A stiff neck can make you miss things you often take for granted, like the ability to smoothly turn your head to, say, watch an adorable puppy bound past. With a stiff neck, you’re stuck doing a rigid full-body swivel, like an alien who can almost act human, but not quite, and is on earth to study the canine species.
The good news is that having a stiff neck usually isn’t a big deal. Sometimes, though, it’s a sign you should head to a doctor for evaluation. Here’s what you need to know.
First, pause for a second to appreciate what a wonderful machine your neck really is.
The human head weighs around 10 to 12 pounds. That’s heavier than most newborns, FYI, and it’s up to your neck to support that weight. “It’s almost like a bowling ball sitting on top of a bowling pin,” Alan S. Hilibrand, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with the Rothman Institute who specializes in spine issues, tells SELF.
So, how does your neck, or if you want to be fancy about it, your cervical spine, bear this load? It all comes down to its structure.
Your neck is mostly comprised of seven interlocking bones (vertebrae), with space behind them for your spinal cord. If you love pastries, rejoice in the fact that you basically always have some on you: the Mayo Clinic describes each cushiony disc between your vertebrae as being “a little like a jelly donut, with a softer center encased within a tougher exterior.” Your vertebrae are also attached to ligaments and tendons that connect them to other structures, including your muscles. All of this together helps you balance your head on your shoulders.
Since your neck has such an important job, it’s just going to get stiff sometimes. Usually, this isn’t anything to worry about.
Neck stiffness is more than likely just inflammation due to pressure or strain, Neel Anand, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, tells SELF. This can happen if you slept strangely the night before, for example. Or, if you slept the way you always do, it could be because you did something to injure yourself the day before but didn’t feel it then.
“[Stiffness] can develop overnight as muscles try to repair themselves,” Dr. Hilibrand says. You probably already know your ideal sleeping position, but Dr. Hilibrand notes that it’s typically not good to sleep with your neck in an extreme position of flexion (bending forward) or extension (bending back). Instead, the Mayo Clinic recommends trying to sleep with your head and neck aligned with the rest of your body.
Stiffness can also happen if your posture isn’t as good as it should be. “If someone has been sitting looking at a computer all day and their neck has been held in one position for a long time, eventually the muscles are going to tire,” Dr. Hilibrand says. The tendency to hunch over whatever you’re doing just exacerbates this, he says: “Typically you might be sitting there reading or studying and not in the ideal biomechanical position.” It’s best if your head is directly over your shoulders so your neck doesn’t have to do as much work.
Another cause of neck stiffness, along with possible spasms, is pushing yourself past your limit at the gym. “People who do upper-body weightlifting can get muscle spasms and neck stiffness because they do all these exercises that strain the muscles connecting the neck to the upper part of the back and shoulders,” Dr. Hilibrand says. This strain can also happen due to something like whiplash after a car accident.
Either way, neck stiffness is a sign your neck is essentially trying to protect itself by preventing you from taxing the inflamed tissue further, Dr. Hilibrand explains. The U.S. National Library of Medicine recommends helping your neck get back to normal by limiting activities that could stress it more, taking an anti-inflammatory medication, using a cold compress for the first 48 to 72 hours to calm inflammation, then using heating pads to ease sore muscles.
Although neck stiffness can be pretty normal, there are a few clear signs you need to see a doctor ASAP.
Neck stiffness can also present with pain, but even that doesn’t immediately mean it’s time to consult your doctor. Sometimes it’s just due to inflammation. The pain could also be a result of getting older, since you’re more likely to develop sharp outgrowths known as bone spurs on the edges of your bones as your cartilage starts to decrease.
With that said, see a doctor if your neck stiffness comes along with any of the following:
Severe pain shooting down your arms
Weakness, numbness, or tingling in your arms or legs
Problems controlling your bladder or bowels
Balance issues
Sudden clumsiness
A recent accident or injury
Severe headache
“These are absolutely reasons to see your doctor immediately; they can be indicative that something is putting pressure on or pinching nerves or the spinal cord,” Dr. Anand says.
You should also see your doctor ASAP or go to the emergency room if you notice these accompanying your neck stiffness:
Sudden and high fever
Confusion
Increased sensitivity to light
Nausea
Vomiting
When it comes along with the above symptoms, neck stiffness can be a sign of meningitis, an infection caused by a virus, bacteria, or fungus that inflames the membranes around your brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis can be fatal if not treated soon enough, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you think you have it, don’t try to wait it out.
That said, it’s rare that your neck stiffness signals something serious. “Because it’s common, it’s not something to get concerned or panicked about,” Dr. Hilibrand says. “But if it persists and is bothersome, it’s worth seeking medical attention.”
