Neck Pain

You wake up with a stiff neck and cannot turn your head. Or by the end of a long day on your phone, at your laptop or behind the wheel, your neck and shoulders feel like stone. Neck pain is very common, and most of the time it eases with gentle movement and a few changes to your day.

What is happening

The neck carries the weight of your head all day. When your head tips forward to look at a phone or screen, the load on the neck muscles increases a lot. Hours of driving, looking down at a counter, carrying heavy bags on one shoulder or sleeping on a pillow that is too high or too flat all add strain.

Stress plays a big role. When you are anxious or under pressure, your shoulders rise and your jaw clenches, often without you noticing. This tightens the muscles of the neck and upper back and can lead to tension headaches. Poor sleep then makes the pain feel stronger, and the cycle continues.

Most neck pain comes from muscles and joints and gets better within a few weeks. Sometimes a nerve in the neck is irritated, causing pain, pins and needles or numbness down the arm. This needs a check if it lasts.

Signs to notice

• Stiffness turning or tilting your head
• Aching in the neck, shoulders or between the shoulder blades
• Headaches that start at the back of the head
• Pain that worsens after screen time or driving
• Pins and needles in the arm or fingers

30-second self-check

Answer yes or no:

• Do you spend more than three hours a day looking down at a phone, tablet or laptop?
• Do you drive or sit in a taxi for more than two hours a day?
• Do your shoulders feel tight or raised most days?
• Do you get headaches that start in your neck?
• Has neck pain lasted more than two weeks?
• Do you feel pins and needles or numbness in your arm or hand?

0-1 yes: Your neck is probably coping well. Keep moving and take screen breaks.
2-3 yes: Small changes to posture, breaks and sleep set-up will likely help.
4 or more yes: Consider seeing a physiotherapist, especially if you have arm symptoms or pain that is not settling.

What you can do next

• Today: Gently move your neck through comfortable ranges: look left and right, ear towards shoulder, chin to chest. Do five slow repeats every hour or two.
• This week: Raise your phone to eye level instead of bending your neck down. Lift your screen on a box or books. Swap heavy bags between shoulders or use a backpack.
• This month: Check your pillow: it should keep your neck in line with your body. Add shoulder blade squeezes and chin tucks twice a day.
• Ease tension: Before bed, drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw and breathe slowly for two minutes. Warmth on the neck can help.
• At the wheel: Adjust your headrest so its middle is level with the back of your head, and take a short stretch at every stop.

Your tool

Desk Stretch Routine - a short, guided stretch routine for the neck, shoulders and upper back that you can do at a desk, counter or in a parked vehicle.

When to get professional help

Call Ambulance 10177 or 112 from a mobile, and do not move the person, if neck pain follows a fall, car or taxi crash, or a blow to the head. Get emergency care now if a stiff neck comes with fever, severe headache, vomiting, dislike of bright light or a rash, as this can be meningitis. Call an ambulance if neck or jaw pain comes with chest pain, sweating or breathlessness, which can be a heart attack. See a doctor today if you have new weakness in the arms, clumsy hands, trouble walking or loss of bladder control. See a physiotherapist if pain lasts more than two to three weeks.
Who can help: physiotherapist, doctor, occupational therapist, biokineticist, emergency services

Getting help in South Africa

Your clinic can assess neck pain and refer you to physiotherapy at a public hospital. Many medical aids cover physiotherapy visits. An occupational therapist can review your work station or driving set-up. If stress is feeding your tension and pain, the Cleared Mind 24-hour Careline on 0800 212 146 can help you find ways to manage it.