Stiff Neck Relief: A Stretch Video and What Really Helps

Stretches and Self-Massage for a Stiff Neck: A Video Guide

Most stiff necks are caused by a strained or tightened muscle, often after sleeping awkwardly or sitting hunched over a screen, and they usually ease by themselves within days to a few weeks. Gentle movement, simple painkillers, heat or cold and a few careful stretches can make you more comfortable in the meantime. The video below, by the chiropractor Dr Alan Mandell, shows one popular routine that combines stretches with pressure on tender points. It may bring quick relief for some people, but it is not a guaranteed 90-second cure, so read the safety notes before you try it.

Why your neck gets stiff

The NHS lists the most common causes of neck pain as sleeping in an awkward position, poor posture such as sitting at a desk for long periods, a pinched nerve and injuries such as whiplash. Many people simply wake up with it. Doctors sometimes call this sudden, painful stiffness "acute wry neck" or acute torticollis, which describes a neck that is held twisted to one side.

In this common form, the muscles usually involved are the large sternocleidomastoid at the front and side of the neck and the trapezius across the back of the neck and shoulders. A muscle in spasm feels tight and tender and protests when you try to turn your head. Clenching or grinding the teeth at night, draughts, colds and long periods in one position have all been suggested as triggers, though often no clear cause is found.

The video describes the problem as a muscle that has shortened and irritated nearby nerves. That is a reasonable simple picture of a muscle spasm, but the exact mechanism behind acute wry neck is not fully understood.

Watch: a stretch and trigger-point routine

In the video, Dr Mandell finds the tender spot in the tight muscle, presses on it with the opposite hand, and slowly turns the head while keeping the pressure on. He then shows cross-fibre massage (rubbing gently across the direction of the muscle), knuckle pressure and a few simple neck stretches.

The idea behind pressure on a sore point is that firm, steady pressure combined with gentle movement may help a guarded muscle relax. The evidence for trigger-point techniques is mixed, and research has not shown they work quickly for everyone, but many people find them soothing. Treat the 90-second promise in the title as a hopeful best case, not an expectation.

How to try it safely

Go slowly. Move within a comfortable range and stop at the first point of sharp pain.
Use moderate pressure. Press firmly enough to feel the tender spot, not hard enough to make you wince. Avoid pressing on the front of the neck near the windpipe and the pulse.
Breathe and relax your shoulders. Tensing up while stretching makes the muscles guard even more.
Repeat a little, often. Short sessions spread through the day are kinder than one long, forceful attempt.
Stop if symptoms change. If you feel pins and needles, numbness, weakness, dizziness or pain spreading down the arm, stop and seek medical advice.

If you have had a neck injury, have a known spinal condition, or are unsure whether these movements suit you, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist first.

What the NHS recommends for a stiff neck

The NHS advice for ordinary neck pain is reassuringly simple:

Keep moving. Continue gentle neck movement rather than holding it still, and do not wear a neck collar unless a doctor has told you to.
Use simple pain relief. Paracetamol or ibuprofen tablets, or ibuprofen gel rubbed on the neck, can help. Follow the dose on the pack and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
Try heat or cold. A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel for about five minutes, up to three times a day, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel for about 20 minutes, two or three times a day.
Sleep on a low, firm pillow and keep your head level with your body.
Avoid risky tasks such as driving or cycling while you cannot turn your head properly.

Most neck pain improves within a few weeks, and the common painful wry neck typically settles in one to four weeks, often sooner.

Preventing the next stiff neck

Change position often. Long periods with the head tilted towards a laptop or phone load the neck muscles. Raise screens closer to eye level and take short breaks.
Sit tall. Every so often, roll your shoulders back and gently draw your chin back so your head sits over your shoulders.
Look after your sleep set-up. The NHS suggests a firm mattress, keeping your head in line with your body, not sleeping on your front and not twisting your neck in bed.
Stay active. Regular movement and gentle neck flexibility exercises keep muscles used to turning.
Notice clenching. If you wake with a sore jaw as well as a stiff neck, mention it to your dentist, as night-time grinding is one suspected trigger.

When to see a doctor

See a GP or your own doctor if the pain has not improved after a few weeks, if painkillers are not helping, if you are worried about it, or if you have other symptoms such as pins and needles or a cold arm. In many parts of the UK you can also refer yourself to an NHS physiotherapy or musculoskeletal service without seeing a GP first.

Get urgent medical help if a stiff neck comes with a high temperature, a severe headache, sensitivity to light, a rash or confusion, or if it follows a fall, a car accident or another injury. These are not the signs of an ordinary muscle strain.

Common myths about stiff necks

"A stiff neck should be rested completely"

Keeping the neck still for long periods tends to make it stiffer. Gentle, regular movement within a comfortable range is usually the better approach.

"If a technique hurts, it is working"

Mild discomfort while stretching is normal, but sharp or increasing pain is a signal to stop.

"There is one trick that fixes every stiff neck instantly"

Some people do feel a lot better after a few minutes of stretching or pressure, and that is worth trying. Others need several days. Neither means something is wrong, as long as the pain gradually improves.

Sources: NHS: Neck pain and stiff neck; Wikipedia: Torticollis; video by Dr Alan Mandell (motivationaldoc) on YouTube. Video first shared by Why Don't You Try This and Sun Gazing.

Related: