Stiff Neck that just won't get better ?
Updated: Feb 15
Ok... so most of at some point have woke up in the morning and for no apparent reason have found ourselves with a stiff neck ?
The usual go to assumption is that we have sleep awkwardly or perhaps we have a new pillow ?
Now in some cases the stiffness eases as the day progresses and we just get on with our lives, until that is it starts to return in the evening, we take take tablets and carry on but once again the next day there it is again ! only this time we can hardly turn our head to one side.
So what's going on ? well the most common reason is a soft tissue strain usually to the muscle which connects the neck’s cervical spine with the shoulder.
In the case of this particular condition the muscle has usually sustained a period of overload or contraction beyond its acceptable limits and as this muscle is in constant load whilst we move our arms about.
Many of us sleep on our shoulders which often puts pressure on this area, causing the muscle to contract, this contraction left unchecked will eventually lead to the nervous system not addressing the issue which in turn leads to the muscle dysfunction, tissue adheres and prevents cellular exchange within the structure, the result being a reduced blood supply to the muscle tissue and thus a spasm.
There can of course be other reasons such as, Herniated Cervical Disc, Spinal stenosis and
Cervical osteoarthritis which is why a visit to your healthcare professional for the appropriate diagnosis is essential.
The treatment, In the case of a soft tissue dysfunction addressing this issue can be a relatively quick process as long as your condition is not left for too long before arranging treatment.
Soft tissue release techniques are performed on the muscle structures to release the adhesions in the tissue and promote a circulatory response back to the area, most patients report an improvement almost immediately although this condition should be treated like any other injury, allowing the appropriate rest and recovery following the treatment.
Like all soft tissue injuries, your response time from when your condition first happens is related to your potential recovery time.
Contact Chris on: 07887 898159