You’re just trying to go about your day when that unmistakable pain in your neck starts to take hold. Suddenly, the time you were supposed to spend turning the pages of your favorite fall mystery book or braiding your granddaughter’s hair is spent grabbing your neck, trying to ease the pain. Sound familiar? If so, it may be time to make a surprisingly simple change. New research indicates that the towel currently hanging in your bathroom could help relieve neck pain in just five seconds. And the best? We’ve got more expert-approved neck pain tips that start to ease the pain. fast.
What causes neck pain?
“Pain originating from the neck can radiate to the head or shoulder,” says Myriah Pahl, PT, DPT, owner of Good Life Physical Therapy. “Neck pain often limits the ability to move the head through its full range of motion, such as a decreased ability to turn the head or tilt the ear toward the shoulder.”
And even if you feel like your neck pain is overwhelming you, it can be growing quietly behind the scenes. “Neck pain is usually caused by changes in posture over time,” says Ashley Katzenback PT, DPT, owner of Cape Concierge Physical Therapy. “Prolonged sitting in particular, which causes the head to migrate forward, changing the alignment of your head with your neck and shoulders.”
Neck pain can affect anyone, but menopausal and perimenopausal women may be particularly affected. “When estrogen disappears during perimenopause and menopause, you have less collagen in your ligaments and tendons, which can lead to increased joint stiffness,” adds Katzenback. “A more likely cause of neck pain during this age group is the increased anxiety that accompanies menopause.”
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The Five-Second Towel Trick to Relieve Neck Pain
Research reveals that there is a quick solution to neck pain that only takes seconds, and all you need is a towel. In a small study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthThe researchers divided 46 participants who had suffered from neck pain for at least 12 weeks into two groups. One group performed a neck strengthening exercise with a towel, other neck exercises, and self-massage. The other group did neck stretches without a towel or Thai self-massage. After four weeks, both groups experienced less neck pain and tenderness, but the stretching-only group saw their average pain scores drop by about 26 percent, while those who did towel exercises experienced an impressive 49 percent drop in pain.
The study-backed towel stretching technique: Lie on your back with a small, rolled-up towel under the back of your head. Nod your head gently as if to say “yes,” lightly pressing the back of your head into the towel; hold for five seconds before relaxing and repeating the exercise 10 times. Repeat this stretching session three times a week.
Why it works to soothe neck pain
While participants in the towel group performed a variety of neck-strengthening exercises, Pahl specifically hails towel-assisted chin tucks as a useful and common exercise for strengthening the deep neck flexor muscles. “Using a towel roll under the neck while lying on your back provides both proprioceptive feedback (awareness of movement) and gentle resistance to increase awareness of head and neck position and muscle work,” she says. “In cases of neck pain, activating muscles and strengthening weak stabilizing muscles helps improve posture over time and may help relieve pain sensation and range of motion in the short term.”
If you feel like you’ve tried everything under the sun, you’re probably looking at these results from the sidelines, wondering why something as simple as a towel could make such a difference.
“Using the towel gives patients tactile feedback and helps them know where their head is in space,” says Katzenback. “With posture changes over time, you often don’t realize how far forward your head has migrated. The towel helps fill the gap in space and gives the patient something tangible to lean on.”
Pahl sees towels as a tool for easier access to physical therapy exercises. “When I prescribe exercises, I always try to limit obstacles that might prevent patients from being able to do their homework. So it’s useful to use the equipment we all have at home,” she notes.
2 additional movements to quickly relieve neck pain
Before beginning any exercise, consult your doctor or physical therapist, especially if you have had recent injuries. “People who have suffered a whiplash or concussion, a recent car accident or fall, as well as those with osteopenia or osteoporosis should not undertake a neck exercise program without the permission and guidance of a physical therapist or doctor,” says Pahl.
But if you’ve gotten the green light from your doctor and want to incorporate exciting new research into your life, Pahl has two pad hacks that take just seconds to try.
Chin to Chest Stretch
How to do it: “Lie on your back and place a small rolled-up towel under your chin,” says Pahl. “Keep your back and shoulders on the floor, raise your head looking toward your feet, and press the towel between your chin and upper chest.”
Pahl says to hold each movement for five seconds before releasing your head, then repeat the movement 10 times.
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Neck rotations
How to do it: “Take a small towel and wrap it around the back of your neck, near your hairline, like a scarf,” says Pahl. “Cross your empty hands (right at the top) and grasp the left end of the towel in the right (top) hand and the right end of the towel in the left hand. Gently pull towards your chest with the lower (left) hand. With the upper (right) hand, create slight tension on the towel. Now turn your head in the towel to look to the left. Your neck should be working to turn, but your head is not actually moving. This creates isometric activation of the muscle, which means that the muscle works but not in movement.
Pahl recommends holding the position for 10 seconds, then switching sides so your head turns to the right and repeating five times.
The essentials for quickly relieving neck pain
Sometimes when we struggle with pain, we may feel like we need a complex, multi-step process to find relief. But research and our experts say taking steps to reduce pain can start with something as simple as a bath towel and a few seconds.
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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your doctor before pursuing any treatment plan.
Gn Health
