Muscle pain is a significant problem for many people around the world, reducing their mobility and making it more difficult for them to enjoy their daily lives. This problem can have a number of different causes, ranging from injury to actual medical conditions. However, one common type of discomfort, neck pain, can often arise from simply sleeping in a bad position or experiencing stress. Fortunately, physical therapists have recently revealed a quick, simple fix for a stiff neck. Can this easy pain remedy help treat your pain?
Step One: Find the Spot
Place your hand on your stiff neck (or even sore shoulders) and find the exact location of the pain. If the ache is on the right side of your body, use your right hand. If it is on your left, use your left.
Step Two: Apply Pressure
Use your fingers to push into the spot with firm pressure. This will hurt, but it should feel more like a good, tolerable pain than actual discomfort. If you can’t reach the sore area properly, use a tennis ball or similar item to apply the pressure, leaning up against a wall and holding the object between your body and its surface.
Step Three: Turn Carefully
Turn your head slightly in the opposite direction of the cramp while bending diagonally. To perform this properly, imagine that you are trying to touch your armpit with your chin. This can help relax the kink that is causing your stiff neck.
Step Four: Repeat
Perform the movement about 20 times in a row. When you are done, make sure to stretch your neck and back to help remove any final evidence of the pain.
Once you learn how to conduct this pain management technique properly, it should only take you about 60 seconds to complete. As a result, you can and should try it throughout the day to keep your muscles relaxed. However, if you find that you have to use the trick frequently, you may need to try another pain relief method and even seek out medical advice; it could be the sign of an underlying problem.