Trapped Nerve - What Can Cause a Stiff Neck and How to Cure It

If you are like most people you have probably suffered from a stiff neck at some time in your life. This pain is often caused by a nerve that has been pinched or trapped in some way. In most cases there is also a fair amount of pain accompanying the stiffness. There are several possible causes of pinched nerves, many of which can be relieved with the proper type of treatment, some of which may require a trip to see your doctor or chiropractor.

What Can Cause a Nerve to Become Trapped?

A nerve can become pinched or trapped due to pressure that is applied by overstretched muscles. At times the nerve can become compressed or irritated which can cause it to swell and be trapped in a position that it would normally not be in. If the muscles surrounding the nerve are damaged or become inflamed they may pinch the nerves between the damaged muscle and the bones and tendons in the area.

You can create this situation by overexerting yourself at work or playing your favorite sport. In some cases the nerve can become trapped in an uncomfortable position simple because you have slept in an unusual position. This is a very common cause of a pinched nerve in a person's neck, they wake up in the morning and are unable to lift their head into a straight position or have great difficulty turning their heads to look around

Cures for a Stiff Neck

If you think that you have a nerve that has become trapped or pinched in your neck there are several different things that you can try to reduce the inflammation and swelling that are causing the pain. Depending on the level of pain you may have to seek medical care and take a prescription muscle relaxer and anti inflammatory at the far end of the scale. For most people a simple heating pad alternated with an ice pack will both sooth and relax the muscles allowing the nerve that has been trapped to be released.

You may also be referred to some form of physical therapy for your neck to help work the kinks out of the muscles and provide you with the relief you need. Chiropractics have also been proven to release pressure on the nerve that may be the result of subluxation of the spine in the neck. In many cases a combination of these therapies can help to alleviate the pain and as long as you take the appropriate corrective actions you should not have a recurrence of the problem.