The worst thing in the morning is waking up with a stiff neck - you cannot turn your head, and you have neck pain. So how do you relieve this pain and start your day?
How Do You Know You Have A Stiff Neck?
If you seem like you constantly awake with tightness in the neck? Do you find yourself getting a sharp jolt of pain when you turn too quick? Is your neck constantly "snapping and cracking"? Then you might have what we would term a "stiff neck"...
What Are Some things that Can Cause a Stiff Neck ?
- Sleeping with a Pillow that is too Firm
- Sleeping in an awkward positions. For example, sleeping on the sofa
- A Draft
- An injury to the neck
- A Violent cough or sneeze attack that causes you pain
How Do You Know You Have A Stiff Neck? There are definitely some signs and symptoms you can notice when you are suffering with a stiff neck. Here are some obvious and not so obvious ones:
- You have neck pain
- You have pain when you turn or twist your neck in a certain way
- Your range of motion in the neck is decreased. Also, one side of the neck range of motion is less than the other
- You find yourself turning your whole body when you need to turn...for example to check your blind spot when driving
Treatment Options for When you Get a Stiff Neck
- Massage Your Neck Muscles, upper back and shoulders
- Use a heating pack
- Get a chiropractic adjustment
- See a massage therapist
- Stretch Your Neck
Additional Reading:
- What do you do For Neck Pain?
- Stretch your neck for pain relief from a stiff neck
- Getting the right neck posture in your c spine
- The Things that Can bring on a Stiff Neck
- A Simple comfortable traction device that can provide a lot of neck pain relief
Updated 3/31/2023
