A “stiff neck” is also called acute torticollis or acute torticollis. Neck pain, movement restrictions of the cervical spine and pain in the shoulders and arms are often accompanied by a stiff neck. Due to the discomfort, a relieving posture is often adopted, the neck is kept still if possible and not moved, since every small movement becomes torture due to pain.
This is a vicious circle, as the stiff neck is further aggravated by this. In many cases movement and warmth are the best treatment against a stiff neck or stiff neck. The main causes of a stiff neck and the pain associated with it are often posture problems and overstrained muscles in the back, shoulder and neck area.
Incorrect sitting or lying, especially in combination with incorrect or too little movement, leads to a stiff neck. Incorrect loading or overloading causes the muscles to shorten and harden. This usually causes pain and a relieving posture is adopted, which further increases the discomfort and can lead to a stiff neck.
Frequently, cold or draught in combination with tense muscles also causes the acute condition of a stiff neck, for example when driving in an open car or sleeping with an open window on a cool night. The cervical spine occupies a special place in the human movement system because it is extremely mobile and carries the relatively heavy head. Countless nerves, many muscles and the seven cervical vertebrae must work together perfectly.
Too much movement or overloading causes pain and consequential damage. It is therefore not surprising that about 70 percent of all pain complaints are localized in the back area and every third one of them reports complaints especially in the neck and shoulder area. In some cases, signs of wear and tear of the musculoskeletal system such as damage to the intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies, calcification of ligaments, a herniated disc in the neck or wear and tear of the small vertebral joints (facet joint arthrosis) can also lead to a stiff neck.
Very rarely, however, a stiff neck is caused by a serious underlying disease such as rheumatic diseases, infections in the head and neck area or some tumor and bone diseases. Depending on the cause, in addition to the stiff neck, there are other complaints such as fever, feeling of instability of the cervical spine, limited mobility of the head, pain in other parts of the body, difficulty swallowing and others. Some neurological disorders can also lead to a stiff neck.
The so-called cervical dystonia, for example, refers to a “false tension” of overactive neck and cervical muscles, which can lead to involuntary and unusual head positions. As a rule, the symptoms of a stiff neck usually disappear just as quickly as they came. Usually the complaints only last for one or two days. However, since there are so many different causes for a stiff neck, it is important to pay close attention to the symptoms in order to be able to distinguish between harmless tension and, in rare cases, life-threatening conditions.
