Have you ever woken up with a stiff neck, or taken a long road trip and noticed discomfort in your neck and shoulders? Do you work in front of a computer and notice discomfort in your upper back and neck? If you answered yes then this blog is for you.

The neck is composed of muscles, tendons ligaments and bones that work together to support the head and allow it to move in many directions. Stiffness in the neck typically develops over time from poor posture or misuse. There are several things we all do on a daily basis that can lead to uncomfortable neck pain. 

Looking down at your computer monitor all  day can cause the muscles around the neck joints to tire and become overstretched. Driving for long periods of time as well as looking at your smartphone can have the same effect.

Over time neck muscles gradually become weak and often times people wake up with this new sudden onset of pain or stiffness that appears to have come out of nowhere. I’ve seen many people who have come to therapy with their neck stuck in a position and they are unable to move it because it is extremely painful and tight.  Their neck is essentially “locked up.”  Often times when there is this sudden onset of pain and or stiffness that catches you off guard without any sort of injury or trauma, it’s your body’s way letting you know it’s had enough of something.  The body is an amazing thing. It can tolerate us running marathons, it heals itself when we’ve broken a bone and it regulates it self in so many ways. However, after so much abuse, your body will start to reject certain things. Think of type 2 diabetes. Poor food choices and a lack of exercise can lead to this. After years and years of eating poorly and not exercising, your body lets you know it’s had enough, typically in the form of disease. The same can be said about our joints. There’s a reason why gymnasts retire at a young age-because their bodies can’t tolerate the constant stress. The stress causes their joints to age and wear faster than other people their age. The same can be said for necks, hips, and your back, even if you don’t have a physical job. Jobs that require a lot of screen time-computer or phone are a good example. Often times the musculature surrounding the neck becomes weak and tight as result of poor postural positions.  Tight tissue can result in nerve and vessel compression which can result in pain, headaches, and muscle knots. Joints can become stiff and discs can start to bulge causing nerve irritation and inflammation.  Your body then naturally tries to protect itself, and sometimes it does this by doing a protective spasm, which causes you to feel like you can’t move. As you can see, the pain is often multifaceted. Sometimes it’s as simple as stretching more frequently throughout the day. Other times you may need some soft tissue work including cupping, dry needling or ART to relax things first before you can tolerate stretches and exercises. Maybe you have a bulging disc that’s pressing up on a nerve.  I strongly recommend seeing a professional if you think you are having type of nerve pain. You have to be cautious with how you go about exercising as to not further irritate it. Stay tuned for part two where I show you some of my favorite exercises for neck pain and stiffness. 

Yours truly,

Savannah Torrez, PT, DPT, COMT

“Progress is not always linear”