How to Relieve a Stiff Neck ASAP, According to Physical Therapists
Plus, lifelong habits for prevention and relief.
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Stress, posture, normal aging, sleeping position, and hours spent looking at phones and computers can quickly lead to a stiff neck. So can injuries, anxiety, and poor quality sleep. According to a study in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders journal, neck pain is the second most common musculoskeletal disorder, with a higher prevalence and incidence among females.
Neck Stiffness Causes
Looking down at screens for so long.
One of the most common culprits behind a stiff neck? Technology use. Whether we’re looking at a laptop, slouched in front of the TV, or reading on a smartphone, our heads tend to be tilted in a downward position for longer than they should be. The body is just not meant to be stuck in one position for such long periods of time.
“From looking down constantly, our muscles in the front of the neck tighten up and the back muscles get weak just from being in that prolonged position,” explains Bill Love, PT, MPT and facility manager at Athletico Physical Therapy in Bannockburn, Illinois.
High stress.
Stress is another big component to neck stiffness. We naturally carry a lot of stress in the upper trapezius muscles and neck, and the more stressed out we are, the more likely we are to feel tightness and stiffness in those areas.
Age-related disc degeneration.
Neck pain can be caused by disc degeneration, which is a normal result of aging—but take note: This study showed that 86 percent of males and 89 of females showed disc degeneration by their 60s, but were all asymptomatic with no pain with the right lifestyle changes and plan. In other words, don’t let imaging or a diagnosis seal your fate!
Although neck stiffness can feel concerning, it’s not generally a sign of anything life-threatening. “Stiffness is our body’s protective mechanism from injury, pain or even sustained posture,” explains physical therapist Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT, founder of JenHealth.
However, if you’re feeling numbness, burning, or tingling down your arms due to neck pain or stiffness, you’ll want to consult a professional, whether it’s a physical therapist for consultation and/or a doctor, who can do imaging and other testing to identify the root problem, like nerve tension.
If your neck stiffness doesn’t resolve itself within a few days after trying a few home solutions, it’s worth ruling out meningitis as well. Always check in with your doctor to be safe.
Regardless of the cause, a stiff neck can still be uncomfortable and make it difficult to work, sleep, or do regular, everyday activities.
Related: 3 Gentle Stretches for Upper Back and Neck Pain From All Those Hours of Sitting
Lifelong Habits to Adopt for Stiff Neck Relief
Keep moving.
We all want a quick fix to neck stiffness, but it’ll keep coming back if we don’t make some lifestyle changes. The first thing to note is even if you feel stiff, you need to keep moving.
Love explains that when people are in pain, they don’t move, understandably—but the irony is that pain and stiffness worsen when they stop moving out of fear.
Now this doesn’t mean grabbing the heaviest weights or doing a HIIT exercise class. Think about small, controlled movements, moving with your breath, and moving within a comfortable range of motion for you at the moment. You're not trying to impress anyone or break personal records—you're building up trust between your brain and body.
For example, as a start, Fraboni suggests simply reaching your arms above your head and over to each side a few times to bring blood flow to the neck and reduce tension without even moving the neck itself.
Mix up your posture often throughout the day.
You should also be changing up your posture throughout the day, Fraboni says. Set a timer for every 30 to 60 minutes and do a few stretches and deep breaths every time it goes off. Shrug and roll your shoulders, do a few mobility exercises, just set your body up for a different posture to continue working. Even five neck flexions (looking down) and five extensions (looking up to the ceiling) at your desk can change your posture slightly.
Related: How to Undo Soreness and Muscle Tension Caused by Technology
Try heat therapy.
A little heat therapy, like a heating pad, can be helpful in loosening up the muscles prior to stretching or strengthening, if neck stiffness is an ongoing issue. Love will often do this with his patients to relax them enough to begin a physical therapy session.
Use massage and manipulation.
Massage and professional manipulation can feel great in the moment and calm the nervous system. Fraboni does note, however, that these modalities are designed as passive, temporary relief methods and should go hand-in-hand with more active strategies (like mobility and strengthening) to solve the problem long term.
Strengthen the muscles in and around your neck.
“I always say strength is how we build resilience in the body,” Fraboni says. “If we’re only doing passive things like stretching, we aren’t helping to prevent future pain and injury.”
You can start small with body weight or lighter weights, or use resistance bands instead of weights. Love likes to add in exercises like rows and reverse flies to a routine to help build up the muscles around the shoulder blades.
Fabroni shares a great exercise series to get started via Instagram, below.
If you’re still afraid to move, you should consult a physical therapist who can help you with form to perform exercises correctly and prevent further injury. Once you get the hang of it, don’t forget to keep up those exercises at home on your own for long-term benefits.
Related: 7 Great Stretches for Your Mid-Back
How to Relieve a Stiff Neck Right Now
Want relief ASAP? These basic exercises, stretches, and gentle movements are recommended for anytime your neck feels stiff or achey, like first thing in the morning or after a long day at work.
1. Gentle, Assisted Neck Movement
If you wake up with a super stiff neck in the morning, for example, this can be extremely helpful. In the Reel below, Fraboni demonstrates how to apply gentle pressure with your fingers onto different points of the neck surrounding your spine, then use that pressure and manual contact to guide, or assist, subtle neck movements and rotations.
2. Doorway Pectoral Stretch
Standing in a doorway, position your arms up at 90 degree angles (like you’re making a goal post). With your palms on either side of the doorway, lean forward gently through the doorway to stretch the front of your chest and pec muscles. Opening up the chest relieves some tension in the front body that could be contributing to neck stiffness. And “this will help reposition your shoulders and shoulder blades so you’re in a nice neutral position,” Love says.
3. Chin Tuck, Lying Down
Lying on your back, push your chin straight in and down toward the floor. Avoid bending your neck or tilting the top of your head forward (think of trying to give yourself as many chins as possible). Then release, and that’s one chin tuck.
“Do two sets of ten, hold each tuck for five seconds per repetition,” Love adds. “It’s a nice stretch for the upper cervical musculature (upper back and base of your neck).”
You can also do these simple chin tucks while sitting or standing upright, at your desk, waiting for your coffee to brew, on the bus, watching TV—you get the idea.
4. Deep Breathing
Place your hands around each side of your lower rib cage. Take a slow, deep, three-to-five second inhale, letting your rib cage expand into your hands, then release a long, controlled six-to-eight second exhale through your nose or pursed lips.
“Think of dropping your shoulders and upper body with each exhale,” Fraboni says. Using the breath to push through the sides of the rib cage forces the body to sit up straighter and create space in the torso, while exhaling slowly and fully relaxes the nervous system and reduces tension coming into the neck. “It helps turn off the muscles that don’t need to be working,” she says.
5. Upper Trapezius Stretch
Sitting or standing upright, place your left hand back behind your head, and place your right arm on top of your head. Facing forward, gently guide your head and neck over to the right, feeling the stretch on the left side of your neck and shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds or so, breathing slowly and deeply, then switch sides.
Related: How to Stretch Your Lower Back and Feel Less Stiff
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