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Posted on: 1 January 2016

If you experience sudden neck pain, it could be a crick. A crick in the neck usually occurs form sleeping in the wrong position, but is also caused by muscle spasms, issues with facet joints (the joints that control the spine), or nerve irritation. The pain may run into the shoulder blades and back, which prevents you from turning your head. Here are some home treatments for getting cricks out of your neck.

Massage

Try a manual massage to relieve soreness and get blood circulating to the ischemic tissue. Gently massage a trigger point around the crick with the thumb pad or fingertips in little circles for about three minutes. Trigger points are located on the upper trapezius, or 'coat hanger' muscle, along the shoulder blades and the base of the neck.

Ask someone to massage for you, if you can't reach this area because of the pain, and tell them to be gentle. After the muscles loosen, apply more pressure. If massage causes more pain, stop immediately. 

Relax

Relax the neck muscles to reduce the strain. Do not lie on your stomach because lying face down will twist the muscle. Fold a towel, and lay it under the neck to support the natural curve of the spine. Avoid relaxing the muscles too much, or the muscles will get weak, and you increase the risk of hurting your neck again. Two rest periods of 30-minutes each are sufficient.

Stretch

Stretching the muscles, especially after a massage, helps avoid tension. Stand straight with the arms relaxed at your sides, and drop the head forward, then back, but not too far back, or you will aggravate the pain. If you are able to turn your head, rotate the neck to the side, and hold for around thirty seconds, then reverse the direction. Repeat the exercises ten times each, and stop if you feel pain.

Pay Attention to Posture and How You Sleep

Correct posture helps to avoid arthritis and muscle fatigue. Your neck should stay straight, but don't make it stiff. As mentioned previously, do not lie on your stomach while sleeping. Rest on your back or side, and do not stack pillows high. If you have a job that requires sitting for long periods of time, stand up, and stretch the neck when possible, and use a support pillow on your neck while sitting.

These home treatments should provide you some relief from cricks in the neck. Cricks in the neck usually aren't serious, and they seldom require medical treatment. However, if the home treatment fails, you experience tingling in the arms, the pain keeps you from sleeping, or you experience other questionable symptoms, see http://swfna.com or your doctor.