What Should You Do If You’ve Sprained Your Neck?
May 16, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Xu Ge
Introduction
Simple sprain: Neck strain caused by poor sleep or incorrect sleeping posture, resulting in a sensation of “pulled” or “twisted” muscles. For mild cases, heat application or massage may be appropriate, depending on the individual’s condition.
Traumatic sprain: Following neck strain caused by external force, all physical activity must be immediately discontinued. A cervical collar should be applied promptly to immobilize the neck, thereby effectively minimizing further local injury due to neck movement.
Simple strain: A “stiff neck” (torticollis) often results from poor sleep or an awkward sleeping position, causing a sensation of “strained tendons”—in reality, this is typically muscle spasm. For mild cases, symptomatic relief may be achieved through local heat application—such as using a hot water bottle, electric heating pad, warm towel, or infrared lamp—which helps alleviate pain. Caution must be exercised to prevent thermal injury (burns). Alternatively, gentle massage may be performed: interlace the fingers of both hands and place the palms behind the neck; then gently push the neck forward while simultaneously resisting with the hands by extending the neck backward. Concurrently, rotate the head slowly left and right 3–5 times, then relax briefly before repeating the sequence; performing this maneuver approximately five times may help relieve pain.
Strain caused by external force: Following neck injury due to external trauma, immediately cease all movement and immobilize the neck using a cervical collar. This helps prevent further local tissue damage and hemorrhage exacerbated by neck motion, reduces mechanical load on the cervical musculature, alleviates localized pain, and facilitates prompt medical evaluation and treatment.
