Self help for a stiff neck

Neck cramps, also known as a stiff neck, generally occur when the neck muscles weaken over time due to overuse or poor posture. An example of over use of your neck muscles, is when we are doing abdominal exercises and start to feel it in you neck – if this happens remember you are exercising your neck not your abdominal muscles!   If you regularly get a stiff neck then consider your posture when you use a computer, drive or look at your smart phone. 

When You have a Stiff Neck Self Help Procedure

1. Find the sore spot and place one hand over it.

2. Firmly push into the affected area with your fingers, but not hard enough to cause a sharp pain.  Any pain should feel like a good pain as its accompanied by a sense of relief or release.

3. Turn your head slightly in the direction opposite of the cramp and bend it diagonally.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 around 20 times.

 

If you find you can’t quite hit the spot then why not book in with us.

Related Posts

  • Natural ways to reduce anxiety – Part 3

    What I want to share with you know is probably the simplest and easiest method of reducing anxiety, you can do it anywhere and it costs nothing.  Its called breathing.  Yes I know we do it all the time.  But when you get anxious we begin to breathe rapidly and shallowly from our upper chest.  This breathing breath from your upper chest is why you get tight neck muscles as they can get overused as they help to move the top rib we breathing. What I am talking about is breathing deeply or calm breathing.

    Calming Breath
    1. Take a long, slow breath in through your nose, first filling your lower lungs - put your hand on your belly and you should feel it move out as your breath in.  Then breath into your upper lungs.
    2. Hold your breath to the count of "three."
    3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, while you relax the muscles in your face, jaw, shoulders, and stomach.
    Calm breathing you can stimulate the body's parasympathetic response. This is the body's equally powerful and opposite system to the flight or fight response and is often called the relaxation response.    When you trigger the body's relaxing response, your
    • heart rate slows
    • blood pressure decreases
    • muscle tension decreases
    • growing sense of ease in body, calmness in mind
    So you stop anxiety in its tracks!.  I recommend you practice this calm breathing for several times a day (up to 10 times) for several weeks until it becomes natural.  

  • How do your friends impact your health?

    In my last blog article, I explored how your social network including your friends and family impact your motivation to be healthy. Being part of a group, or better yet, lots of groups is good for your health.  The kind of groups doesn't seem to matter - it could be a family group, friendship group, religious or spiritual group, tennis or book club.  What is important is that you identify with it and see it as a meaningful part of your life. Here are five good reasons why?

    1. It can help you live longer
      • "As a rule of thumb if you belong to no groups but decide to join one, you cut the risk of dying over the next year in half" R Putman, Bowling Alone.
      • An adequate social life provides health benefits on a par with quitting smoking
      • The benefits of social ties are akin to those of exercise once you retire.  In one study retirees belonging to two social groups had a 2% risk of death but if they lost touch with both groups it jumps to 12%.
    2. It can protect your heart
      • Heart disease is generally lower for those who are members of a social group.
      • The risk of death from heart disease diminishes if you belong to more than one social group.
    3. It can cut your risk of a cold
      • Those belonging to a wide range of social groups e.g family friends, work, recreation or religious groups are least likely to come down with a cold.  Six or more types of diverse groups cut the risk of a cold more than four times.
    4. It can alleviate depression
      • The more social groups you belong to the less likely you are to suffer from depression.
      • If you are depressed, joining a group can help you recover and cut the risk of a relapse by nearly a 1/4 if you join one group or by almost 2/3 if you join three.
      • If you are a member of a religious or spiritual group you are less likely to have depressive symptoms and more likely to have feelings of well being.
    5. It motivates you to be healthy
    References J Holt-Lunstad, T B Smith, J B Layton (2010) Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review, Plos Medicine NK Steffens, T Cruwys, C Haslam, J Jetten, S A Haslam Social group memberships in retirement are associated with reduced risk of premature death: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study, BMJ Open Volume 6 Issue 2 D Reed, D McGee, K Yano, M Feinleib (1983) Social Networks and coronary heart disease among Japanese men in Hawaii, American Journal of Epidemiology 117(4) 384-96
    DC Classen, SL Pestotnik, JF Lloyd, JP Burke (1997) Adverse drug events in hospitalised patients.  Excess length of stay, extra costs and attributable mortality JAMA   Jan 22-29;277(4):301-6.
    F Tabassum, J Mohan, P Smith (2016) Association of volunteering with mental well-being: a lifecourse analysis of a national population-based longitudinal study in the UK BMJ Open 6(8)
    A Moe, O Hellzen, K Ekker, I Enmarker (2013) Inner strength in relation to perceived physical and mental health among the oldest old people with chronic illness Aging Mental Health 17(2):189-96.
    M P Aranda (2008) Relationship between religious involvement and psychological well-being: a social justice perspective Health and Social Work 33 (1): 9 - 21
    M Tarrant, K Warmoth, C Code, S Dean, V A Goodwin, K Stein, T Sugavanam (2016) Creating psyhcological connections between intervention recipients: development and focus group evaluation of a group singing session for people with aphasia BMJ Open 2016; 6(2)

  • Can Reiki help you if you have IBS?

    Reiki is a form of healing therapy originating in Japan and Tibet that is available in some of our clinics.  Over the years practicing massage in clinic, I [...]