How is a tense neck treated?
If you suffer from tension in the neck muscles, you should first find out why these problems occur. Basically, the cause should be eliminated before starting treatment. If the tension is caused by a one-sided posture, e.g. sitting for too long, you should make sure to change your sitting position at least every 15 minutes.
In this case, a short head lift or even head circling for a few seconds is sufficient before you resume your usual posture. You should leave your workplace every hour and change your position for a few minutes. This method is intended to prevent the neck muscles from being overstrained and remaining in one position for too long.
In addition, a so-called blackroll, a self-massage roll, can provide relief from neck tension. If the cause of the tense neck muscles is based on a psychosomatic situation, it usually does not help to counteract it with muscle relaxing exercises, because the cause is otherwise justified. One should do general relaxing exercises at home.
These can be applied regularly, e.g. by means of autogenic training. If the cause lies in a psychologically strained life situation, in most cases not only the neck muscles but also the other body muscles are very tense and show myogeloses. Autogenic training can also be helpful for the other muscles of the body.
If there is no improvement, one should consider changing the psychologically stressful situation, if possible, or adjust it in such a way that it becomes bearable for one. If the reason for the muscle tension is too much draught and cold, the air supply should be turned off (close the window in the car) in order to adjust the draught and cold. In addition to reducing the cause, there are three different ways to treat the symptoms.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
Muscle tensions and myogeloses are most likely to be relieved by massage. The patient should either lie on his stomach or sit and bend his head forward. The masseur should then perform a circular movement with both hands to the left and right of the cervical spine.
In places where myogeloses are conspicuous, the patient should remain at first and the circulating movements should be performed more forcefully. After one to two minutes, the area should be left and then circulate upwards. In the same session, return to the place of the myogeloses and try again to dissolve them with light pressure and circular movements.
Massages should be repeated at regular intervals to prevent hardening from returning quickly. Massages in the tense area are often described by those affected as painful, especially since the myogeloses are very sensitive to pressure. Nevertheless, a successful massage makes it necessary to increase the pressure on the tense muscles.
Within the scope of physiotherapy, an attempt can also be made to reduce the pain with cold and heat applications. Here, however, it should be noted that in acute tensions, the muscles already have too little oxygen and are in a nutrient debt anyway. If you start with a warmth application at this point, the metabolic processes are even stimulated, i.e. the few nutrients that reach the muscles are also quickly transported away again, which means that the muscle has even less energy.
Heat cushions and general heat applications should only be used for chronic muscle tension. An attempt at treatment with cold applications can be made in any case. In the long term, yoga can relieve and prevent neck tension.
