Almost every adult who has passed 30 knows it: the neck hurts, the head can hardly be moved, the back and shoulder muscles hurt unbearably. The first impulse is: go back to bed, take it easy, just don’t move. But that is fundamentally wrong. Movement and heat are the two most important immediate measures for tension.
Muscle tension and cramps
As severe as the pain is, in the vast majority of cases, “stiff neck” is muscle tension and cramps caused by sitting or lying down incorrectly. For example, if you sit at the computer for several hours without taking breaks and doing relaxation exercises, sooner or later you will suffer from pain.
Causes of a stiff neck
The nonspecific neck and back pain, doctors believe, is caused by degenerative (that is, wear-related) processes in the spine and intervertebral discs – a result of incorrect or too little movement. Almost always the musculature is underdeveloped in patients with such complaints. Cold and drafts are very often the triggers for such pain attacks, which usually disappear on their own after one or two days. Mental problems can lead to muscle tension, as can incorrect sitting or lying down. Muscle strains are rarer if an untrained, “cold” muscle is suddenly subjected to a lot of strain.
Exercise benefits – exercise protects
Tension in the neck area is often suffered by people who sit a lot. Yet movement is so enormously important. In addition to an upright posture, protection from drafts and relaxation exercises, it is above all movement that helps. This is because movement increases the stability of the bones and strengthens the muscles. Even with more severe pain, lying down, for example, only increases cramping. Exercise, on the other hand, increases the stability of the bones and strengthens the muscles. Even with more severe pain, don’t spend extended periods of time in bed. New research has shown that regular physical exercise can reduce pain so that, ideally, it eventually disappears altogether. Untrained people should walk, cycle or swim for five to 20 minutes a day. Those who don’t have time for this should at least take the stairs instead of the elevator or avoid driving more often and walk. If the pain lasts for more than three months, it is called chronic. In rare cases, this can be an alarm signal for a serious disease such as osteoporosis, slipped discs or rheumatism. If the neck or back pain occurs after an accident, you should see a doctor immediately. Neck pain that gets worse when you try to put your chin to your chest are symptoms of meningitis. However, other symptoms are usually added, especially severe headache, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, confusion, fever and sensitivity to light. Again, a visit to the doctor is essential.
Treating a stiff neck
About one in three sick leaves in Germany is due to neck, shoulder or back pain. About 70 million days of absence are the sad economic balance of back diseases. Thermal envelopes are a possible measure for treatment with heat. These thermal envelopes contain iron powder that heats up to about 40 degrees when exposed to air and maintains this temperature for eight hours. The overlay is pliable and does not get too hot, so it can be worn under clothing while working. Under the influence of heat, the muscle relaxes, the pain decreases significantly.
Home remedies and “hot roller”
Simpler and cheaper especially for neck pain is the “hot roll”: a normal terry towel (50 x 100 centimeters) is folded once lengthwise and rolled up tightly. Hot water is poured slowly into the inside of the roll – not too much, so that no hot water drips out. The heat should penetrate from the center to the outside. It is best to cover the neck and back with another towel. Now lie on your back with your neck on the roll and stay there for about half an hour. An old home remedy is the St. John’s wort oil patch: a piece of pressed absorbent cotton is dripped with St. John’s wort oil and placed on the painful area. The absorbent cotton is covered with foil and a thick cloth. A warmed hay-flower bag, a hot pack or a warm spelt pillow have an even more intensive effect.