In your neck, there are more than 20 pairs of muscles to help keep your neck stabilized as you carry out head movements. It’s not uncommon to feel a temporary ache in your neck when you look down at your phone for too long or you sleep in an unsupportive position. However, if you feel a sudden pain in your neck out of nowhere, it’s likely that you’re having a muscle spasm.
A neck spasm refers to a muscle contraction, meaning that it tightens up suddenly and with a force that causes temporary pain that can vary from a dull ache to a sharp pain. On average, the duration can range from a few minutes to a few hours. In some cases, the spasm can last days, which can interfere with your ability to carry out everyday activities and impact your overall quality of life. By learning about the possible reasons for your neck spasms, you can gain a better idea of the best ways to treat them.
We’ll go over the potential causes of neck spasms before diving into treatment options, many of which we provide at Panther Physical Therapy.
Causes of neck spasms
Neck pain is relatively common, as it has an incidence rate of up to 21.3% every year. It’s one thing to feel an ache in your neck when you turn your head. It’s another to feel a sudden stab of pain that makes it nearly impossible to move.
With the force and unpredictability of neck spasms, it can feel like they come completely out of nowhere and without a cause. However, there are actually several reasons why you may be experiencing neck spasms, many of which are issues that occur for extended periods and gradually build up to neck spasms as a result.
If you’re having recurring muscle spasms in your neck, be sure to talk to your doctor about any ongoing issues that may contribute to the muscle contractions.
Here are a few reasons why you may be experiencing muscle spasms in your neck:
- Muscle fatigue — We all know what it’s like to feel tired after a long day, especially after a lot of physical exertion. But it’s also possible for your muscles to feel tired, especially after movement. Muscle fatigue refers to muscle weakness that occurs when the force decreases behind your muscle movement. Essentially, they aren’t able to continue carrying out their regular force. In the neck, this usually comes from repetitive neck movements or poor posture. It can lead to muscle spasms as well as soreness.
- Muscle tension — When muscles are tight and tense, it means that the muscles are semi-contracted for an extended period of time and unable to relax. Muscle tension in your neck can occur from stress, poor posture or sleeping in an unsupportive position. If the muscles become overworked, or they’re trying to resist a strain, you may experience a muscle spasm.
- Dehydration — Along with water, there are important electrolytes that are lost when you become dehydrated, such as potassium and sodium. An electrolyte imbalance can lead to muscle spasms in your neck because electrolytes work to transmit signals between nerves to let the muscles know when they should properly contract and relax. When those electrolytes aren’t balanced, it can lead to involuntary contractions.
- Nutrient deficiencies — Several nutrients, such as magnesium and calcium, are essential for proper muscle function. Magnesium relaxes muscles, and calcium regulates muscle contractions. When your body doesn’t have enough of these nutrients, your neck muscles might not function properly, leading to muscle spasms.
- Overuse — Your neck muscles can go through a lot on a daily basis, causing them to be overworked by everyday activities. They can become overused from repetitive neck movements, poor posture, or moving them in an unfamiliar way, such as straining them to move a heavy box. Overused neck muscles can lead to spasms as your body’s defense mechanism.
Treatments for neck muscle spasms
Some muscle spasms last just a minute or two. But when they last hours or even days, it can feel impossible to get through your everyday activities; that’s why it’s important to know how to treat muscle spasms in your neck. Whether you’re currently feeling tight contractions or you experience recurring spasms, there are a few treatment options that can help.
Some treatments for neck muscle spasms can be done with self-care at home, while others require the assistance and insight of a health care professional, such as a physician or physical therapist.
Here are a few treatment options that can help treat your neck muscle spasms:
- Medication — If you’re experiencing a persistent muscle spasm, ask your doctor about taking over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, for temporary relief. For more severe cases, they may prescribe a muscle relaxer.
- Heat therapy — When it comes to tight muscles or spasms, heat therapy is often more effective than ice. Apply a warm or hot compress to your neck for 20-minute increments. The warmth helps to relax your muscles by increasing blood and nutrient circulation to the area.
- Ergonomic adjustments — It’s possible to develop muscle tension or overuse the muscles if you have poor posture. This can often be due to the lack of ergonomics in your workplace. Your physical therapist can make suggestions about how to improve the ergonomics in your work environment, such as adjusting your desk height, to reduce the strain on your neck.
- Stretches — If you want to help your muscles relax, it’s important that they become soft and loose. That’s where neck stretches come in. Your physical therapist can walk you through safe and effective stretches that can help reduce the spasms and stiffness. Common neck stretches for spasms include neck extensions and side-to-side tilts.
- Soft tissue mobilization — A common physical therapy treatment for muscle tension and neck spasms is a manual therapy technique called soft tissue mobilization. It involves the therapist using their hands to find the tight muscles. Then they can break up the knots with firm kneading movements to release the tension and ease the spasms.
Panther PT can help you address your neck muscle spasms
When you feel pain for just a minute or two, it’s easy to brush it off as no big deal. But what if it lasts a couple of hours? Maybe a few days or even a week? If you feel a persistent muscle spasm in your neck or you find that you’re having them on a regular basis, it’s time to seek support from a professional. Physical therapy is an effective option to treat neck pain that comes from muscle spasms.
At Panther Physical Therapy, we understand how frustrating it can be to not know the reason behind your pain. That’s why we’ll conduct an evaluation in your first appointment with us. We’ll assess your symptoms as well as your neck’s strength, mobility and function. We can use that insight to design a personalized treatment plan to help treat your muscle spasms.
Whether you have muscle tension or fatigue, overuse, or an electrolyte imbalance, the treatments at Panther PT can help soothe your muscle spasms so you can carry out your everyday activities. We’ll not only work to help reduce your muscle spasms and stiffness, but we’ll also help you take the preventive measures needed to reduce them in the future by increasing the strength, flexibility and mobility of your neck.
Call us or request an appointment today if you’re experiencing muscle spasms in your neck.