Maintaining the same posture for many hours, sleeping poorly, lifting a lot of weight or making a sudden movement can be the causes of neck pain also known as torticollis. If you don’t want to use chemical painkillers for this muscle contracture, read the following article, where you will find the best home remedies to treat torticollis. Symptoms will go away within hours.
Causes and characteristics
It is a contraction of the neck muscles that do not allow the head to move correctly. You feel a kind of “pull” and pain when you want to perform certain movements. Torticollis is caused by inflammation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. We may wake up in the morning without being able to move our neck, or this ailment may appear at sunset.
While anyone can be affected by torticollis, it tends to affect those between the ages of 30 and 60 the most, i.e. during the active age of adults.
The causes of torticollis are diverse. In most cases it is due to a bad position of the head when sleeping, a strong or forced movement in the neck, a violent trauma such as in a car accident, maintaining a posture for a long time (working in front of the computer, for example) or a current of air from the same direction for a long time.
The symptoms of torticollis are easy to recognize: stiffness in the back of the neck, severe pain in the neck when wanting to make a specific movement and head in an unusual position.
Councils
When neck pain appears, it is because we have met some of the causes indicated above. In order to avoid this, or to ensure that the treatment has a faster effect, pay attention to these tips:
- Sit well in your seat
The back must be straight, supported completely on the back of the chair, the feet resting entirely on the floor. You can help yourself with cushions to be straighter. Get high-back seats as much as possible, which will also support your neck while you work, especially if you spend many hours in the same position.
- Use the car seat correctly
It must be firm, not allow you to sink too much, as well as have correct lumbar support that can be adjusted according to your height. If your car isn’t new, consider changing the seats, even if it’s the driver’s. The headrest is very important, because it protects the neck against possible crashes.
- Attention to the bed and pillow
The mattress has to be firm, with springs or springs as much as possible and that it does not sink. Some people choose to place a rigid board under the mattress. The best sleeping position is on the side, with your legs bent and your knees at chest height, in a fetal position as they say. The pillow should be neither too high nor too low. For neck pain, the worst position is face down. Get 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night to let your muscles relax.
- Don’t stay in the same position for many hours
If you work in an office and have to stay at your desk all day, take small breaks and stretch your muscles. Get up from time to time so that all your muscles rest and move. If, on the other hand, your job requires you to stand or walk, you can also sit down to rest every two hours.
- Perform cervical exercises
You can do them while sitting in the office, returning home on the subway or at the red light while driving, when you’re making dinner, standing in line at the market or bank, while watching TV or drinking a cup of coffee with friends.
Move your head in more or less large circles, then say “yes” and “no” with your head, bring your ears to your shoulders, raise your shoulders to ear height, etc.Movements should be slow. In this way, you will be strengthening the cervical muscles and it will be more difficult to suffer from torticollis. They are very easy to make and, above all, effective.
- Home remedies for torticollis
The first of the treatments used for torticollis is heat. Apply a heating pad or blanket to the painful spot for about 20 minutes. Another option is to take a bath with very hot water (as much as you can bear). Thus, the muscles will relax and the pains will be reduced.
Take a cabbage leaf and crush it with a rolling pin. Heat it on the griddle and place it on the painful area for as long as possible.
Pour a few drops of camphor essential oil into a small bowl and mix with a crushed garlic clove. With this paste, massage the painful area. If your torticollis is due to a contusion, you can rub it with arnica tincture.
Oregano is an amazing remedy for neck pain. Drink between two and four cups of tea made with oregano (one tablespoon per 1/4 liter of water). The muscles will relax. You can also make a poultice with oregano leaves and a little hot water so that the liquid penetrates the affected area.
Make a mixture of five drops of chamomile essential oil and five drops of eucalyptus oil in 20 ml of vegetable oil (olive, sunflower or corn). Massage this mixture several times a day to raise the temperature of your neck and soothe the pain.
Source: Better with Health
