What to do if you have neck pain or stiffness?

Neck pain or stiffness is an experience that many people have had. Modern people are under great work pressure. Many people suffer from neck tendon injuries due to long-term improper sitting posture due to work reasons. In this case, it is best to go to the hospital for relevant examinations. It is best not to sit in one posture for a long time. Get up and move around occasionally, or do physical therapy such as massage and acupressure. Pay more attention to rest and it is best to have a diversified diet.

What to do if you have a stiff neck

1. Hot compress

When the inflammation and pain subside, consider applying hot compress. You can use hot towels to wet compresses.

2. Cold compress

Generally, stiff neck is an acute injury, which manifests as local pain and stiffness. You can wrap small ice particles in a towel and apply it to the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes each time, twice a day. In severe cases, you can apply it once an hour.

3. Massage

If the neck and shoulders still feel pain after using the above methods, you can use the muscle separation method of massage and have your family do it for you.

① Put the middle, index and ring fingers of your left or right hand together, find the tender points in the painful area of ​​your neck (mostly in the sternocleidomastoid muscle, trapezius muscle, etc.), and massage from light to heavy for about 5 minutes. You can do this alternately with your left and right hands.

② Use the hypothenar to strike the shoulders and neck quickly and briskly from top to bottom and from bottom to top for about two minutes.

③ Use your thumb and index finger to pinch the Fengchi and Jianjing points on the left and right for 1-2 minutes.

④ Press the stiff neck point (between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpal bones on the back of the hand, 5 fen behind the metacarpophalangeal joint) with your thumb or index finger, and continue for 2-3 minutes when you feel a sore and tight feeling.

⑤Finally, perform activities such as flexion, backward movement, left and right tilting, and rotation of the head and neck. This movement should be performed slowly and without excessive force.

What to do if your neck is stiff and sore

Cervical spondylosis is a common cervical disease that occurs in people who work at a desk for a long time, have improper sleeping posture, play mahjong or poker for a long time, or play with their mobile phones with their heads down. In the early stages of cervical spondylosis, there may only be neck muscle spasms and fatigue. As the disease progresses, numbness, pain, and lameness in the lower limbs may occur (some patients feel like they are walking on cotton when walking). In the late stages of cervical spondylosis, symptoms such as dizziness, headache, unsteady walking, numbness of the limbs, and blurred vision may appear. However, not all cervical spondylosis will show all of the above symptoms, different types of cervical spondylosis are different.

What should I do if my neck is stiff and sore? Let's see which type of cervical spondylosis this situation belongs to?

Cervical spondylosis: The head and neck are in a single posture for a long time, causing strain on the neck muscles, ligaments and joints. Its symptoms include neck fatigue, neck stiffness and pain, and inability to read or write for a long time. It often occurs at night or in the morning, and can gradually improve naturally, but it also recurs.

Radiculopathy of cervical spondylosis: a disease mainly caused by degeneration and hyperplasia of the cervical vertebrae, which stimulate and compress the cervical nerve roots. Patients often feel pain and numbness in the head, neck, shoulders, arms and hands, and the numbness mostly occurs in the fingers and forearms. It is mostly unilateral and affects only one root, but there are also bilateral and multiple root cases. This type is the most common type of cervical spondylosis with the highest incidence rate (60%-70%).

Why do I have stiff neck again and again?

Stiff neck is also called untied neck. Modern medicine calls it "acute cervical periarthritis" or "cervical shoulder myofasciitis". It is a common soft tissue injury disease of the neck, usually with the following symptoms:

1. There is no obvious discomfort in the neck before going to bed, but there is obvious pain in the neck and upper back after getting up in the morning.

2. The neck cannot rotate freely. It is very difficult to lower the head or lean back. In more serious cases, the "crooked neck" phenomenon occurs, and there is a sharp pain like a knife when turning the head. Sometimes the head, neck or shoulders will also be unbearable.

3. Generally, there is pain on only one side, but sometimes there is pain on both sides.

4. Sometimes, the muscle bulge on one side of the neck and shoulder may increase due to spasm and stiffness of the neck muscles.