How can neck tension be relieved? Where does the stiff neck come from and what helps with acute neck pain? 3x quick help against tension!
Neck tension is terribly uncomfortable.
Especially when a cute guy walks by. We can not look after him without pain again. Really annoying. ;) No, kidding aside. Neck pain is nothing to joke about.
Each of us knows this pain in the neck all too well.
It pinches, twinges, pulls and stings. According to a study by the Robert Koch Institute, one in four Germans suffers from back and neck pain. And this number is rising steadily.
But do you know why neck tension feels so painful? And how you can relieve neck tension? We show you!
Table of contents
Very often, by the way, neck pain arises because we sleep incorrectly. Side sleepers in particular tend to tense up the neck even more. If the pillow is too high or too low, the body quickly lets us feel it.
The problem with unsuitable pillows is that the body now can't rest at night either. So instead of restful hours, there's a load of tension on top.
I myself have a Casimum orthopedic pillow against neck pain in use. The cushion is ergonomic and is made of memory foam.
It ensures that your head is at the perfect height, relaxing the neck.
Release neck tension: 3 effective immediate measures in acute cases
But can you release tension in the neck yourself? Yes, fortunately you can!
Once the neck is stiff and causing pain, it is important to stay calm. Breathe in and out deeply and try to relax.
Especially the muscles of the shoulder and neck are responsible for tension.
If they are tense and cramped, it leads to pretty bad pain. Sometimes also to a stiff neck. So that you can't move at all without this terrible pain.
1. release the neck tension with compresses
Both warming and cooling compresses help against neck tension. Choose the method that works for you.
Tip: Cooling compresses can be ordered from Amazon.
The cold compress against the stiff neck
The cold compress works like a trigger point massage. The goal is to expose the affected area to a conscious stimulus. And thereby stimulate the blood circulation.
Here's how:
- Make a towel slightly damp, roll it up and put it in the freezer
- Leave in the freezer for half an hour
- Apply compress until the cold has disappeared
A cooling pad is at least as effective. But be careful: Do not put it directly on the skin, always put a thin cloth in between!
The advantage of cooling pads is that you can chill them in advance. So it's best to put them in the fridge right now for next time.
The warm compress for neck relaxation
The warm compress can reduce the Release neck tensionbecause it has a relaxing effect on our muscles. When we have pain in the neck, our muscles are often so tense that we can hardly move.
Heat can now help to make the muscles a little more supple again.
You can use a towel or a hot water bottle for this. Even more pleasant is a cherry stone pillow!
Wow! Fascia Yoga helps so well against tension!
Here's how:
- Roll up a towel
- Put the towel or cherry pit pillow in the oven at 60° until it is nice and warm
- Put on the affected area and let it cool down
A fragrant relaxing bath with lots of foam works almost as well as a cherry pit pillow.
By the way, there are also special relaxation baths or DIY bath oils, which help our muscles to get rid of the hardening.
A day of wellness at home with candles and relaxing music also contributes to more serenity. This in turn relieves the tension in the neck.
Homemade bath balls with lavender scent have a calming effect on body and mind.
2. release the neck tension with trigger point massage
If you have acute neck tension, you can also do it yourself before you go to the masseur. Afterwards, it is best to make an appointment with the masseur of your choice.
If you often have a stiff neck, you can go to a masseur every 14 days as a preventive measure. It works wonders for me! Especially in winter.
Neck massages work so well because you directly address the nervous system. Here you will find the control station of the body and, of course, the muscle tension.
By massaging the painful area, you tell the brain that it can lower the muscle tension. Therefore, quick mini-massages can relieve tension in the neck or at least alleviate it a little.
Trigger points are localized muscle hardenings. They can be felt by stroking over the tension. They are noticeable in the form of nodules.
Trigger points are locally sensitive to pressure. So when you touch them, the pain gets stronger. Almost 90 % of all pain syndromes are due to such muscle stiffness.
The hard nodules can be loosened by massages.
Homemade massage oils can help loosen the hardenings!
If you want to take specific action against the pain, then you can a massage gun the solution be. You can also use it to loosen small areas. The massage shocks penetrate into the deep muscle tissue, where the cause of the problem usually lies. One model that we use ourselves is the Flow mini mass gun.
These are the best massage guns on the market!
Tips for self-massage
Focus on the pressure sensitive areas. You can easily scan them. Here you will find the problem areas. Once you have identified them precisely, you can start to work on the Release neck tension go
With Nod or head from left to right bend, you will notice where your tension is the worst. Try to stretch your head, neck and throat as much as possible. But please be very careful!
Remember carefully where the tension sitting in the neck. When you're done with the massage, you'll have a good point of comparison.
With tension in the neck and cervical spine is special Caution commanded. We are very sensitive at these points! Please never apply too much pressure.
Massage balls, massage oil and the fingers serve as aids. There are also special massagers that can help. The best way to feel the hardening and nodules is with the fingers.
Here's how:
- Go in search of the hardenings that are sensitive to pain
- Found it? Then make light circular movements
- Use a maximum of 30% of force! Hardening must be released slowly!
- Leave the pressure on the points until the pain subsides
If the pinching just won't go away, you can bring out the big guns. Then massage utensils will help you.
A shoulder massager always helps me very well. You put it around your neck. The circular movements with heat loosen the muscles. The best time to do this is in the evening, in front of the TV. The Massager with heat function* has particularly good ratings and testimonials.
Tension in the neck through the shoulder blades
Very often, however, the shoulder blade area is also affected. This can then radiate out. And ends up releasing tension in the neck, although it actually starts at the shoulders.
This makes it all the more important that you react immediately to tensions and listen to the body.
You can find tension in the shoulder blade if you place your fingers over the shoulder and move them slowly - the bony prominence is the shoulder blade.
Here's how:
- From this bony prominence, massage the area toward the outside of the shoulder.
- The best way to help is a mix of pressure and movement.
- Gently circle the shoulder during the massage.
- If you feel a hard nodule, you have found tense fascia. You can work on these either by applying firm pressure to the affected area or by using circular and stroking movements to make them better.
This is how you get rid of stuck fasciae for good!
3. release the neck tension with meditation
Meditation calms the body and the mind. It works on many levels of our body. Mindfulness practice directly affects our autonomic nervous system. Meditation reduces stress - which in turn has a positive effect on our perception of pain.
In addition, one assumes a neutral position when meditating. The back is stretched and one sits upright.
Meditating is therefore very good to be able to release tension in the neck and at the same time prevent new pain.
By the way, mediation also helps us to reduce stress very well. And stress, along with bad posture, is one of the main triggers of tension in the neck.
Release neck tension with special exercises
Once you have overcome the acute pain, you need to stretch and make the muscles supple again. This works great with Neck pain Exercises. This makes it easy to stretch away tension in the neck.
And you can also prevent them. Because if you train your muscles, you also make them supple.
By building up muscles, you are generally not as susceptible to tension. Of course, they can still occur, but usually they are no longer so bad.
These are the best neck pain exercises!
Release neck tension? Find the cause of the tension!
Ideally, the Release neck tension permanently. In order to treat it, however, you need to know the cause of the stiff neck.
The complex interplay of ligaments, muscles and vertebrae is susceptible to disruption. First and foremost, the muscle cords are affected when we suffer from neck pain.
90 percent of all neck complaints are due to tension and stiffness. These trigger points make the neck stiff and cause terrible pain.
The muscle strands stand through Sitting too long under constant tension.
Staring at the smartphone is also particularly bad. As soon as we unpack the cell phone, our head tilts forward. We often sit like this for more than half an hour.
Typing on a smartphone may have entertainment value, but our necks don't find it funny at all.
But that is not enough. The 50 or so very small deep muscles in our back and shoulders are also influenced by our nervous system. Have we Stress, a mental tension builds up, which can be found in the neck.
This is also the reason why it mainly affects people who work in the office and have a lot of stress.
Very often the cause of neck tension is not where it hurts.
Poor training condition can also promote a stiff neck. So, to be able to release the neck tension, it pays to train the back and shoulders.
Pain in the neck is often caused by sitting incorrectly. If you have poor posture - for example, a hollow back or slumped shoulders - you are greatly aided by tension. Later, this neck pain can also lead to problems in the lower back.
In fact, with the wrong posture comes a lot of pressure on the spine.
Regular stretching exercises can help. But you should try to get to the root of the problem. So change something about your posture. Unfortunately, this is very easy to say, but very difficult to implement.
What can help you is Upright. At Upright it is a small electronic straight holder* that you stick between your shoulder blades.
Whenever your posture leaves something to be desired, it vibrates and reminds you to keep a straight posture. At the end of the day, you can see in the app how often you really stood up straight and when not.
I can give you the Upright electronic straight holder* because I've been standing and sitting much more upright since I started using it. Even when I don't have it on at all. Somehow you subconsciously memorize the posture, which is quite practical. :)
Say goodbye to tension! These exercises for the office really help!
The most common causes of neck tension
The causes of a sore neck can be very wide-ranging. Here are the top 4. If none of these causes apply and the pain does not get better, you should definitely call a professional.
1. neck tension because of stuck fasciae
Fascia is found throughout the body. And therefore also at the back of the body. Here, a fascia chain runs from the feet to the top of the skull.
If the fasciae stick together, back pain, neck tension and headaches can be the result.
What you probably didn't know: Our breathing also has an influence on the fasciae. If we breathe very shallowly, i.e. not into the abdomen, our fasciae lose their suppleness.
The problem: When we have a lot of stress, we subconsciously breathe very shallowly. This leads to tension, less oxygen intake and then, as a result, we get a stiff neck.
When you are stressed, consciously take a very short time and pay attention to your breathing. Breathe deeply into your belly and out. This won't help you relieve your neck tension, but you can use it as a preventative measure for next time.
To loosen your fascia use a fascia roller, which you can order online.
Try these fascia yoga exercises!
2. neck tensions due to wrong lying position
Yes, you can do a lot wrong even when lying down. An unfavorable sleeping position can promote neck pain.
Be careful not to use too many pillows. If the cervical spine is supported too high by too many pillows, the muscles will cramp. They are then subjected to extreme tension all night.
And already pain arises and we can start with the neck tension release. But this does not have to be the case. Just choose a flatter pillow.
If you tend to sleep on your stomach, you are particularly affected by neck pain. Quite logically, in order for you to breathe, you have to turn your head to the left or right. Most of the time you have a preferred direction. And do you have a tense neck.
3. tense back due to incorrect posture
One of the most common causes of a tense neck is incorrect posture. If you don't walk or sit upright, you can read as many tips as you like on how to relieve neck tension, it will do little good.
Unfortunately, sitting a lot encourages poor posture. This is how back pain develops in addition to neck pain. And a hollow back.
Use a back support pillow. It can help you sit up straight and prevent back pain.
Prevent a hollow back with these exercises!
4. neck tension due to too little movement.
Our entire body needs movement. Too much sitting and constantly the same position promote pain in the neck, back and the entire body.
Lack of exercise is pure poison for our body. There are all kinds of physical and psychological effects when we don't move enough.
Most neck tension occurs between the cervical and thoracic spine. These are the two sections that are the most mobile. Both are made for a lot of movement. But they simply don't get it in everyday life.
This is what happens to your body with lack of exercise
Why does tension arise in the neck?
Abstract: Our lifestyle is to blame for giving us tension in the neck.
That's why your neck hurts:
- Sitting for hours
- Staring at the smartphone (head hanging forward)
- Unfavorable sleeping positions
- Stress
Neck tension can arise in many ways. Very often it does not stop at the pain. They radiate and can lead to tension headaches. But also sleep disorders, fatigue, irritability and concentration problems can be the result of a tense neck.
Our neck is the weak point of the spine. The neck muscles must give our head a Maximum mobility enable. At the same time, they must also stabilize.
With this Splits between Flexibility and stability seven vertebrae, the neck muscles and the connective tissue support us. And they do so in a very confined space. Even a small imbalance can cause terrible neck pain.
If you want to relieve tension in your neck, you first need to know that it's just tense muscles. It is painful, but not life-threatening.
A pinching, stabbing and pulling pain is the result. Now applies: Release neck tension and fast! Fortunately, there are little helpers that give us a hand.
Put an end to muscle tension! The DIY chili ointment helps!
In addition to Neck pain exercises standing, compresses and self-massages can relieve neck tension.
Very often detach tense fasciae the pain in the neck out. And this very often leads to Headache.
TipOrder online a fascia roller against agglutinated fascia.
Release neck tension: Change lifestyle!
After so much bad news around neck pain, now for the good: Most neck, shoulder and cervical pain is functional. This means that we trigger them through our lifestyle.
We have only ourselves to blame, so to speak.
Too little movement, no training and stress we can largely control ourselves and thus solve and counteract neck pain.
The most important thing when relieving tension in the neck is to fight it immediately at the first flare-up. Waiting will only make the stiff neck much worse.
That is why you need to immediately solve neck pain
If you don't act immediately, neck tension can become chronic. The pain settles and is almost impossible to fight.
If you wait too long and are in pain, you adopt a protective posture. This may feel good at first. However, by doing so, you only encourage neck pain even more. A posture that makes us hardly feel neck pain can lead to herniated discs and joint wear and tear.
Our conclusion
Pain and tension in the neck can be terribly painful. But even small tricks can help relieve neck pain. The best solution is a mixture of exercise, relaxation and regular massages.
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