The use of technology has made us stare into screens all day long. We are always gazing into a computer, phone, or other electronic devices. Because of this, many individuals all over the world are increasingly facing neck and shoulder pain.
Don’t believe us? Well, the CDC recently reported that 20% of people had experienced neck or shoulder pain within the past three months. Let’s first understand how you can get stiff neck and shoulder pain and the ways you can remedy it.
What Causes Stiff Neck And Shoulder Pain?
The most common cause of neck strain is using an electronic device at an awkward angle. However, there are many other causes for it too. These include:
- Stress
- Osteoarthritis
- Clenched jaw
- Poor posture
- Repetitive neck motion
All these causes can lead to neck and shoulder pain. So, it is important to work on these aspects when trying to relieve yourself of the pain and stiffness.
How To Get Rid Of Stiff Neck And Shoulder Pain?
Here are the many steps you can take to relieve yourself of these pains:
#1. Invest In A Massager
An electric massager is one of the best ways to treat neck stiffness and shoulder pain. It is one of the most widely used approaches to neck pain, and it works effectively. Using a massager will reduce neck pain and also improve the mobility of your neck.
Using a massager consistently will loosen up all the tight knots in your neck and shoulder. The vibrations from the massager will improve circulation to your neck and shoulder, and it will open all the knots. Soon, your neck will receive the blood supply it needs, and it will become more mobile.
You will easily be able to move your neck in different directions without it becoming stiff. If you sit in an office all day long working on a screen, you should invest in a portable smaert neck massager. That way, whenever you feel stiffness or pain, you can use it in the targeted area to relieve pain.
Realted:What Is Best Neck & Shoulder Massager Review 2021
#2. Create A Workspace That Benefits Your Neck And Shoulder Health
It is a preventative step you can take to avoid getting neck stiffness and shoulder pain. If you have to sit on the desk all day looking at a screen, then you might as well make the space shoulder and neck-friendly. After all, you need to take care of your health at work.
Here are some ways you can create a neck and shoulder-friendly workspace:
- Stand up and stretch after every half hour
- Keep your computer at eye level
- Always keep your back straight and your arms at level with the desk
- Adjust your chair so that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are lower than your hips
A sedentary lifestyle is severely damaging to health. That is why you should take steps to keep everything in balance and your health in check. Just because you sit all day, it doesn’t mean you have to experience neck stiffness and shoulder pain.
With these small but practical changes, your workspace will be less burdensome on your body, and you will feel much better.
#3. Do Some Neck And Shoulder Stretches
Stretching is good for the entire body. Many people don’t realize the importance of stretching for small body parts, such as our neck and shoulders. They need to be stretched just as much as the rest of our body.
Here are some stretches you can do daily to improve neck and shoulder function:
- Turn your head slowly from side to side
- Move your ear slowly towards your shoulder on each side
- Roll your shoulders back and forth
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together
- Rotate your clockwise and anti-clockwise a few times
It would be best to do these stretches every day after you wake up, and whenever you feel shoulder pain or neck stiffness. The stretches will instantly ease your pain and help your neck and shoulder muscles to work better. Consistent stretching will strengthen your shoulder and neck muscles, and you will barely experience pain again.
Related:7 Best Stretches For Lower Back Pain
#4. Sleep In A Proper Position
We have always slept in the weirdest of positions. While it may be unintentional, it is not good for the body at all. That is why you should always sleep consciously in a position that doesn’t stress your body.
It would be best if you always slept on your back or your side. If you sleep on your stomach, you will twist your head to different sides for hours, and in the end, you will wake up with a stiff neck. Give proper support to your neck while sleeping, and make sure it is aligned with your spine.
A proper alignment will help reduce the stress on your neck, and you will wake up refreshed instead of a stiff neck. Other than that, here are some more steps you can take to get a perfect sleep:
- Use a neck pillow
- Sleep on your side or back
- Wear a mouthguard so you don’t grind your teeth as this can stress the neck
- Use a firm mattress
- Try to relax and stay calm before you go to bed
All these ways will reduce pressure on your neck as it will have some support while you sleep. After all, many people report having neck pain after they slept in an improper position, so this is how you can remedy that.
#5. Reduce Stress
Stress is one of the biggest contributors to neck pain. When we experience stress, we tend to store all our tension in our shoulder and neck muscles. Prolonged or chronic stress can cause severe stiffness and pain in the neck.
That is why it is always important to take some time out for yourself to reduce the stress in your life. We tend to store our emotions in our bodies, and they can manifest as pain and stiffness in many areas. Here are some ways you can reduce stress in your life:
- Do something you enjoy for ten minutes daily
- Take a break from environments that cause you to stress, even if it is just for an hour
- Try meditation
- Listen to music
- Take an Epsom salt bath
- Spend some time in nature
These are just suggestions, but everyone has a different way of reducing stress in their life. So, do whatever calms you so you can experience less stress in your life. Once you reduce this stress, your neck will automatically feel better.
Related:How To Deal With Workplace Stress
#6. Exercise Consistently
Exercising has immense benefits for our health and body. Regular exercise will help you make your muscles stronger. Even your neck and shoulder muscles will become stronger, which will reduce your chances of having neck stiffness and pain.
Besides that, exercise improves posture. Sometimes poor posture can lead to pain in the neck and shoulders. That is why many people who sit all day experience this pain as their posture is never consistent.
Once you improve your posture through exercising, you will automatically prevent neck stiffness and shoulder pain. Lastly, exercise helps us release our emotions and stress. If stress is the reason for your shoulder pain and neck stiffness, then exercise can help with that.
#7. Use Ice Or Heat Applications
Ice or heat therapy can do wonders for your pain. Ice works incredibly well in reducing inflammation and pain. If your pain gets too much and you are experiencing inflammation, then an ice pack will work amazingly.
On the other hand, heat will work just as well. A heating pad or hot pack will relax the muscles and improve circulation in the targeted area. Your muscles will loosen up, and all the stiffness you were experiencing will go away.
What works for someone else may not work for you. So, you can alternate between these two to understand what works best for you. If heat works better for you, then you should stick to that and vice versa.
You should keep in mind that you should apply heat or ice for at least twenty minutes a few times a day to help relieve stiffness and pain. You should also not apply the ice or heat directly to your skin. Always keep a cloth in between, so your skin doesn’t get affected.
Finally, if the heating pad doesn’t work, you should try taking a hot shower or bath. It will help you relax, reduce your stress, and your neck stiffness and shoulder pain will be reduced in no time.
Final Words
All these are simple remedies and tips that you can utilize in the workplace and at home. All of them might not work for you, so you can test all and see what works the best for you. However, our recommendation is the massager.
It is the perfect tool to have for relieving neck stiffness and shoulder pain. You can utilize it with the other methods on our list for the best results. Consistent use will make your pain go away in no time.
