Understanding Neck Spasms: How to Find Relief

What are neck spasms?
A spasm is an involuntary tightening of muscle in your body. It often causes intense pain. This pain can last for minutes, hours, or days after the muscle relaxes and the spasm subsides.
Spasms can happen in any part of your body where there’s muscle, including your neck.
Neck spasm causes

There are many possible causes of neck spasms. For example, you might develop a neck spasm if you:
• strain your neck during exercise
• carry something heavy with one or both of your arms
• place a lot of weight on one of your shoulders with a heavy bag
• hold your neck in an unnatural position for an extended period of time, such as when cradling a phone between your shoulder and ear or when sleeping in an odd position

Other common causes of neck spasms include:
• emotional stress
• poor posture, such as slouching or head tilting
• dehydration, which can cause muscle cramps and spasms

Less common but more serious causes of neck spasms include:
• meningitis, a very serious infection that causes swelling in the brain and spinal cord
• cervical spondylosis, a type of arthritis that can affect the spine
• ankylosing spondylitis, a condition that causes vertebrae in the spine to fuse
• spasmodic torticollis, also known as cervical dystonia, which happens when neck muscles tighten involuntarily and make your head twist to one side
• spinal stenosis, which happens when open spaces in the spine narrow
• temporomandibular joint disorders, also known as TMJs or TMDs, which affect the jaw and muscles that surround it
• trauma from accidents or falls
• whiplash
• herniated disc

Neck spasm symptoms
If you experience a neck spasm, you’ll feel a sudden and sharp pain in one or more parts of your neck, deep in the muscle tissue. The affected muscle might also feel hard or tight. It might be painful to move your neck around.
Neck spasm exercises
Most common, nonserious causes of neck spasms can be treated without medical intervention. If you think you might have a serious neck injury or medical condition, make an appointment with your doctor.

In most cases, gently stretching your neck can help ease stiffness, soreness, and spasms.
Home remedies
Using one or more home remedies might help relieve neck spasms.
Over-the-counter pain relievers

To reduce neck pain from a neck spasm, it might help to take an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever, such as:
• aspirin (Bufferin)
• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• naproxen sodium (Aleve)
• acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Many OTC pain relievers ease muscle tension by reducing inflammation that can worsen the pain of a neck spasm. Read and follow the dosage directions provided on the package of the pain reliever. Some pain relievers can be harmful if used in excess.
Ice pack
Applying an ice pack or cold compress to sore muscles in your neck might provide relief from pain, especially in the first couple of days after you experience a neck spasm.

Heat therapy
Heat therapy might also help soothe pain in your neck. For example, you might find it helpful to take a warm shower or press a warm cloth, warm water bottle, or heating pad to your neck.
Massage
Light activity