It’s no coincidence that the expression “a pain in the neck” is used for anything causing distress, annoyance and interruption.
Granted, neck pain for a human is no laughing matter, but at least you’re not a giraffe! (Can you imagine how debilitating neck pain would be for a giraffe?)
Anyway, a few months ago, I discussed neck pain in one of my Monday Night Live events. (What? You’re not familiar with my Monday Night Lives? Scroll down to the P.S. at the end of this article, and I’ll tell you more about these weekly opportunities for live learning.)
Causes of Neck Pain
Many folks conveniently blame their neck pain on a bad pillow. I suppose either a flimsy or too-thick pillow could be a cause; however, don’t throw your pillow out quite yet. With three homeopathic medicines in your carefully curated inventory, you can dismiss a pain in the neck in short order.
Neck pain is generally considered to be an acute condition (even if it lasts a while). Remember, acute conditions are such that have a distinct beginning and eventual end.
On the other hand, chronic conditions may begin more subtly and stay with the sufferer for a longer period of time. But, not to worry. Homeopathic medicines can also address chronic conditions. We just utilize the medicines a bit differently.
This is called case management and cannot be easily taught in a short blog post. My courses on Joette’s Learning Center will begin your education in case management, and The Academy of Practical Homeopathy® will give you the knowledge and confidence to operate at an expert level.
For now, though, let’s consider garden-variety acute neck pain.
A stiff or painful neck can stem from many causes: overuse, stressing the muscles and tendons, holding one’s head in an unnatural position (like at the dentist), an accident or injury, or even something as innocuous as falling asleep on a road trip with the car’s air conditioning blowing on one’s neck.
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3 Homeopathic Medicines for Neck Pain
Rather than suffer in silence, here are three homeopathic medicines to consider:
More often than not, Rhus tox is the first medicine I generally consider. That’s not because it’s more valuable than the other remedies. They’re all valuable! However, Rhus tox has been proven over and over again in my clinical and personal experience to act on stiff, painful necks.
Plus, Rhus tox is also our go-to medicine for arthritis, so it is ideally suited to a stiff neck due to an emerging arthritic condition.
I generally teach those new to homeopathy to stick with the 30th or 200th potencies, depending on the severity of the condition. (That is why you may occasionally see a discrepancy between the potencies given in my public blog posts, which are designed for the general public, and my courses, which can be accompanied by deeper education yielding a more thorough understanding of the foundational principles of homeopathy.)
If the condition is severe, one may choose to prime the healing engine (as it were) by taking one dose every 15 minutes for the first hour, then observing. In some cases, that may be all it will take, but if symptoms persist, one may choose to continue the medicine every few hours, gradually reducing the frequency to twice daily until very much better.,
In non-extreme cases, one may simply choose to employ the medicine twice daily.
Just understand: Homeopathy is medicine, not a supplement. We employ it when needed, but do not use it more frequently than necessary or continue using it beyond our time of need. When the symptoms indicate that the condition has halted, so do we. We halt the use of the medicine.
Later this week, I’ll share how I personally utilize Rhus tox for stiff, painful necks with my Mighty Members. So, Mighties, watch for your Memo to Mighty Members* on Thursday, as usual. If you’re not yet a member, what are you waiting for? Join us here.
Ruta may be considered instead of Rhus tox, especially if the sufferer’s head feels heavy, sometimes as though they can’t even lift it. It is also a prime consideration if knots are felt in the neck muscles. (For instance, if a friend or loved one tries to massage the painful neck and remarks that the tissues are “hard as a rock” or “knotty.”
Another differentiator is when the sufferer is made better by warmth, or when they are naturally drawn to it. For instance, they may desire to stand repeatedly in the shower, allowing the warm water to fall onto their neck.
One would employ this medicine in the same manner as described for Rhus tox: in a 30 or 200, depending on severity, and perhaps with more frequency in the first hour, tapering off to every few hours or twice daily until the condition resolves.
We never want to overdo our medicines. We use them only when absolutely necessary, based on severity.
I want to leave you with one more consideration — a less commonly discussed medicine. Aesculus can be a tighter fit when a bruised pain presents at the occiput (the back of the head) and radiates into the neck and shoulders.
Administration would be the same as for Rhus tox or Ruta, so for brevity’s sake, I won’t repeat it here.
My friends, there you have it. A pain in the neck can be addressed with one of these three homeopathic medicines. There are others, as well, but these will suffice for a short lesson. In fact, in that Monday Night Live from August 25, 2025, I also discuss when Arnica montana might be a consideration for neck pain. You’ll want to hear that as well, I’m sure.
Should you need additional education on pain of all kinds, I suggest my course, Make It Stop! Escape From the Prison of Chronic (and Acute) Pain Using Practical Homeopathy®: Learn Effective Methods to Uproot Pain, Often for Good.
Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®!
Warmly,
P.S. I’ve been doing Monday Night Live appearances for years now, as part of my free educational outreach. Each week, on Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern, I discuss a different topic on the Joette Calabrese Facebook page, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Rumble, and Instagram, and welcome your questions.
If you’ve missed these informative, fun events in the past, YouTube houses an archive of the last two years’ worth of MNLs.
Have you been searching in vain for the older MNL events on Facebook? No, you’re not going crazy. Facebook recently stopped archiving all but the five most recent live videos. It’s a shame, but I can’t control their ever-changing policies.
In fact, their policies are part of the reason I created my Mighty Members subscription site. On my own private servers, we don’t have to be at the mercy of social media companies’ whims. My Mighties have access to an archive of all of my past Monday Night Lives in a searchable database* for their convenience.
And that’s only ONE of the many benefits of Mighty Membership. Click here to find out more, so you don’t miss out. And remember, all my Mighties (Joette’s Mighty Members) also qualify for a 10% discount on course purchases. If you need assistance getting your discount, email contact@practicalhomeopathy.com for more information.
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