How to Relieve a Stiff Neck? The Mistake We All Make When Our Neck Gets Stuck

Ouch... The neck is stuck again. It happens to all of us, sometimes more, sometimes less. Suddenly, the neck "locks up," and we suffer from sharp pain and difficulty moving our head normally.

A stiff neck can be caused by many reasons: asymmetric sports activities, accidents and injuries, and more everyday things like too strong air conditioning directed right at the neck or back, prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position, bad sleep, and more.

You can try to prevent situations of a stiff neck with a few simple daily actions. If you work on a computer, for example, make sure you're at a suitable height for the task. While sitting straight, your arms should lie on the desk at a 90-degree angle, and your gaze should meet the monitor directly without needing to raise or lower your head.

When exercising, it's important to do it symmetrically—every exercise performed on the right side should also be done on the left side. This helps balance the body and prevents muscle spasms.

At night, it's recommended not to sleep on your back or stomach, but rather on your side, among other things to protect your back. Rambam writes this and recommends sleeping on the left side of the body, and during the night turning onto the right side.

It is advisable to do basic neck-release exercises daily, even if the neck isn't stuck. Once the neck is stuck, performing the exercises becomes harder and more painful, so it's better to prevent the situation. Gently stretch the neck to the sides, lower the head down, and rotate the head from side to side.

How to Release an Already Stiff Neck?

When the neck is stuck, it's advised to take several deep, mindful breaths that help with general relaxation, including of the neck. It's important not to keep your head fixed in one position; instead, maintain movement and perform gentle neck-stretching exercises. Of course, avoid sharp or sudden movements, but gentle actions are vital for releasing the neck.

Many people naturally tend to warm the neck when it is stuck. Surprisingly, heating actually harms the stiff muscle. Warming might soothe the pain locally, yet it increases blood flow to the area, making the nerves and tissues more sensitive, causing the area to become more painful and heal more slowly. Therefore, it's actually recommended to cool the neck with wrapped ice cubes or similar, for short periods—a minute or two each time. Cooling also eases the pain and numbs the area, while aiding long-term recovery.

If home methods aren't helpful, you can resort to alternative medicine techniques like acupuncture and others. If the neck remains stiff for over 3 days, or if it is accompanied by extreme weakness, headaches, blurred vision, vomiting, or fever, you should quickly seek emergency medical care.