I Must Have Slept Wrong

How many of us have heard or said those words?  I know I have!  My favorite is, "I have a crick in my neck".  I love that word, "crick".  Dictionary.com says that crick is indeed a noun, meaning a sharp spasm pain in the neck.  Most of us are referring to a stiff neck.  In this post you will read about what causes a stiff neck, how you can relieve a stiff neck by stretching, and how you can prevent stiffness. 

Stiff necks occur for many reasons.  Personally, I think its a common pre-physical therapy student symptom!  I always get a stiff neck after several hours of studying from my neck staying in the same position for a long time.  Its the end of summer semester and I'm feeling pretty stiff.  This is common for people with desk jobs as well.  Stiff neck also happens when yes, sleeping in a position that puts strain on the neck.  Hopefully you are never a victim of whiplash for this causes neck stiffness for 6 months to even years! 

No matter the cause, the neck muscles are tight and need release.  If a physical therapist had a mantra for anything it would be, "Stretch! Stretch! Stretch!". Below is a  great video to instruct you on how to gently stretch out that crick in your neck. If you've had a recent neck injury please consult your doctor or physical therapist before performing.  Otherwise, let's stretch!

     

                                                                   

 Now that those neck muscles are all stretched and hopefully feeling better I am going to tell you how you can prevent the stiffness from returning.  Before you have the chance to get all tensed up again, stretch again.  Do this a few times a day until you are confident you have made a full recovery.  If you know you are going to be sitting for awhile in the same position, perform these stretches before you get too comfortable and take time out of your long work or study session and stretch some more.  Be sure you are sleeping on a firm matress and that your neck is properly aligned with your spine to prevent that "slept wrong" feeling.  When you are in a car, make sure the headrest is aligned with your head.  A properly aligned headrest will keep your head from whipping back to quickly if an accident were to occur. 

Lastly, if you suffer from chronic neck stiffness, first and foremost see a doctor.  Once all injuries and traumas are ruled out you may have weak muscles that are susceptible to strain.  You can perform daily neck exercises to improve your muscle strength.  Below is another great video that demonstrates neck strengthening exercises.  The video is titled Whiplash Exercises Neck Strengthening but these are exercises you can use with or without whiplash injury. 

I find these stretches and exercises very relaxing to the mind as well as the body.  I believe relaxation is key to recovery.  I hope you have found what causes stiffness, how to alleviate the tension, and how to prevent it useful.  Have you ever referenced the crick in the your neck or had a whiplash injury?  How did you coax it away?  If you performed any of these stretches or exercises, what do you think?  I want to hear your experiences.  Until next time, keep stretching!