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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Stiff Neck

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Stiff Neck

Maybe it's just to remind us that our lives are full of stress. Or it could be a punishment for sleeping with the windows open on a cool autumn night. Or because we didn't fix the shocks on the car, now we have to pay the price in aches and pains.

Sometimes the proverbial pain in the neck does have a physical basis. Stress--physical or otherwise--tenses the muscles in your neck, and you wake up one morning with a neck that sends complaint messages flashing through your nervous system.

A stiff neck is a common, usually harmless, problem that lasts just a few painful days. Whether you already have a stiff neck or you've had it before and want to avoid an encore, try these helpful hints.

Roll a towel into a collar. "Take a dry towel, roll it up, fasten it with a safety pin in the front or back, and use it as a soft collar to support your head," says Christa Farnon, M.D., associate director of Occupational Medical Services for SmithKline Beecham, a pharmaceuticals company in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. "This supports your head in place and limits the movements that you make with your neck." If you would prefer a ready-made collar, check with a medical supply store; ask for a soft cervical collar.

When to See the Doctor

If neck pain gets worse or doesn't improve within 24 hours and is associated with headache, drowsiness, confusion or fever, people really need to be seen by a physician," says Christa Farnon, M.D., associate director of Occupational Medical Services for SmithKline Beecham, a pharmaceuticals company in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. "Sometimes a stiff neck is a sign of meningitis, a very serious illness that is treated with high dosages of antibiotics.

"Also, if the pain radiates into an arm and the arm becomes numb and increasingly dysfunctional, a stiff neck could be an indication of a slipped disk," Dr. Farnon adds.

Dunk a terry towel. Dr. Farnon recommends a moist, hot compress, using a towel. "Dunk the towel into hot water, wring it out, and apply it to the back of your neck," she says. "It's better than dry heat." If a moist compress is impractical, a hot water bottle or heating pad works almost as well. Place the bottle or pad on your neck for 30 minutes three or four times each day.

Shower away pain. "A hot shower will also help relieve the tension in your neck muscles," says Ron Plamondon, D.C., director of member services for the American Chiropractic Association in Arlington, Virginia. The hot shower gently massages your neck muscles while providing deep heat.

Try a pain reliever. Reach for the aspirin: Two pills every four hours will reduce the swelling and pain of a stiff neck. If aspirin doesn't agree with your stomach, try another pain reliever recommended by your doctor. Also remember not to give aspirin to children because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.

Sleep on your back. To avoid morning neckaches, try to fall asleep on your back, with a pillow under the curvature of your spine, suggests Joseph J. Biundo, Jr., M.D., professor of medicine and chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans.

Building a Better Neck

Strength and flexibility training isn't only for your arms. Even your neck can benefit from these exercises to prevent and treat neck pain, if you remember two simple rules: Never exercise if the pain is intense, and never allow someone else to twist your neck for you.

Go isotonic. Isotonic exercise strengthens your muscles and prevents injury. Take your right hand and hold it against your right temple, then press your head against the palm of your hand, tightening the neck muscle. Hold for five seconds, relax, and repeat. You can move your hand to the left, front and back of your head, putting pressure on different sides to strengthen the neck muscles all around.

Increase flexibility. Let your head hang forward so that the weight of your head draws your neck into a curve, suggests Bill Connington, board chairman and president of the American Center for the Alexander Technique in New York City. This position will gently stretch the muscles in the back of your neck. When you are finished, imagine that you are building the neck up again, vertebra by vertebra, until your head is balanced on top of your spine. Next, watch yourself in a mirror as you let your head tilt toward one shoulder. Bring your head straight, then let your head tilt toward the other shoulder. Don't force it; allow the weight of your head to do the work.

Try out your range of motion. Allow your neck to relax so that your head is poised on top of your spine. Move your head slowly from side to side as if you're saying no. Keeping your neck relaxed, nod your head up and down as if you're saying yes. If you find that there are places where it is harder to move your head, keep breathing evenly and remind yourself to relax the neck.

Practice releasing and relaxing. Lying on the ground with your knees bent, your feet flat and a paperback book underneath your head for support, try this relaxation technique: Imagine your muscles releasing and your head unlocking from your spine. Ask the muscles at the base of your skull to soften. Let your back spread out against the floor, and feel your breathing deepen. A few minutes each day will ease chronic neck pain.

Avoid the draft. Older people are especially prone to stiff necks caused by open car or bedroom windows, says Dr. Farnon. Do not sleep in a draft, and when driving, keep the window closed on your side.

Fix your car's shocks. The condition of your car may be playing a role in your stiff neck. Good shock absorbers will make both your car and your body run more smoothly, says Susan Zahalsky, M.D., former director of medical services at the Comprehensive Spine Center at Midway Hospital Center in Los Angeles.

Walk around. Is your workplace giving you a pain in the neck? If your muscles are "locked" in the same position, you'll begin to ache. "If you're doing desk work every day, get up every 20 minutes or so and walk around to keep your muscles alive," says Deborah Caplan, a physical therapist and founding member of the American Center for the Alexander Technique in New York City. She suggests stretching exercises: Make large circles with your arms to extend your muscles, and look around the room--up, down and to the side--to get the kinks out of your neck.

Look forward to your work. Computers and reading materials should be placed directly in front of you, at eye level. For computer users, Dr. Zahalsky suggests purchasing an Easy Reader, but any book stand will do and can be bought at an art supply store. If you are in a jam, a pillow placed under your book may also work.

Keep your phone off your shoulder. The telephone is often the greatest pain in the neck for workers. If you spend time on the phone, Caplan recommends getting a headset that will hold it in place.

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