10 Best Home Remedies to Ease Neck and Shoulder Pain

Neck and shoulder pain are literally a pain in the neck! Most of us have experience dealing with them especially if we’re in stressful situations or do a lot of physical labor. There are people who prefer using over-the-counter pain medications to help ease the pain. However, studies show that prolonged use of OTC pain meds like ibuprofen and aspirin can cause analgesic nephropathy, a type of chronic kidney problem.

While exploring various home remedies for neck and shoulder pain, it’s essential to consider the role of natural topical treatments that can complement your routine. Among these, the benefits of turmeric infused massage oils are particularly noteworthy.
Turmeric, with its active compound curcumin, offers powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making it an excellent choice for relieving pain and reducing inflammation in affected areas. When applied as a massage oil, it not only helps to soothe the pain but also improves circulation and promotes healing in the muscles and joints.
Incorporating turmeric-infused massage oils into your self-care practice can be a game-changer for those seeking natural remedies to address the discomfort associated with neck and shoulder pain. This approach is especially beneficial for individuals looking for an effective, holistic method to complement their pain management strategies.
To avoid future health complications, we have compiled an additional list of time and tested home remedies to help ease neck and shoulder pain. Check these out.

Use Warm Compress

One of the easiest and best ways to get rid of neck pain and shoulder pain is to apply a warm compress to the area. The heat helps to speed up healing and relaxing your muscles. It works by speeding up blood flow to the area and delivery of oxygen and other necessary nutrients. The warmth also releases muscle tension helping to relax tightly wound muscles.

You can take a hot water bottle and press it on the neck or shoulder. Just make sure that it’s still water tight in order to prevent accidents. We recommend using a heating pad or a rechargeable hot water bottle that you can buy online. Best of all, no water spillage!

Indulge in Essential Oil Massage

In our opinion, indulging in essential oil massage is one of the most relaxing and easiest ways to get rid of neck and shoulder pain. You can ask your masseur to use an essential oil like coconut or lavender so that you can enjoy some aromatherapy too.

The gentle kneading motion of a massage releases tight muscles helping to relax your neck or shoulder. This gets rid of the pain naturally without resorting to taking OTC pain meds.

If a masseur is not available, you can use a TENS machine to relieve neck pain and shoulder pain naturally. This machine works by sending electrical signals through your skin to start your body’s natural pain medicine called endorphins. It reduces pain naturally so that you feel better after a few minutes of use.

Epsom Salt Baths

An Epsom salt bath is not only a perfect way to unwind, but it can also relax tense and painful muscles in the body, including your neck and shoulders. When dissolved in the bath, epsom salt breaks down and becomes magnesium sulfate. This mineral is absorbed in the skin and can relax tense muscles, reduce swelling and relieve pain.

Stay Hydrated

In our experience, staying hydrated can also relieve neck and shoulder pain naturally. Keeping hydrated keeps your muscles and cartilages soft and pliable.

The amount of water you need everyday varies from person to person, where you live and the amount of physical activity you engage in. However, as a general rule of thumb, six or eight 250ml glasses of water per day.

Gentle Neck Stretches

Physiotherapists often prescribe exercising, including stretching as a natural way to relieve pain. Stretching strengthens muscles which in turn relieves pain. It also minimizes spasms and stiffness, helping you to avoid pain in the future.

In our experience, it is best to stretch your neck or shoulders slowly. You should stop immediately if you feel any pain in the area. You can roll your neck or turn it from side to side or you can lift up your arms over your head to stretch slowly. You should consider asking a professional for personalized stretching exercises to avoid injury or if stretching is painful.

Perfect Posture

Our mothers have long been telling us to sit up properly and not to slouch when standing up. And they’re right because bad posture can lead to muscle pain. Bad posture contorts the muscles into uncomfortable positions. This causes tension and pain.

So, listen to mom and sit up properly. Tuck your stomach in and stick your chest out. When sitting, make sure that your feet are touching the ground and your back is straight. Avoid sitting for long periods and take walks periodically to stretch your  muscles.

The Power of Ice

Whenever your neck or shoulders are painful despite the warm compress, consider switching to a cold one. Ice can reduce swelling and numb the painful area. The ice works by constricting blood vessels and decreasing circulation area.

Just remember to ease off application when you start feeling prickly. Ice use should also be limited to 20 minutes at a time to avoid further injury.

Turmeric Tea Time

Speaking of inflammation, drinking turmeric tea can help reduce inflammation in the body. We recommend using a teaspoon of turmeric powder to hot water. Add in some honey to taste and sip to enjoy the benefits of turmeric tea.

Stay Active and Exercise

You might think that staying active and to keep exercising is counterintuitive, but gentle exercises can alleviate neck and shoulder pain.

In our experience, it’s best to stick to low-impact activities like stretching, swimming and yoga to keep your muscles limber and reduce stiffness.

Mindfulness and Relaxation

Lastly, never underestimate the power of relaxation and mindfulness. Practice deep breathing, meditation, or yoga nidra to reduce stress. These forms of exercise relaxes both the mind and muscles so that you can release tension and pain.

Always remember that the mind is a very powerful tool. The thoughts that we think are manifested in our bodies and if we meditate about relaxation and rest, it will manifest in our bodies.

Bottom Line

Our tips for addressing neck and shoulder pain are all natural and provide relief and promote wellbeing. Using one or a combination of these home remedies can help manage your pain and prevent discomfort.

Always remember that severe or persistent pain should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. These home remedies complement medical advice and can serve as preventive measures or supplementary support.

Hot this week

Voluntary Recall Notifying Medtronic Insulin Pump Users of Potential Risks of Shortened Pump Battery Life

Medtronic plc voluntarily issued a field action starting on July 31, 2024, notifying global customers of its MiniMed™ 600 series or 700 series insulin pumps to follow their pump's built-in alerts and alarms for battery status and to contact Medtronic if they observe changes in the battery life of their pump

Medtronic Expands AiBLE Spine Surgery Ecosystem with New Technologies and Siemens Healthineers Partnership

New advancements in the AiBLE Spine Surgery ecosystem build upon the company's commitment to procedural innovation and execution

Axlab, Danish Medtech Pioneer, expands to US with Advanced Robotic Tissue Sectioning for Pathology Laboratories

Kris Rokke, National Sales Director for Axlab in the US. "My team and I are extremely excited and honored about this unique opportunity to also offer this advanced technology to labs across the US and thus contribute to the pathology labs of tomorrow."

Spartan Medical Broadens Single-Use Sterile Instrument Portfolio to Improve Outcomes, Increase Efficiency, and Generate Cost Savings

Spartan Medical products portfolio of single-use, sterile med tech includes micro and minor surgical convenience kits, kerrison rongeurs, spinal and general surgical retractors, dural repair kits, synthetic biologics, and a wide range of orthopedic pre-sterilized implants and devices.

Recor Medical Supports European Society of Cardiology’s Hypertension Guidelines

Record Medical notes the new guidelines, "2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension," have been published online and recommend the consideration of renal denervation (RDN) as a safe and effective treatment option for patients who have uncontrolled resistant hypertension or those that have uncontrolled hypertension with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, who express a preference to undergo RDN.