In medicine, stiff neck is also called "loss of pillow", which is mostly due to aseptic inflammation of neck and shoulder caused by improper pillow at night. It is characterized by limited neck movement and pain, and most of them are afraid of cold.
So under what circumstances is it easy to cause stiff neck?
Generally speaking, there are mainly the following reasons, that is, the pillow is not suitable, the neck and shoulders are cold, the sleeping position is not suitable, the cervical vertebra itself has problems and so on. , described below.
1. The pillow is not suitable.
It mainly includes that the pillow is too high or too low, the pillow is too hard or the pillow is improperly placed, which will cause excessive bending or stretching of the neck muscles, leading to muscle tension, stiffness and spasm, and later it will develop into a stiff neck.
Catch a cold at night
In summer, everyone is used to showing off their shoulders. With the help of air conditioners and electric fans, it is easy to catch cold in the neck, local blood circulation is blocked, and muscles are stiff, leading to stiff neck.
3. The muscle itself.
For modern young people, most are office workers. They face the computer or watch electronic products in a fixed posture for a long time, which makes their muscles stiff and prone to stiff neck.
4. The cervical vertebra itself.
Another part is that there are problems with the curvature or other structures of the cervical spine itself, which makes us have to take a passive posture during sleep, resulting in frequent stiff neck. Sometimes, when we ride a roller coaster or a car that is driving at a high speed, their sudden stop will also make our cervical spine swing back and forth quickly, causing cervical spine injury and stiff neck.
As we all know, if the pillow is not suitable, you will catch cold at night, your muscles will be tense for a long time, and the curvature and functional position of the cervical vertebra will change, which will easily lead to stiff neck and must be avoided in your life.
What should we do if stiff neck really happens?
1. Physical hot compress
Hot water bag, hot towel or warm baby can be used to apply hot compress to the affected area to improve blood circulation in the neck, relieve muscle tension and relieve pain. But be careful not to use too heavy things when hot compress, and don't overheat at the same time, just below 42℃ to avoid burns.
Do neck exercises
You can sit in a chair and slowly stretch and contract your neck, generally two or three times a day, with 20-30 groups each time, which can effectively relieve muscle stiffness and stiff neck.
Step 3: physical therapy
Acupuncture, infrared lamp and other physical therapy methods, as well as massage or corresponding drug treatment can be used. No matter what kind of treatment you take, you should pay attention to the doctor's advice so as not to aggravate the pain.
4. Keep the correct sleeping posture
When sleeping, you should choose a pillow with suitable height and hardness, and at the same time, be careful not to let your neck hang. Most pillows work well when the height is 10- 13 cm. At the same time, do a good job of keeping warm during sleep, such as covering the abdomen and neck. Avoid direct air conditioning and try to sleep in a better state.