tricks to relieve a stiff neck?

[Melclear]

I woke up this morning with a really stiff neck. At first, I could hardly turn my head at all. I took some Alleve and have been icing it every hour and now I can turn 45 deg. in each direction, but it still hurts.l Today is my rest day anyway, but I'd like to keep going with my STS rotation tomorrow. Do any of you have any home remedies that have worked for you?

Thanks!

Mel

 

[bakert]

Me too! I've had a stiff neck for a couple days and it doesn't seem to be getting better or worse. I even paid for a massage (definitely a luxury) and it didn't really help. When lifting weights I do find that I really tense up my neck and shoulder area which probably doesn't help. Maybe it's just DOMS? Ok I'm kidding, well partially.......
Anyway I too would like to know if there are any good tricks out there.

 

[morningstar]

Acupuncture. It's brilliant on pain, and especially for sore necks. Three sessions, and you will be completely fixed and will feel amazing after each session- relaxed and rested.

 

[Aquajock]

I can't remember having a neck so stiff that its ability to turn was compromised; however, because I ride a desk 40 hours a week and do a fair amount of computer work my neck and upper trapezius muscles are always in need of stretching. So it's neck stretches, trap and upper back stretches I rely on most, in stiffness and post workout cooldown.

My favorite neck stretch is:

Stand upright, with a good strong torso; bring your right hand back behind you, and grab the right hand with the left. Use the left hand to draw the right hand across the left buttock, while at the same time inclining your LEFT ear down so that it is "listening" to the LEFT shoulder. Hold that position for 10 - 20 seconds, then gently release.

Then repeat on the other side: bring your left hand back behind you, and grab the left hand with the right hand. Use the right hand to draw the left hand across the right buttock, while at the same time inclining your RIGHT ear down so that it is "listening" to the RIGHT shoulder. Hold that position for 10 - 20 seconds, then gently release.

Then, standing back in vertical neutral, let your arms hang down so that the palms are lying on the outer thighs. Gently hang the head forward until you feel a nice pull down the spine, while at the same time "walking" your fingertips down the sides of your thighs to increase the pull. Hold at the deepest stretch position you can comfortably for 10-20 seconds.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cathe herself employs similar stretches in some of her cooldowns; I always "do my own thing" for post-workout stretches so apologies if this is repetitive.

A-Jock

 

[kris10w99]

If you are finding that you are waking up with a stiff neck the potential issue could be either the position of your body while you sleep or the support of your pillow. Oftentimes we tend to sleep with our shoulders up on our pillow if we fall asleep reading or watching TV. I know I often just naturally put my shoulders up on the pillow and have to make a conscious effort not to. So I make sure the pillow just supports my head so that my spine is in neutral position while I sleep.
As far as relieving your neck pain (assuming there is no pathology like osteoarthritis or disc degenerations... or there is no nerve impingement that needs further evaluation), heat can be beneficial if it's an issue of tense muscles. That, along with range of motion exercises (stretching) helps. You can maybe even find a massage therapist that specializes in neck pain, headache-relief or trigger point therapy so he/she can do some tractioning and passive range of motion, rather than just digging into the muscle and causing it stay in a contracted state. Also be aware of how forward your chin is in comparison to your shoulders (i.e. drawing your head forward to read a computer screen or read a book). That puts an eccentric stress on some of the postural spinal muscles and neck extensor muscles which can exaccerbate the pain and discomfort.
Hope some of this helps!

 

[kathryn]

1) try joint mobility exercises (Steve Maxwell has an excellent DVD set that covers the whole body. I used it to help loosen up my neck and traps, which were very stiff for a while).

2) get an ergo pillow with neck support.