How to Get Rid of Neck Pain Yourself (and Cheaply!)

Jul 29, 2023

Sometimes neck pain is treatable at home without a provider

Neck pain is a common health complaint. Many factors can cause neck pain, including something as simple as sleeping the wrong way or, for another example, having consistently poor posture when working or using electronics. To address neck pain, you can explore options such as icing or heating, neck stretches, and resting.

This article dives into ways to alleviate neck pain at home through self-treatment methods and alternative therapies.

martin-dm / Getty Images

Coping with neck pain can be challenging. However, there are many things you can do in the comfort of your own home to address and relieve neck pain.

Self-massage can work for neck pain because you control how much pressure you apply and to which particular area of focus. To perform a self-massage for neck pain:

If you want to take your self-massage a step further, invest in a massage tool. Research shows that massage tools can increase the level of relief a person experiences after a neck self-massage regarding chronic neck pain.

When you have neck pain that only affects one side of the neck, sleeping on the opposite side can relieve the pressure that may be causing the pain.

Neck pain is often associated with poor posture from working at a desk for prolonged periods. It’s easy to hunch over while working and not think about your posture. It can worsen your neck pain if you continue to do so, leading to more severe neck and spinal alignment issues in the future.

To mitigate that, you could consider getting a standing desk. A standing desk provides you with the space you need to work, and standing while doing so allows you to pay more attention to your posture and avoid hunching.

Research has shown that working at a standing desk can significantly improve the health parameters associated with sitting too long, including neck pain.

Home traction exercises, or cervical traction exercises, are another way to address neck pain at home. These movements work by pulling the head away from the body to decompress or stretch the spine. They also:

To perform neck traction exercises:

Research has found that these types of neck traction exercises can provide relief from chronic neck pain in as little as three weeks.

If you want to take neck traction a step further, you can purchase an at-home neck traction device. That said, you will want to talk to a physical therapist or your healthcare provider beforehand so they can teach you how to use it properly and give you the go-ahead to use it.

Yoga is a great exercise option for people with neck pain, especially if the pain is chronic. Research has found that doing yoga regularly with an emphasis on neck pain and positioning can reduce the pain and disability neck pain can cause.

The exercise also helps to stabilize neck muscles and improve posture so that over time, neck pain will continue to improve.

A cervical pillow is designed to keep your neck in the best position while you sleep at night. It can aid in improving and preventing neck pain.

The cervical pillow is placed in a pillowcase and provides adequate neck support throughout the night by aligning it with the rest of your spine.

You can purchase a cervical pillow or make one at home. To make one:

A cervical pillow can be a great way to improve neck pain when used regularly alongside other pain relief techniques.

Ice and heat can both relieve neck tension and pain. Hot therapy helps to relax the muscles and increase blood flow to the area to reduce pain, whereas ice helps to dull pain and reduce swelling. When using hot and cold therapy, alternate between the two for 20 minutes a few times per day.

Acute and chronic neck pain feel the same way, but chronic pain does not go away as easily. When dealing with chronic neck pain, you can explore medical options for treatment with a healthcare provider, depending on the cause. You can also discuss the aforementioned options to ensure that you engage in them properly and can perform them independently.

Other possible therapies for chronic neck pain include:

You should avoid doing certain things so your neck pain doesn’t worsen. They include:

Stress can cause chronic neck pain because it drives tension in the neck muscles. To avoid stress-related neck pain, you can adopt specific stress management techniques, such as:

If at-home techniques don't work for you, you can explore some of the options that various healthcare providers offer. Some of these neck pain relief methods include:

Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen) can help relieve pain and inflammation. Tylenol (acetaminophen) can help relieve pain. Prescription muscle relaxants reduce tension in the neck muscles to relieve pain.

Coping with neck pain can be difficult. The good news is that there are various ways you can relieve your neck pain at home, allowing you to experience reduced pain and a better quality of life. At-home treatments include self-massage, sleeping on the opposite side, using a cervical pillow, home traction, and alternating heat and cold.

The best at-home techniques are the ones that work for you, so you may have to try more than one before you find total relief. If the above methods for treating neck pain at home do not work, you can contact a healthcare provider. They can help you find the right specialist and an alternative therapy that will work for you.

Pérez-Martínez C, Gogorza-Arroitaonandia K, Heredia-Rizo AM, Salas-González J, Oliva-Pascual-Vaca Á. INYBI: a new tool for self-myofascial release of the suboccipital muscles in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2020;45(21):E1367-E1375. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000003605

Ma J, Ma D, Li Z, Kim H. Effects of a workplace sit-stand desk intervention on health and productivity. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11604. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111604

Garg P. Home care neck traction for a patient with neck pain and cervical radiculopathy symptoms: a case report. J Chiropr Med. 2019;18(2):127-130. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2018.11.006

Cramer H, Lauche R, Hohmann C, et al. Randomized-controlled trial comparing yoga and home-based exercise for chronic neck pain. Clin J Pain. 2013;29(3):216-23. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e318251026c

Di Cagno A, Minganti C, Quaranta F, et al. Effectiveness of a new cervical pillow on pain and sleep quality in recreational athletes with chronic mechanical neck pain: a preliminary comparative study. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2017;57(9):1154-1161. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06587-7

Aurora Health Care. How can I relieve pain in my neck?

American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Neck pain.

Kazeminasab S, Nejadghaderi SA, Amiri P, et al. Neck pain: global epidemiology, trends, and risk factors. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022;23(1):26. doi:10.1186/s12891-021-04957-4

Harvard Health Publishing. Neck pain: symptoms, causes, and how to relieve it.

Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al. How to relax in stressful situations: a smart stress reduction system. Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100

Cohen SP, Hooten WM. Advances in the diagnosis and management of neck pain. BMJ. 2017;358:j3221. doi:10.1136/bmj.j3221

By Angelica BottaroAngelica Bottaro is a professional freelance writer with over 5 years of experience. She has been educated in both psychology and journalism, and her dual education has given her the research and writing skills needed to deliver sound and engaging content in the health space.