Neck pain is more than just a pain in the neck; it can make it difficult for you to do daily work, sit in front of a computer or do daily chores around the house. You can have neck pain for a day or two from a strained muscle or injury, or from just sleeping on it the wrong way. But if it persists for a couple of weeks or more, the Mayo Clinic says it's chronic neck pain. It can happen from something as simple as having poor posture while sitting at your desk or computer but have long-lasting effects that require treatment.
Heat and Cold Therapy
If your neck muscles are irritated with inflammation, the Mayo Clinic suggests applying a cold pack or bag of ice to your neck a couple of times a day. Don't leave the ice on your skin for more than 20 minutes at a time, and make sure you protect your skin with a towel rather than putting the pack directly on your skin.
Switch it up by applying a heating pad to your neck or soaking in a warm bath or shower to help a stiff neck muscle relax.
Rest and Relaxation
The strain of the day can build up in your neck muscles, making chronic neck pain even worse. Give your neck muscles a break a couple of times a day by lying down for a brief rest. Rest in a comfortable position with support for your neck, and don't let yourself relax too long.
Pain Relief
Medication can help to alleviate neck pain, whether it's an immediate flareup or long-term chronic neck pain. An over-the-counter pain reliever, like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin, can help manage occasional pain, while prescription pain relievers can offer better management of chronic neck pain.
Muscle Stretches, Massage and Exercise
Even if you just want to keep your neck still, gentle stretching and exercising of the neck muscles are good for chronic neck pain. Slowly and gently move your neck, stretching the muscles for about 30 seconds at a time, in different positions. Regular physical therapy can also help you to stretch and exercise neck muscles and alleviate chronic neck pain. Gentle massaging of the neck muscles is also a good therapy for chronic neck pain, as it can help muscles to relax and ease pain.
Other Options
What kind of long-term therapy you'll need for your chronic neck pain will depend on the cause of the pain, but there are a number of other options available to manage pain. Injections of medication can block pain in the neck, and a collar may help to alleviate stress and pressure on the neck muscles. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, uses small bursts of electricity to manage chronic neck pain. In some serious cases where the spinal cord or nerves are under pressure, surgery may be an option.
