Five easy steps to ease your stiff neck

Have you ever woke up having stiff neck? Have you experienced the pain when turning your head on another side? Well, here are some good tips you can do to ease that stiffness. Please remember that these steps cannot be used for neck conditions that need medical attention. If you got a stiff neck because you slept in the wrong position like having too high pillow, then it's safe to do the following:

1. Get a warm towel or if you have a hot pack (gel based) at home, that would be better, and leave it on the stiffed part of your neck. This will help relax your neck muscles. If you're using a warm towel, it would be best if you have a bucket filled with warm water and about 2-3 pieces of towels so you can change it whenever the warmth fades on it. You can keep doing this until you feel a bit of ease from the pain. Just a reminder, don't overdo it as you might get skin burn especially if you're using a hot pack. And before applying the warm towel or hot pack on the affected part, make sure that you have a dry towel on it to prevent skin burn as well.
2. Now, we're going to do some exercise. On the affected side, let's say, you can't move your head going to your left. Push your head going to the right but you have to use your hand to prevent it from doing that by pushing it back. Keep this position for about 10 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds. You can ask someone to hold your head or you can use your own hand to do this.
3. After that, move your head going to your left until you feel the pain. Once you felt the pain, go back to step 2. Just don't push it too hard as you might feel a lot of pain. Be patient and keep it easy.
4. Now check if there's a progress then apply the hot pack or warm towel on the affected part once more to have it relaxed.
5. Try to move your head from different directions - side to side, left to right, look down and look up, and rotation (circular motion). Moving your shoulders as well will help your neck muscles to relax.

It's still best to consult a doctor or to have your neck checked by a physiatrist or a physical therapist so you can be given professional attention.