Sideways, forwards or backwards: the neck is the most mobile part of the spine. The high flexibility of the cervical spine also allows rotation.
Sideways, forwards or backwards: the neck is the most mobile part of the spine. The high flexibility of the cervical spine also allows rotation – but this mobility also brings high strain. Restricted movement in the neck area is common. Blocked vertebrae can make themselves felt more or less painfully, but it can also be tense or hardened muscles and tendons.
What is neck tension?
The most common cause of neck pain is neck tension. It usually appears overnight: when you wake up, you feel the pain with even the slightest movement – a typical sign. As a rule the pain is persistent, gets worse with movement, but is also slightly present at rest. With a stiff neck, the pain is only triggered by moving in one direction.
Possible reasons
- You were sweating and caught a draught
- You sat by an open window for too long
- You sat at the computer for too long
- You lifted something the wrong way
If it was one of these, the tension is usually forgotten after a few days.
Causes
Neck tension is mainly caused by poor posture when sitting or sleeping. The muscles are tensed or overstretched and no longer get enough oxygen – because of this metabolic disruption, the muscle hurts or hardens. Carrying heavy loads on one side and standing or sitting for too long can also overstretch or even strain muscles in the neck area. The tension then affects the muscles that take the load off the damaged ones.
Often ongoing stress is behind it too. Arthritis, osteoporosis, draughts and excess weight can also cause tension.
Treatment
Release it with heat
A good first step is heat. A hot bath relaxes the muscles, as does a day in the sauna or steam room. Careful afterwards: skip your neck when you take a cold shower, or it will tense up again straight away. At home, grain pillows, a hot-water bottle or an infrared lamp help; in everyday life, a heat patch.
Massages
The simplest route, and one many people take, is massage. It often helps, but mostly only in the short term. Because long-term success often can't be proven, you frequently have to pay for treatments yourself.
Reduce stress and move
With acute neck pain, everyday stress should be reduced to a minimum – under heavy stress, muscles find it very hard to relax. Good, restful sleep is important, and you should avoid bad habits such as poor posture. If you suffer from chronic neck tension, you should take up a neck- and back-strengthening sport such as yoga.
11 ways to fight neck tension
- Massages by experienced therapists for quick relief
- Heat from a heating pad, hot-water bottle or a warm bath with herbs or oils
- Cherry-stone pillow as a warming compress
- Sauna or steam room
- Physiotherapy
- Heat patches
- Avoiding poor posture
- Doing the right sport – swimming, cycling or slow running, but don't overdo it
- Pain treatment with tablets or infusions
- Treating underlying conditions such as arthritis in the neck
- Acupuncture
