A stiff neck always occurs when the neck muscles tense up, harden and are therefore less able to stretch as a reaction to poor posture, cold, inflammation or to avoid pain. Every movement of the head, especially turning and tilting up/down/left/right, is accompanied by pain in the back of the neck, resulting in a significantly restricted range of movement in the head and neck area. It is also possible that the pain radiates into the head (headache in the back of the head) and shoulders, which can be explained by the starting and origin points of the tense neck muscles. A distinction is made between acute and chronic neck stiffness, whereby the latter exists when the complaints persist for longer than 12 months and do not, as in the acute form, usually disappear on their own after a few days.
Symptoms
A stiff neck is usually characterized by pulling or burning pain in the back of the neck (neck), which can radiate to the back of the head, the shoulders or even the arms. This is sometimes accompanied by dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or impaired vision. If the stiffness of the neck musculature is due to a disease in the cervical spine area, in which pressure is exerted on the nerve roots, for example due to vertebral blockages or herniated discs in the cervical spine area, strength and/or touch sensation disorders can also occur in addition to the pain.
The harmless, acute neck stiffness usually disappears again after a few days, either on its own or with the support of relaxing measures. However, if it occurs repeatedly or lasts longer than 12 months, a doctor should be consulted to clarify the cause. In addition, attention should be paid to whether other accompanying symptoms besides stiff neck appear: Headaches, fever, loss of consciousness, painful bending of the head towards the chest as well as cramps and paralysis are warning signals that should be taken seriously and, if they occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately in order to rule out life-threatening, central diseases or to be able to treat them promptly.