When you work to hard, be it working in the yard, at the gym, playing a sport, reorganizing the garage or any other kind of strenuous activity, it is very easy to strain a part of your body. Shoulders and necks are the most susceptible it seems. Sometimes this can happen even if you sleep with your head at a weird angle. You’ll then notice for the following day that whenever you turn your neck a certain direction, you’ll feel a specific kind of pain. It’s not comfortable and no one wants to just live it out. Being just a strain, it’s not necessary to go see a doctor if you don’t want to. There’s really nothing they can do besides provide you with a pain killer prescription. However, there are a couple of home remedies that you can do that will provide a little bit of relief during these situations.
Massage
Getting a massage to help an affected area is always a good idea. If you tell your massage therapist what part of your body you are having issues with, they will be able to specifically work on that area and pay special attention to it. If you are having major issues, you may need to get a massage several times before the pain subsides. However, minor pain can be dealt with in one massage session.
Heated Shoulder Wrap
Heated shoulder wraps can bring immediate relief and it’s a great opportunity to sit down and relax. You can get quality neck heat pads online or at general store. Most of them are microwaveable heat wraps. As well as heated shoulder wraps, you can also buy heated neck pillows, back wraps or just a regular heated pad that you can place anywhere on your body. The idea of these is that you sit with the heat resting on the strained area. The warmth will feel good on your muscles and will warm up your joints so that they don’t feel so stiff. If you are into essential oils, a few drops of lavender on your heated shoulder wrap might be just what you need to relax.
Cold Compress
Alternatively, you could try and numb the affected area by using a cold compress instead of heat. Putting some ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrapping it in a thin towel will work or you could use a bag of frozen vegetables. The vegetables are usually smaller than ice, won’t melt and will meld to your shoulder or neck easier. You could also soak a towel in cold water to help relax the affected muscles. In order for this method to really work, you’ll need to this about two or three times a day for approximately 10-15 minutes per session.
Neck and Shoulder Exercises
There are various exercises that you could do in order to work the muscles. Of course, you don’t want to over do it and cause your self more pain so make sure you research these movements thoroughly before trying them on you own.
Epsom Salts
Epsom salts have been shown to give relief from pain because they improve blood circulation in the body. This means they will positively affect your entire body. Try filling up your bath tub with warm water. As the water is filling, add in two cups of Epsom salts. Mix the salts into the water thoroughly until it is properly dissolved. Sit with the sore area completely submerged for about 20 or 25 minutes. If you want to get quicker and better results, take an Epsom salt bath three times a week. You can also try soak a towel in water that has been mixed with Epsom salt and let the towel sit on your shoulder or affected area.
The most important thing is that you don’t put any extra strain on the neck muscles while your neck or shoulders or back are healing. This will only serve to delay the healing process and make it take longer to get rid of the stiff neck or strained shoulder muscles. You might try sleeping without your pillow, just for a new nights. The extra lift might be putting a strain on your neck. Make sure that you are maintaining good posture, especially during the healing period.