The Stiff Neck: Causes, Treatment & Help

The stiff neck – Many people often wake up with pain in the neck area and with limited mobility of the cervical spine. Generally, people then say that they have had a bad night’s sleep. Sometimes a stiff neck surprises one in the summer after preceding draught, e.g. during a car journey. Disturbing, even critical this condition can become with the driver then if he must put his car backwards, the head however the rotation not ausfürhen can.

Causes of a stiff neck

The stiff neck – Many people often wake up with pain in the neck and with limited mobility of the cervical spine.

Older people often exhibit limited mobility in the cervical spine. It can be both a natural aging process, but in many cases also a bony change in this area.

Both can lead to more or less severe pain and discomfort. In some cases, the beds are blamed for this.

Various causes are possible for this so common malady. If one lies down to sleep in the evening without complaints and wakes up in the morning with a painful stiff neck, often also with a crooked neck, one may assume that a displacement of one or more cervical vertebral joints has occurred. The result is pressure on adjacent nerve exits with corresponding pain on movement.

Diseases with this symptom

  • Neck stiffness
  • Herniated disc
  • Cervical spine syndrome
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Whiplash
  • Frostbite

Treatment and therapy

What can be done about it? The therapeutic measures of the doctor go from tablets to injections, rubs, radiation to massages and chriopractic manipulations. The latter sometimes show instant success.

Neck stiffness, caused by hypothermia of the neck-shoulder muscles (drafts, etc.), often responds positively to moist heat treatment, according to experience. It is advised not to apply dry heat, otherwise there is a risk that the pain may increase.

Hot showers are beneso simple as effective here, cold water in the state of discomfort rather avoid. Rubs with skin-irritating, skin-reddening agents usually only affect the skin, without being able to affect the origin of the complaints in the depth of the tissue. In addition to the described acute stiff neck, we know the condition of chronic stiff neck in mostly elderly people.

Also in these cases moist heat treatment and light active therapy is indicated. The latter should include light head turning and head circling. These exercises are facilitated by slightly lifting the shoulder, which relaxes the muscles of this area, which are always tense, and improves blood circulation.

With the described forms of painful conditions, we would like to describe a proven simple remedy for the night: the supporting cervical collar. This roll is placed around the neck before going to bed and both ends are tied around the neck without pulling. In this way, the cervical spine receives pleasant, effective support overnight, which is a considerable prophylaxis. In addition, the neck brace keeps well warm.

Basically, one should not sleep in beds that are too soft and, if possible, without a headboard. Additional small pillows and bolsters, which constantly change their place during sleep, become superfluous with the described neck brace.

Lasting improvement may be achieved by skilled chiropractic treatment, preceded by a thorough, deep massage of the neck and shoulder muscles. Chiropractic is problematic in the case of age-related neck depth and significant changes in the cervical spine. Here, one should limit oneself to the therapeutic measures already described.