These 7 Products Will Help Relieve Your Achy Neck Pain

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You’ve likely felt that aching tightness in your neck after a rough night’s sleep or maybe a throbbing pain in your upper shoulders after a long day slouched over a computer. Neck pain can be, well, a pain in the neck, and unfortunately is very common for pretty much anyone who works at a desk or uses their phone constantly (so, almost everyone). 

One out of every five people will suffer from neck pain sometime during their life that’s so severe it will prevent them from work, sleep, sports, or other daily activities, says Kevin Pauza, MD, Chief Medical Advisor and Director of Discseel Technologies. 

Before we get into how to remedy neck pain, it’s important to first understand the structure of what’s underneath your delicate neck skin and causing you pain. Basically, the neck has five cushion-like discs that separate the neck’s bones. The discs are made of outer layers of rings that hold a soft inner gel-like substance in place that works like a “shock absorber,” Pauza explains.

“Neck pain occurs when layers of the outer rings tear, causing gel to leak outwards,” says Pauza. “This leaked gel causes inflammation, because the soft gel is perceived by the human body as if it was a foreign substance when it leaks outside the disc center where it belongs.” That response can cause inflammation of the cervical spinal nerve and cause neck muscle spasms. If gel leaks onto adjacent spinal nerves that travel into the shoulders, arms, or hands, it can cause pain, numbness, or that ‘pins and needles sensation’ to wherever those cervical nerves travel, according to Pauza. 

Other possible triggers of neck pain can include shallow breathing, poor posture, narrowing of the spinal canal, muscle inflammation, strain, or trauma. And neck pain doesn’t discriminate. It affects men and women equally, but is more common in advanced age, in individuals who sit for long periods of time throughout the day, and in those with a history or lower back pain.

But the good news is that neck pain can sometimes be prevented by maintaining good mobility and flexibility of the neck, says Joel Tenbrink, PT, PhD, Assistant Program Director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Rocky Mountain University.

“Avoid prolonged positions such as cell phone posture or lying flat with your head elevated can prevent neck pain, as these positions put undue stress on the muscles and joints,” Tenbrink says. 

In instances of simple neck pain or discomfort, practicing neck stretching techniques and correcting poor posture can be enough to alleviate pain. If you have more alarming symptoms, like numbness or tingling in your neck, arms, or fingers, you should consult with your doctor to see if there may be a more serious underlying issue. But if you’re in the market for something that you can use at home to help those aches and pains in your neck, we asked the experts and rounded up their top picks for neck pain relief products.