Stiff Neck

Stiff neck is the tightness of the neck muscles that can range from a mild discomfort to severe pain and complete inability to move the neck.  Nuchal rigidity is the kind of stiffness that prevents proper neck motion. 

Muscles are considered healthy when they are relatively elastic.  This is made possible by water and blood circulation in the cellular level.  Staying in one position for a long time or extreme fatigue can limit blood circulation, causing the muscles to stiffen.  Blood flow gets cut off because the blood vessels get compressed.  Fatigue, on the other hand, causes muscle rigidity so lactic acid collects in the muscles, irritating the nerves and causing pain known as stiff neck. 

Causes

 Stiff neck may be due to a lot of factors such as sleeping in the wrong position, sudden neck motion, stress, whiplash, cervical arthritis, meningitis, neck sprain and torticollis.  A person who is suffering from minor whiplash due to a car accident may recover completely while a person with torticollis may experience pain for a long period of time.  Meningitis patients, however, suffer from limited neck movement and must seek immediate medical attention.

Diagnosis

Due to the many causes of stiff neck, proper diagnosis is necessary.  Doctors normally go through the patient’s medical history and events that may have led to it.  A physical exam will follow.  If results show that a patient has a serious condition, X-rays, blood tests, spinal taps, CT scans and MRIs must be done to evaluate the cause of the neck stiffness. 

Prevention

Prevention is always better than cure and there are simple ways to avoid having a stiff neck.  First, do not hold the neck in one position for too long as this cuts off blood circulation, leading to pain and discomfort.  Second, provide ample support to the neck when sleeping.  Muscle fatigue irritates the nerves that cause stiff neck.  Third, learn how to cope with stress as this is felt at the neck area that results to muscle tightness.  Last, exercise and stretch the muscles to reduce the tension in the area. 

Treatment

There are simple, non-invasive ways to treat a stiff neck.  Gentle range motion exercises can be used to relieve muscle spasms.  This involves moving the chin to the chest then the ears to each shoulder.  These slow, controlled movements help relax strained neck muscles and relieve the pain and stiffness.

Heat therapy is recommended to ease the tense muscles as well as improve the flow of oxygenated blood in the area for pain relief.  With Far Infrared Ray technology, heat therapy is brought to a whole new level as it offers deeper penetration, maximizing the therapeutic benefits of heat. 

Once the pain and stiffness have subsided, it is best to start a regular training program to strengthen the neck muscles, reducing the risk of future neck problems.  A gentle neck massage may also be helpful as it helps relieve neck stiffness

If stiff neck is associated with fever and headache, do not assume that it is simply due to muscle strain.  It is best to immediately see a doctor as it may be a sign of meningitis, a life threatening condition that requires treatment. 

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Gross A, Miller J, D'Sylva J, et al. Manipulation or mobilisation for neck pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD004249.

Devereaux MW. Neck pain. Med Clin North Am. 2009;93:273-284.