Stiff Neck: Causes, Symptoms and Remedies
Having a stiff neck is not comfortable. It can make performing normal daily tasks uncomfortable or painful. However, in most cases, a stiff neck isn’t serious and will resolve itself within a few days. Here are some common causes, symptoms and treatment methods for a stiff neck.
Causes of a Stiff Neck
There can be many causes for a stiff neck. The cause of neck stiffness can be related to an individual’s posture or activities:
- sleep positioning (see also: the best sleeping positions for back pain)
- poor posture (see also: text neck syndrome)
- repeated motions
- pinched nerve (see also: pinched nerve)
A person can also develop a stiff neck because of an underlying condition such as:
- arthritis
- traumatic injury (ie: a car accident, sports injury)
- muscle spasm (see also: back spasms)
In rare cases a stiff neck is a sign of something much more serious, meningitis. Meningitis is a condition which causes inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord and can be quite serious. Symptoms of meningitis can include a stiff neck as well as a fever, headache, nausea, confusion and more.
Symptoms
A stiff neck usually makes it uncomfortable to move your neck or turn your head. It can also feel like your neck muscles are tight.
Remedies for a Stiff Neck
In most cases a stiff neck will resolve itself within a few days. Some methods for easing the pain include:
- taking iboprofen or another NSAID
- hot or cold therapy
- physical therapy
- exercises and stretching
- massage
- chiropractic care
It may be time to contact your doctor about your stiff neck if:
- it’s also accompanied by a fever and headache
- you also have tingling or numbness in any part of your body
- the pain has continued for several days and is not responding to the treatments mentioned above
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