When is the last time that you experienced a crick in your neck? It can happen out of nowhere. You can wake up and have neck pain that you didn’t have the day prior. Yikes! If you’re wondering how to get rid of a crick in your neck, these actionable tips will help. Our neck is a very sensitive and vulnerable part of our bodies. Chronic neck pain plagues many people throughout the world! A crick can turn into a full-blown neck injury if not treated properly. Don’t let this happen to you. Here are several effective ways to treat and ultimately get rid of a crick in your neck.
What is a Neck Crick?
Allow it sounds like a river or creek, it’s not! A crick is a painful stiff feeling occurring in the neck. Cricks also can happen in your back. Typically, they start as a small tweak or strain. As your body reacts to the injury, it begins to stiffen up. Pain and decreased flexibility normally ensue from there.
People oftentimes search for creative ways to get rid of a neck crick because – depending on the severity – it can be physically debilitating. Everyday activities, such as sleeping, jogging, and running all become more difficult when dealing with cricks in your neck. It’s easy for people to justify it as not that bad. Many people suffering from minor neck pain do this. However, if you don’t treat your neck pain, it can sometimes turn into a full-blown injury that you’re now dealing with.
Best Ways to Get Rid of a Neck Crick
1. See a Chiropractor for Neck Crick
Chiropractors specialize in treating neck pain. A neck crick can seem minor when it first happens. Because of this, people don’t immediately rush to a neck specialist, like a chiropractor. Your neck (and health) are important! One of the fastest ways to get rid of a crick in your neck is by visiting your chiropractor. There are different types of chiropractic care that can help treat neck pain and injury. Twin Waves Wellness Center practices a holistic chiropractic technique called Network Spinal. This chiropractic practice doesn’t involve any cracking!
Instead, the chiropractors at our office provide gentle force adjustments to help unwind tension in your neck. The neck is made of up different muscles and bones. By helping the muscles relax, the tension that is stored here can be released. This can help get rid of painful neck cricks that are dragging you down. Optimize how your body feels by receiving chiropractic care. Your body deserves to feel healthy, strong, and good. Chiropractors can treat the crick in your neck and help you experience pain relief quickly.
2. Neck Massage
Have you ever felt so much neck pain that you needed a massage? This can be a great solution to dealing with neck aches. A massage can help break up muscle knots in your neck, providing you with the pain relief that you need. Sometimes, your neck may hurt more after a massage. However, this is only temporary. The muscles are breaking down from the massage and rebuilding back up in a healthy way.
Similar to chiropractic care, getting a massage is natural and non-invasive. There are no prescriptions or surgeries with this type of holistic care. If the crick in your neck is stemming from a muscle knot, massages can help break up the bound muscle fibers. Once they loosen up, they can heal properly. This will help you get rid of the crick in your neck. Massages can help with other neck injuries too. You can provide yourself with a self-massage to see if it helps with your pain. From there, if there isn’t much progress, you can try to see a massage therapist near you.
3. Stretches for Crick in Neck
Stretching is key to keeping your body loose. The muscles in your neck can become extremely stiff throughout the day depending on your job. This is especially true for people that work from home. It’s easy to not realize how often our bodies are stagnant when not going into an office for work. You’re likely working from a computer for a large portion of the day. The muscles in your neck are becoming strained without you even realizing it.
Take short breaks throughout your day and implement stretching into your routine. Even if only for a few minutes, a deep stretch can provide the pain relief you need for your neck. Stretching loosens up our muscles and joints, allowing our bodies to rest easily when stationary. There are several stretches that can help get rid of the crick in your neck. For example, pointing your chin downward and rotating your head side-to-side can stretch out your left/right neck muscles. This can help reduce neck pain and treat minor injuries in this area of your body.
4. Practice Good Posture
How many people think that their posture can improve? Typically, when chiropractors ask that of patients, they say yes. Practicing good posture is challenging! Countless people now work from home following the pandemic. This means that people are sitting for long periods of time not moving their bodies. Over time, our bodies become stiff and our posture declines.
What type of chair do you sit in while working from home? This could be contributed to your poor posture, which can ultimately lead to neck pain and injury. Neck cricks can stem from poor posture. Are you curious about how to improve your posture while at home? Consider purchasing a standing desk. This helps people switch up their physical positioning throughout the day. The more that you sit down, the hard it becomes to maintain good posture. You can get rid of the painful crick in your neck by maintaining good posture.
5. Avoid Overusing Technology
This goes beyond working from home. Technology has become a part of our everyday lives over the past decade. Children are carrying around smartphones at a young age. People constantly use their phones for daily activities, requiring their necks to point downward for long periods of time. Many people suffer from text neck from looking downward at their phones for huge chunks of the day. This is causing teenagers to see the chiropractor for various neck injuries since teens are usually on their phones the most.
By limiting your use of technology, you give yourself the best chance of having good posture and avoiding neck pain. Neck cricks can start from texting too much. If not treated, it can eventually turn into a severe neck injury. Avoid neck pain by taking breaks from technology when you can. If you’re required to use your phone/laptop for work, try changing your positioning when using them. A small adjustment of how you hold or use a piece of technology can positively affect your posture. This can help you get rid of your neck crick fast.
6. Invest in a Better Pillow
Do you ever wake up with a crick in your neck that wasn’t there the night before? This neck pain could be caused by a bad pillow. Flat pillows have a tendency to cause neck pain more than fluffy, plush ones. But, of course, it depends on your preference as well. Regardless of your preference, it’s helpful to have a high-quality pillow to help you sleep better and wake up refreshed. You’re less likely to wake up with a neck crick if your pillow is nice.
Investing in a better pillow is worth it. You only have one neck. And as humans, we spend 6-8 hours every day with our heads resting on it. If you’re going to use it each night to fall asleep, you might as well have a high-quality pillow. For people that continuously wake up with neck pain that gradually goes away during the day, consider switching your pillow. You can get rid of a crick in your neck when sleeping with better pillows.
7. Exercises for Neck Pain
Overall, movement is extremely important to maintaining your health. Without movement, our bodies become stiff and start to degrade. Keep your body healthy by adding an exercise regimen to your routine. Multiple parts of your body help to support your neck. These include:
- Spine
- Back
- Shoulders
- Torso
By keeping your upper body strong, you can maintain strength within your neck. The stronger your neck is, the less likely you are to encounter aches and pains. Build up the strength in your neck through light shoulder and upper back exercises. Your body needs this strength and support! Think about it… your neck is required to hold up your head, which can weigh up to 11lbs. Treat the crick in your neck by exercising this area of your body. This will help your neck support your heavy head. You’re less likely to experience a neck injury when your neck muscles are in full force.
Most Effective Treatments for a Crick in the Neck
Your neck is a vulnerable part of your body. It’s vital that you invest in your health when considering neck pain and injury. A crick in your neck – when going untreated – can eventually turn into a full injury. Chiropractors specialize in treating neck pain. Chiropractic care is a great place to start when dealing with pains and aches in your neck. Avoid chronic neck pain with these effective tips to help you get rid of a crick in your neck. Click here to learn more about how our wellness center in San Diego County can help you treat neck pain.