Read up on Neck pain treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Neck pain

Key points about treatments

Neck pain often gets better within a couple of days. But if it doesn't, or if the pain gets worse, you should see a doctor. There are lots of different treatments for neck pain. But we need more research to know what works best.

You can take painkillers you buy at a pharmacy and apply heat or ice when you first get a sore neck.
Hands-on treatment by a

physical therapist
A physical therapist is a health professional who is trained to use physical activity and exercises to help your body heal.

physical therapist,

osteopath
An osteopath is a health professional who flexes and moves your bones, joints and muscles to help your body heal, particularly after an injury.

osteopath or

chiropractor
A chiropractor is a type of therapist who manipulates your joints and spine with his or her hands. This aims to encourage healing by realigning the bones of the joint or spine and relieving pressure on your nerves.

chiropractor probably works better than other physical treatments, such as putting heat on the painful area.
Keeping active and exercising is likely to improve neck pain and stiffness in the long run. But you shouldn't overdo it.
You might want to try improving your posture and using only one or two pillows at night. But we didn't find any research on whether these things help.

This information was last updated on Jan 07, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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