good chiropractor.
This article was contributed by Prince Kapoor.
Prince is a freelance marketing analyst. He’s previously written for HuffingtonPost, Hubpages, as well as Medium. You can read more about him here.
