Treatment for neck pain consists of reducing the pain with ice and medicine, improving neck movement and flexibility with exercises or physical therapy, and avoiding further neck injury by changing activities and body mechanics, such as how you sit or sleep. The specific treatment may depend on whether your neck pain is caused by activities, an injury, or another medical condition. Home treatment is often all that is needed for neck pain.

Because most neck pain is caused by repeated or prolonged movements to the neck's muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, or joints, nonsurgical treatment is usually effective. Most cases of neck pain caused by activities resolve within 4 to 6 weeks. ¹

Acute neck pain

For sudden (acute) neck pain:

• Place an ice pack or cold pack over painful muscles for 48 to 72 hours. This will help decrease any pain, muscle spasm, or swelling. If the problem is near the shoulder or upper back, ice the back of the neck. If you prefer, try ice massage. Massage the painful area with ice for 7 to 10 minutes, long enough to numb the pain. Ice frozen in a paper cup works well. Be sure not to damage your skin ( frostbite).
• Avoid things that might increase swelling, such as hot showers, hot tubs, hot packs, or alcoholic beverages, for the first 48 hours after an injury. After 48 to 72 hours, if swelling is gone, apply heat. Use a warm pack or heating pad set on low. Some experts recommend alternating between heat and cold treatments.
• Return to your normal daily activities as soon as possible. Research suggests that continuing normal activities after a neck-strain injury helps resolve some symptoms faster than taking time off from work and using neck immobilization. ²
• Gently massage or rub the area to relieve pain and encourage blood flow. Do not massage the injured area if it causes pain. Nonprescription creams or gels, such as Bengay, may provide pain relief.
• Take pain relievers. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can help relieve pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin (such as Bayer), ibuprofen (such as Advil), or naproxen sodium (such as Aleve), can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of the risk of Reye syndrome.

For severe pain or muscle spasm, your doctor also may prescribe:

• Muscle relaxants, which treat severe pain spasms when neck pain begins. They include diazepam (such as Valium), cyclobenzaprine (such as Flexeril), and carisoprodol (such as Soma).
• Narcotic pain relievers, which are used short-term for severe neck pain. They include codeine, acetaminophen and hydrocodone (such as Vicodin, Lortab), aspirin and oxycodone (such as Percodan), and acetaminophen and oxycodone (such as Percocet).

The treatment that is right for you may be different from the treatment for someone else with neck pain. Some treatments have been studied more than others. Many treatments for neck pain haven't been very well researched, even if they are used a lot. A review of studies shows that exercise and manual therapy, used either separately or together, are likely to be beneficial in the treatment of uncomplicated neck pain. ²