Neck pain is a physical problem that is becoming more and more common and will affect close to 80 percent of the population. Neck pain can be either acute or chronic and both are painful and can disrupt everyday life. Acute neck pain can come on quickly and last for just a few hours or you can be afflicted with chronic neck pain which is ongoing.

Neck pain occurs when you have strained or sprained the muscles in your neck, or if you have joints that are worn or in some cases disc problems. But in general, neck pain is caused by simple activities done every day. For example working at your computer keyboard for long stretches of time, an over ambitious workout, or sometimes just sleeping in a wrong position.

Doing these simple activities will irritate the muscles which causes them to work harder, leaving you with symptoms as mild as tightness in the neck to as severe as immobility. Whether your neck pain is acute or chronic, you can take simple steps to relieve the pain and start healing. Here are some simple self care remedies.

Get plenty of rest - take a few minutes out of your day to lie down and give your neck muscles a break from holding up your head. Just a few minutes a day will help.

Use heat and cold compresses - along with a few minutes of rest apply a cold compress to the pain site. This will reduce any inflammation in the muscles then follow cold with heat like a warm shower or a heating pad. Be sure when using a heating pad you set it on a low setting as heat will aggravate the inflammation. But always use cold first.

Gentle stretching - stretch your neck gently from side to side, but only as far as the pain will allow. The key to any stretching is going slowly and gently.
Non prescriptive pain medication - over the counter pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprophen will help. Pain creams will help and sometimes offer more immediate relief when applied directly to the pain site.

Most neck pain can be self-diagnosed and simple self-care remedies will solve the problem. However, you need immediate medical attention if you experience, for example, severe and sudden pain. Especially if the sudden or severe pain is from an accident such as whiplash or a blow to your head, call your doctor immediately. If you experience a shooting pain that radiates down your arms, this is an indication of nerve irritation and if ignored can cause more damage to the muscles and ligaments. Seek medical attention should you experience either of these types of pain.

If you suffer either acute or chronic pain, seek medical attention and take the time necessary to heal.