Given that most people’s lives in this day and age are extremely fast paced while also being overloaded with a significant amount of stress, it is almost an afterthought for an individual to give a moment’s consideration to his/her well being and overall health. Most professions in our high tech world also require us to do more sitting than ever before, while machines carry out all the tedious manual labor. With this excessive sitting, we also tend to acclimatize our bodies to very bad seating postures that could have a knock on effect on the positions that our bones feel most comfortable with. When a muscle in the neck becomes tight as a result of injury or tension, fluids start to build up within the tissues, causing swelling as well as a significant amount of discomfort. It is also important to remember that the swelling could easily be a symptom for a much more severe underlying medical condition and you would be best advised to visit your doctor in order to confirm the diagnosis. However, if the condition is brought on simply by an overload to the muscles in this area, you could try drinking plenty of water in order to prevent the swelling of the neck. Injured muscles tend to release toxins into the surrounding tissues which, unless flushed out of the body, will only further aggravate problems. Water helps keep the muscle tissues and joint spaces well lubricated while also making sure that the damaging toxins are flushed out of the body.
If you need to remain seated for large parts of the day, make sure that you maintain a good posture, while aligning your computer and chair to ensure that your head is help upright. Regular exercise of your neck by rotating it both ways, up and down will help prevent the build up of tension and keep the fluids moving constantly instead of allowing them to build up and create any problems. Applying a cold compress or ice pack to the affected area will help push any fluids away from the area – thereby reducing most of the pain. You could try applying some ice as often as four times a day, while keeping the ice on the affected area for about 15 to 20 minutes on each occasion. The traditional Chinese medicine of acupuncture has had significant success in dealing with back problems and body pain. You could try this as an option, but remember to look for someone that has not only extensive knowledge in the medicine but also many years of experience.