How to help a sore neck muscles heat or cold?

Sore neck or neck pain is one of the common complaints encountered in day to day life. It can be caused due to various reasons like mechanical, sprain, strain, postural, wear & tear i.e. degenerative changes, disk disorder, infection etc. Out of the various causes the most common causes of neck soreness is muscle strain caused due to poor posture, repetitive strain injuries (RSI) etc. It is very important to treat the condition before it aggravates and causes more dysfunction. There has been confusion with regards to use of cold or hot to treat soreness. I would recommend before you go for either cold or hot, maintain proper postural alignment in order to decrease any strain on your neck. Proper rest of the affected tissue and then there after apply cold pack for next first 48-72 hrs. Cold pack is effective in acute stage as it decreases inflammation, swelling and pain. Applying hot pack can swelling and thus, till inflammation and swelling subsides apply cold in the form of ice pack, ice massage for 10-12mins 4 to 5 times a day.
Hot pack is usually preferred in chronic stage. Hot pack is effective in reliving muscle spasms and improving blood circulation thereby aiding in faster healing. Heat can be applied for 15 -20 minutes in a comfortable resting position with heating pad, hot water bottle, hot shower etc. You can also go for contrast bath i.e. alternate application of heat and cold. But the choice depends on, what suits you best. If pain still persists after 1week of self care then visit your physician.