Neck pain is a common physical problem that will affect most people sometime in their life. Neck pain can last for a few hours which is referred to as acute neck pain or can last several weeks and is considered chronic. Either way it can be annoying, painful and can interfere with everyday activities.

What causes neck pain? Neck pain results from muscle strains, worn joints or in some cases disk disorders. But normally, garden variety neck pain occurs with everyday activities such as looking down at your computer keyboard for long periods of time, an injury due to strenuous activity or just sleeping in the wrong position can cause neck pain. Activities such as these simply irritate the neck muscles and cause the muscles to tire and get cranky. Symptoms can vary from mild tightness in the neck, to stiffness, to the point of immobility.

Here are simple home and self care remedies to help take care of your neck and alleviate the neck pain.

Rest:
Take a few minutes each day to lie down to give your neck a rest from holding up your head. Just a few minutes a couple of times a day will help ease the pain.

Heat and cold compresses:
In addition to rest, use a cold compress as this will reduce any inflammation in the muscles. Do this for about twenty minutes a few times a day. Then alternate with heat with a warm shower or a heating pad. If you use a heating pad be sure to keep it on a low setting as sometimes heat will aggravate the inflammation. But always use cold first.

Stretching:
Try stretching your neck but do it gently. Stretch to the sides and front but only as far as your pain allows. Gently is the key.

Over the counter pain relievers:
Over the counter pan relievers will help, such as aspirin or ibuprophen which are of course available at most super markets and pharmacies. Pain creams can help as well and sometimes give more immediate relief.
Most neck pain is easily self diagnosed and simple home care remedies will help.

However you should get immediate medical attention if you experience: Severe pain: If you have severe pain resulting from whiplash or a blow to the head call your doctor.

Shooting pain: Shooting pain that goes down your arm(s), numbness in your hands or pain radiating through your shoulders. This indicates nerve irritation and needs medical attention.

Loss of strength: Weakness in your extremities or stiffness in your legs may indicate a more serious problem. Seek immediate medical attention. Most neck pain can be alleviated with the simple home care remedies mentioned above. However with a fall or a car accident, for example, more serious damage may happen and should be taken seriously.