Neck pain is a painful stiffness syndrome , aggravated by wet cold, exertion, and bad posture. The pain can radiate to the occipital area (occipital headache), to the arms (cervicobrachialgia) or to the cervico-vertebral region.

Generally there is dull or sharp pain in the neck, shoulders and also in the arms ; dense or continuous headaches may also be present , with primary irradiation to the occipital area. In addition to the general symptoms, in the most severe symptoms, fever or dizziness and nausea .

Everyone, more or less, has suffered from this disorder at least once, in its mildest manifestations.

Often it is not accompanied by warning symptoms, but manifests itself suddenly without giving signs: you wake up one morning with a pain that does not allow you to move your neck, which stiffens your shoulders, or you find yourself blocked after a movement that would normally be done without problems

Natural anti-inflammatory remedies for the neck

Once the symptom has developed, neck pain needs rest and care for the affected area.

First of all it is necessary to release the muscles from the accumulated tensions , and subsequently to recover, in a gradual and delicate way, the looseness of the neck and shoulder joints.

It is not possible to intervene on the area in the moments of greatest painful manifestation. Let ‘s see the natural anti-inflammatory remedies that can be put in place on their own to treat the cervical .

Micro-massage with anti-inflammatory oils on the cervical and upper back region

It starts from the base of the nape for the entire width to the right and left and runs along the bony symphysis of the vertebra to the base of the neck, from here you can proceed to the starting line of the shoulder blades, or pass to the top of the shoulders, entirely and externally the top of the clavicle.

You can use a warming neutral massage oil , or a highly anti-inflammatory arnica oil .

Natural treatments for the cervical

Blend of anti-inflammatory essential oils

You can use a particular blend of essential oils to spread delicately on the area, consisting of:

> 5 drops of basil essential oil

> 10 drops  of rosemary essential oil

> 2 drops of lavender essential oil

> to be diluted in 30 ml of vegetable oil .

A small amount of oil is applied to the back of the neck and shoulders, where the pain is greatest, and massaged gently until absorbed .

You can spread a band of linen or cotton and slightly heated on the area and keep for a few minutes, until it remains warm, thus allowing the oils to absorb slowly.

You can use a hazelnut pillow to keep on the back of the neck: it is heated in the oven and rests on the cervical area. It keeps as long as it stays warm. Hazel seeds have the ability to release heat and absorb moisture and cold.

Preventing neck pain

An excellent remedy for pain due to neck pain is prevention . It helps a lot to perform regular neck rotation exercises , slowly and at the rhythm of your breath, and to relax the shoulder muscles as much as possible .

These are exercises that can be performed at any time of the day, even at work: listening to the reactions of the body, you will be amazed at how often you have a tendency to stiffen your neck and shoulders, even when it is not necessary.

Finally , sleeping without a pillow, on your back , allows you to relieve painful symptoms during the night, even in the moments of greatest manifestation of neck pain.

Causes of neck pain

The direct causes of the cervical can be many: from a temporarily incorrect posture, to arthrosis (a disease that affects the joints), up to behaviors and lifestyles that, over time, damage the muscles and bone structures of the neck and shoulders.

With the exception of cases of invasion by cold energies (blows of air, cold wind, etc.), neck pain is the result of behaviors that have persisted over the years. 

A posture that blocks the neck and shoulders in rigid positions, prolonged tension situations that keep the muscles in tension, lack of adequate physical exercise for the body segment concerned (neck and shoulders), excessive load in sports practices, up to a sile of wrong life with diet that develops acidity and crystals , smoke and alcohol, are the main and simplest causes.

Neck pain in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Neck pain is part of those syndromes that in traditional Chinese medicine are called Bi, which literally means obstruction , understood as stagnation of energy at the local level . The consequence is heaviness, pain and numbness at the local level.

It is due to the penetration of the three energies cold, wind and humidity at the same time, with a different dominance of one of the three depending on the specific symptoms.