Stiff Neck? Here's What Your Body's Trying to Tell You

A stiff or tight neck isn't usually cause for major concern, but it can cause major discomfort. So if turning or lifting your head has started to feel like a Herculean effort, you're likely looking for an explanation — and some relief.

Most cases of neck stiffness are the result of bending the neck for too long, which strains the neck muscles, explains Jian Guan, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute-South Bay and Spine Institute at Providence Little Company of Mary in Torrance, California.

But in some cases, the culprit could be more serious. Here's how to figure out what's causing your stiff neck and what you can do to feel better.

Long scrolling stretches can take a toll on your neck. Looking down at your device puts your neck into a bent position, which can lead to tightness or stiffness.

"It's the most common cause of modern neck pain," Dr. Guan says. "Doing it for hours at a time puts an enormous strain on the neck and can lead to stiffness and pain even in people without any structural neck problems."

Unchecked stress or anxiety can lead you to tense your muscles. You might clench your jaw, hunch up your shoulders or even stiffen your neck, all without even realizing it.

And that can lead to pain or stiffness in your neck, head or shoulders, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Any kind of injury or trauma to your neck can lead to pain or stiffness, including sports injuries and car accidents. The injury often stems from whiplash, when a sudden movement (like being jerked in a car or quickly pivoting to a different direction) forces your neck to twist in an unnatural way.

While anyone can be affected, people assigned female at birth (AFAB) and older adults are more prone to neck sprains from whiplash, the Cleveland Clinic notes.

A pinched nerve happens when a nerve in the neck becomes compressed or irritated, either from age-related wear and tear or a sudden injury.

This compression "causes some of the neck muscles to contract abnormally or causes weakness in some muscles, forcing others to work harder," leading to pain or stiffness in the neck, Dr. Guan says.

The pain might also run down your shoulders or arms.

Some types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and post-traumatic arthritis, can affect your neck, per the Cleveland Clinic. As the cartilage around your neck joints wear down, the joints can start to rub directly on each other, causing pain or stiffness.

Rheumatoid arthritis most often affects people AFAB ages 30 to 60 and tends to cause stiffness and swelling throughout the body, along with weakness or fatigue.

Osteoarthritis, which is the result of natural wear and tear, usually occurs in older adults, and may only affect one part of the body.

Post-traumatic neck arthritis can develop after a neck injury.

If your neck pain or stiffness is accompanied by muscle pain in other parts of the body, fatigue, trouble sleeping and trouble concentrating, the culprit could be fibromyalgia.

The condition, which is thought to be caused by abnormal pain sensors in the brain, isn't well understood. But it's more likely to occur in people AFAB and can coexist with other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), anxiety and depression, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In rare cases, neck stiffness could stem from a serious underlying health problem that requires medical attention. These include:

Meningitis occurs when a viral or bacterial infection causes inflammation around the brain and spinal cord. The inflammation can cause sudden symptoms that quickly worsen, including neck pain or stiffness, nausea or vomiting, light sensitivity, confusion, lethargy and small red bumps on the skin, the Cleveland Clinic notes.

Meningitis most often occurs in children under 5 or those with compromised immune systems.

Seek immediate medical attention if you or someone else has meningitis. The condition can quickly become life-threatening, but it is treatable with medications.

Cancer of the throat can cause neck pain or stiffness, as well as pain when swallowing, ear ringing and trouble hearing.

Cancer of the salivary glands can also cause neck pain alongside swelling of the chin or facial numbness, according to the National Cancer Institute.

See your doctor if you have neck pain that won't go away or other possible head and neck cancer symptoms. They can perform diagnostic tests and determine the best treatment.

Neck stiffness can often be chalked up to lifestyle habits, Dr. Guan says. To keep the tightness at bay, you can:

• ‌Be mindful about your posture.‌ Bring your phone up to your face instead of bending your head down to stare at your screen. That'll take a lot of pressure off of your neck, says Dr. Guan.
  
• ‌Check your sleeping position.‌ Your side or back are the most neck-friendly positions, Dr. Guan says. Use pillows strategically to keep your neck and spine in a neutral alignment and prevent neck pain from sleeping. "You should be able to draw a relatively straight line from the top of your head to your lower back," he says.
  
• ‌Assess your work setup.‌ You should be able to see your laptop or desktop while keeping your neck in a neutral position (aka, looking straight forward rather than up or down), Dr. Guan says.
  
• ‌Take stretch breaks at work.‌ Periodic neck and shoulder stretches can help relieve neck tightness and prevent it. Try doing these exercises a few times a day if you spend long stretches sitting at a desk.
  
• ‌Don't carry heavy loads on your shoulders.‌ Trade the heavy backpack or messenger bag for a rolling luggage bag, recommends the Cleveland Clinic.
  

Most cases of mild neck stiffness will ease up with at-home measures. But you should see your doctor if the stiffness or pain is severe, isn't getting better after a few days, spreads down your arms or legs or is accompanied by a headache, numbness or weakness, recommends the Mayo Clinic.

Seek emergency medical attention if you have symptoms of meningitis or have sustained a severe neck injury. These conditions require immediate treatment.