The more we spend craning our necks in front of our computer screens or phones, the greater our chances of experiencing neck pain. Neck pain can be annoying and may stop us from doing things we enjoy. It’s no wonder that a lot of us end up looking for quick relief from this pain.
You might not know it, but a little life hack for neck pain lies along the walls of your home. It’s an unremarkable object, something that usually doesn’t grab our attention. But it may hold the secret to relieving neck pain deep within its fibers. We’re talking about the humble towel.
Let’s find out how this humble household item can help relieve your neck pain.
How Do Towels Help Neck Pain?
There are many ways a simple towel can help with neck pain. First, it can be used to apply heat or cold to the site of the pain. You can also use a towel to help support your neck during sleeping. This helps your neck maintain its natural curve and be in alignment with the rest of your spine. Lastly, it can also be used as a tool for certain neck exercises and neck manipulations.
Should I Sleep With A Towel Under My Neck?
We put so much emphasis on having proper posture when sitting, standing, and walking. But proper posture is also important when you sleep. In fact, sleeping posture plays a huge role in neck and back pain.
If your pillow is too soft and does not provide proper support for your neck, you might be adding stress to your neck’s joints, discs, and other tissues. And this is how neck pain usually starts. So how can you prevent it? Well, this is where your little towel comes in.
The curve of a rolled towel allows your neck to stretch, allowing it to stay in its natural curve. This acts like a myofascial release, relaxing the tight or tense tissues of the neck and allowing your neck to move normally. Sleeping with a rolled towel under your neck also provides better support and aligns your neck with the rest of your spine.
How Do You Make A Neck Pillow Out of a Towel?
To make a neck pillow out of a towel, you only need small to medium-sized towels. You can use a kitchen towel or a face towel. Just avoid using large towels, as they may cause your neck to overextend and worsen pain. Who knew towels could be this powerful!
- Fold the towel in half, lengthwise, then half again.
- Then simply roll the towel until you get a firm towel roll.
- The firmer the towel roll, the better.
- You can then place the rolled towel in your pillowcase on top of the pillow.
- The way you position your towel roll depends on how you sleep:
- If you are a back sleeper, place the towel right below your neck when you lay your head on your pillow.
- If you are a side sleeper, position the towel in a way that fills the space between your neck and your pillow.
How Do You Use A Towel For Neck Pain?
Let’s start with the simplest way you can use a towel for neck pain: ice and heat therapy. That’s right; simply throwing a damp towel into the microwave for a few seconds can already help. By applying a warm towel to the site of your pain, you help ease up the tense muscles that may be causing your pain. Heating pads also work just as well (if not better). Just make sure not to overdo it, or you might end up with burns.
You can also use frozen, damp towels to help relieve neck pain. This is especially useful if your neck pain is caused by inflammation.
Aside from ice and heat therapy, you can also use towels for neck exercises and certain procedures.
How Do You Do A Towel Exercise?
There are a number of simple exercises you can do with a towel to help relieve neck pain. These exercises can help strengthen your neck muscles and may also ease muscle tension.
The towel serves a dual purpose in these exercises. First, it provides support to your neck. Second, it allows you to exert gentle pressure on the muscles and tissues of your neck. This can strengthen your muscles and also stretch them if they’re tight.
Cervical Neck Roll
This is an exercise you can do using the towel roll. If the joints of your neck are stuck or tight, this exercise can help free them up. When these joints are able to move more freely, you may find improvement with your neck pain.
Here’s how you do it:
- Find a flat and soft surface to lie down on. This can be your bed or a yoga mat.
- Lie on your back with your face facing up.
- Place a pillow under your knees. This can help you relax and can also help soften the spine, allowing proper alignment. You may also put a very flat or thin pillow under your head.
- Place the towel roll under your neck. Your neck should be comfortable and feel supported; you should also feel a gentle stretch. This step requires a little experimentation. You may try changing the size of the towel roll.
- Once you feel that your neck is properly supported and stretched out, all you need to do is stay in that position for at least 10 minutes. This is our kind of exercise.
- Once you feel comfortable, you can start increasing the duration.
Similar to sleeping with a towel under your neck, this exercise also promotes the neck’s natural curve.
Neck Retractions
One exercise you can do with a towel is neck retractions. This exercise has been shown to help athletes with non-specific neck pain. This exercise can strengthen your neck muscles, enhance support, and may relieve neck pain.
- Sit on a chair, making sure to observe proper posture.
- Holding both ends of a towel, wrap the towel around the back of your head.
- While keeping your chin down, pull your head backward and, at the same time, apply gentle resistance with the towel by pulling your arms forward.
Here’s a great video demonstrating how to perform this exercise.
How Do I Align My Neck With A Towel?
Just a gentle reminder that if you are experiencing severe neck pain from a disease or injury, it is best to postpone doing these exercises. Consider seeking medical advice from a doctor or physical therapist first. Furthermore, these are best done under the guidance of a physical therapist. It is always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to our bodies.
Cervical mobilization
This is also known as cervical SNAGs and is commonly used to treat mechanical neck pain. Unlike the popular chiropractor videos you see all over the internet, this procedure doesn’t produce that loud crack. However, this procedure still helps reduce neck pain and improve neck movement.
- Hold the ends of a small towel and wrap it around your head and neck.
- Place one end of the towel on your cheekbone opposite to the painful or stiff side of the neck.
- Apply minimal pressure on your cheekbone using the towel to produce a gentle rotation or stretch of your neck.
- Make sure to keep the free end of the towel steady using your other hand.
- Hold the position for 4 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Another variation of this exercise is by placing the towel at the base of your skull:
- Wrap the ends of a small towel at the base of your skull and hold both ends forward.
- Rotate your head towards the side, making sure that your hands and the towel follow your head movement.
- Hold for 4 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat.
- Wrap the small towel around your neck, holding the ends downward.
- Extend your neck back over the towel and look up at the ceiling.
- Hold for 4 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Similar to the cervical rotation, you can also place the towel at the base of your skull:
- Wrap the towel at the base of your skull, and hold the ends forward.
- Perform a chin tuck, then extend your neck backward as if looking up at the ceiling.
- Hold for 4 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Cervical Traction
Cervical traction is a common procedure that can relieve neck pain caused by various conditions. This includes joint dislocations, cervical spine fractures, and pinched nerves.
Although it is usually done at a physical therapist’s clinic (and with more sophisticated tools), it can also be done at home using a towel. It may provide relief to neck pain and can also help you relax.
- Fold a small to medium-sized towel.
- Bring the ends of the towel into a loop and secure it using a durable cord.
- Securely tie the other end of the cord around a door knob or similar strong and stable structure.
- Lie on your back and place your head inside the loop.
- Your head should be 1-2 inches above the floor and aligned with the rest of your body. You should only feel a gentle pull or stretch in your neck.
- You can stay in this position for up to 15 minutes. Staying longer can cause more pain, so remember not to fall asleep. Or better yet, set an alarm.
Here’s a video demonstrating cervical traction using a towel.
Takeaway
Neck pain is usually caused by improper posture and tight muscles. While medications can help, the best way to treat neck pain is by addressing bad posture and exercising your neck muscles.
A simple towel can be your friend in addressing these factors. You can use it as a neck pillow or to help your neck muscles stretch and relax during neck exercises. The towel can be a powerful tool for providing quick relief from neck pain in the comfort of your own home.
While you can safely use a towel for pain relief, it’s best to seek medical advice from trained physical therapists or doctors when it comes to severe neck pain.
If you have experience using towels for your neck pain, we’d love to hear about it! Also, make sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on our future articles.