| These easy-to-do traditional Chinese | | | | the skin. Too much and the spoon will slip |
| techniques form a highly effective stiff neck | | | | and slide uncontrollably.3. Stand behind the |
| remedy. The first is a simple | | | | person and start scraping his/her neck in |
| | | | long, even strokes with the edge of the |
| massage technique that warms and loosens | | | | spoon, from the base of the skull, down the |
| your neck muscles to relieve stiffness and | | | | neck and across the top of the shoulder. |
| pain. The second technique provides stiff | | | | Press as hard as you can without causing |
| neck relief by stimulating blood flow in your | | | | excess pain - it's the muscles you're working |
| neck, shoulders and upper back - all you need | | | | with more than the skin so you need to apply |
| is a spoon and a few drops of oil.Stiff Neck | | | | a little pressure. Apply 30-50 strokes. |
| Remedy - Neck MassageRub your hands together | | | | Notice the skin turning red. There may be |
| briskly to warm them up and charge them with | | | | lots of tiny red spots which may actually be |
| energy. Place your palms on the back of your | | | | dark red, purple or even black. This is |
| neck with your fingers interlocked. Rub your | | | | simply stagnant blood in the muscles - it's |
| neck from side to side for several minutes. | | | | nothing to be concerned about. The darker the |
| Feel the heat penetrating your neck muscles. | | | | spots, the more stiffness, pain and |
| Repeat several times a day.Or, as above but | | | | stagnation the person usually has in their |
| just use the fingers of one hand to rub your | | | | neck. All you're doing is releasing the |
| neck with firm, even strokes from the base | | | | stagnant blood and improving circulation in |
| of your skull to the base of your neck. Make | | | | the neck muscles. This very often gives |
| sure you rub both sides of the back of your | | | | immediate relief.4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on |
| neck and any painful or tender spots. This | | | | the other side of the neck. People with neck |
| technique works well as a preventative stiff | | | | problems often have pain and tension in their |
| neck remedy too - as soon as you begin | | | | |
| feeling stiffness or pain, use it to relax | | | | |
| and loosen your neck muscles.Stiff Neck | | | | upper back too, so you may also have to |
| Remedy - Skin ScrapingThis is a traditional | | | | scrape down either side of their spine |
| Chinese home remedy for stiff neck that | | | | between their shoulder blades.5. If the |
| anyone can quickly learn. As it's not easy to | | | | person feels dizzy at any stage, stop, and |
| do on your own neck you'll need someone else | | | | have them lie down and take some slow deep |
| to do it for you. All you need is a spoon and | | | | breaths.6. Depending on the color of the |
| a few drops of oil - massage oil, sesame oil | | | | spots, they make take several days to a week |
| or even vicks vaporub will do. A Chinese soup | | | | or more to fade. Once faded completely, you |
| spoon works well as does the edge of a metal | | | | may reapply the treatment if the person still |
| vicks vaporub lid. Basically, you use the | | | | has pain. One to three scraping treatments |
| edge of the spoon or lid to rub (scrape) the | | | | over several weeks is usually enough to |
| neck for a few minutes until it turns red (or | | | | alleviate most neck problems involving |
| in some cases purple!) The scraping action | | | | muscular tension, stiffness and pain.A final |
| moves the blood in the underlying muscles and | | | | note - don't be fooled by the apparent |
| soft tissues of the neck, relieving stiffness | | | | simplicity of this technique. As mentioned, |
| and pain almost immediately. It works equally | | | | it very often provides instant stiff neck |
| well for acute and chronic stiff neck. | | | | relief and may be the only stiff neck remedy |
| Here're the steps to follow:1. The person | | | | you ever need. In fact the author has found |
| with the stiff neck should sit down and | | | | skin scraping to be a more effective stiff |
| remove any clothing or jewelry covering the | | | | neck remedy than acupuncture.Matthew Scott is |
| neck, and also tie up long hair.2. Apply a | | | | a professionally trained Chinese medicine |
| few drops of oil to ONE side of the back of | | | | practitioner from Australia, living in China |
| the neck - just enough to lightly lubricate | | | | since 2000. |