Neck pain
An ache or stiffness in the neck, sometimes spreading into the shoulders or causing a headache at the base of the skull. It is usually linked to posture held for too long, stress or poor sleep, rather than damage. Almost all neck pain settles within weeks, and keeping it moving gently helps it settle faster than keeping it still.
Also called stiff neck, tech neck, desk neck, crick in the neck.
Does this sound like you?
- Stiffness turning your head, for example when reversing the car
- Aching across the top of the shoulders after long spells at a screen
- A dull headache at the back of the head as the day goes on
- It came on gradually, or after sleeping awkwardly
This is not a diagnosis. Several things cause pain in the same place, which is why the list below matters.
Check these first: when it is not neck pain
If any of these apply, get checked before you start the exercises. The ones marked in red can't wait.
- A sudden severe headache, dizziness, double vision, or difficulty speaking or swallowing. Call 999
- It started after a fall, a crash or a blow to the head
- Numbness, weakness or clumsiness in your arms or hands, or trouble with balance
- Fever, feeling unwell, or unexplained weight loss with the pain
- Pain at night that does not ease whatever position you are in
The exercises, in the order you would build them up
How long it takes
Most neck pain eases within a few days to two weeks and is gone within six weeks. If it keeps coming back, the strengthening and breaks from the screen are what make the difference.
What the NHS says
The NHS's own pages on this, to check what you have read here against.
Waiting for an appointment?
Kinehub turns this into a daily plan, adjusts it as you improve or struggle, and keeps the record you hand over when you are finally seen.
Keep reading
More for the neck
- Guide · 3 minSleeping when it hurtsPositions that take the load off a sore back, neck, shoulder or hip, and the night-time pain that needs checking.
- Guide · 3 minSetting up your deskScreen, chair, keyboard and laptop set-up from the HSE's guidance, and why moving often matters more than one perfect posture.
- Guide · 6 minUnderstanding painWhy hurt does not always mean harm, and why that matters when you are deciding whether to move today.
A daily plan for neck pain
Kinehub turns these exercises into a short daily session with a demo for each one, and tracks your pain before and after so you can see whether it is working. Free to start.
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