Some people may have this and other symptoms for a few days or weeks, yet others can take up to three months to recover completely. Some issues can cause neck stiffness that lasts for years. An example of such an issue is cervical osteoarthritis.
Neck pain caused by muscle tension or strain usually goes away on its own within a few days. Neck pain that continues longer than several weeks often responds to exercise, stretching, physical therapy and massage. Sometimes, you may need steroid injections or even surgery to relieve neck pain.
Stiffness and pain in the neck usually result from overuse, injury, or sleeping in an unusual position. Stretching, using warm or cold packs, and over-the-counter medication can often relieve it. But, sometimes there is a more serious cause, such as meningitis. The neck contains muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
The most common causes of chronic neck pain are muscle strain and nerve compression. Depending on the symptoms you're experiencing, it can be difficult to tell which of these is occurring. Most muscle strain comes from activities that place a lot of uneven strain on one side of your neck.
You might be able to relieve a stiff neck by stretching your arms over your head and slowly rolling your neck in a circle. Visit a healthcare provider if you're still experiencing pain or have stiffness that lasts more than a few days.
Rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem. Seek medical care for neck pain with numbness or loss of strength in the arms or hands or for pain that shoots into a shoulder or down an arm.
Neck pain, or cervicalgia, can last from days to years, depending on the cause. Common causes include physical strain, poor posture, mental stress, osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, herniated disk, pinched nerve, tumors and other health conditions.
For most neck pain, it's okay to try self-care strategies before seeking medical help. However, if your neck pain is so severe you can't sit still, or if it is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, contact a medical professional right away: Fever, headache, and neck stiffness.
If neck pain is accompanied by a fever, vomiting, headaches, and sensitivity to bright lights, then you should seek a doctor immediately. These are potential signs of meningitis, but only a doctor can make an official diagnosis.
It is good to minimize painful movements and give a stiff neck some rest, but it is also important to keep the neck moving to avoid further stiffening or muscle deconditioning.
This pain is usually described as burning or sharp. Certain neck movements—like extending or straining the neck or turning the head—may increase the pain. Other symptoms include: Tingling or the feeling of "pins and needles" in the fingers or hand.
In addition to stretching, any form of low-impact aerobic exercise, such as walking, is often helpful in relieving any type of stiffness. Even if walking does not directly involve the neck, it helps circulate oxygen to the soft tissues throughout the spine, which in turn promotes healing.
A stiff neck is usually the result of postural issues that have tired the neck muscles over time. Weakened, or unbalanced, muscle strength can place additional stress on your spinal joints and lead to changes in how you move, extra pressure on your discs, and pain.
It is common for neck pain to get worse for a day or two after an injury, but it should start to feel better after that. You may have more pain and stiffness for several days before it gets better. This is expected. It may take a few weeks or longer for it to heal completely.
There are many possible signs of spinal cord trouble in the neck,8 with or without neck pain, mostly affecting the limbs in surprisingly vague ways that can have other causes: poor hand coordination; weakness, “heavy” feelings, and atrophy; diffuse numbness; shooting pains in the limbs (especially when bending the head ...
Most people with neck pain try medication, physical therapy, exercise, and steroid injections to eliminate discomfort. If pain persists after several months of these conservative measures, surgery may be an option.
While you might think that a neck fracture will cause obvious neck pain and other symptoms, sometimes the shock and stress of getting into an accident can mask symptoms of a car accident injury.
If neck pain is severe, lasts for weeks or months, drastically limits your ability to move your head, radiates into the shoulders, or feels worse in the morning, consider seeing a doctor.
When specific neck movements always result in a cracking or grinding sound, that could indicate bone on bone grinding and may be more serious. For example, if rotating your head to the left always produces a clicking or grinding sound, an injury or chronic condition such as osteoarthritis may be the cause.