Acute neck pain: causes, rapid relief and prevention
Valentina Diaco
Stiff neck, headache, tight shoulders? It's a familiar story. Your day begins on the train: constantly looking at your phone and craning your head forwards increases the strain on your neck and shoulders. You then spend long hours in the office sat in front of a screen. Little movement, lots of tension. That's what makes neck complaints so prevalent.
Common causes of acute neck pain
- Muscle tension due to prolonged sitting and bad posture: Your gaze is directed downwards, your shoulders are pulled forward, and you remain in this position for long periods.
- Stress: Underlying tightness, grinding your teeth or shallow breathing can trigger tension in the neck area.
- Awkward sleeping position or unsuitable pillows: If you sleep on your stomach or with your head on a raised pillow, you may wake up in the morning with a stiff neck.
- Tech neck: Over time, constantly looking down at your phone places excessive strain on the neck muscles.
- Unusual stresses: Weight training, carrying a heavy backpack or other strenuous physical activities.
- Draughts: When cold air hits the neck directly.
Typical symptoms of neck stiffness
As the name suggests, neck stiffness involves a hardening of the muscles, often accompanied by pulling and pinching pain. Turning your head to the left or right motion gives rise to pain. This can radiate to the shoulders, the back of the head or the arms. Neck stiffness often leads to tension-related headaches and dizziness.
Rapid aid for immediate relief
- Heat: Warming ointments, patches or pillows loosen the muscles. A warm bath can also help.
- Keep active: Take microbreaks while working and keep your body moving. Gentle circular shoulder movements help stimulate blood flow.
- Painkillers can provide short-term relief (up to a maximum of three days).
- After three days or so, physiotherapists can show you specific exercises to help you manage your pain.
- Medical massage and stretching or relaxation exercises also help to treat tension.
Taking painkillers for acute neck pain
Painkillers may be useful to treat neck stiffness. They ease the pain and help stop you adopting painful protective postures that may otherwise increase the tension.
Provided you know how to use them according to the package insert and have taken them before without any problems, you can take them in the recommended dosage for a short period without the need to seek medical advice. If the symptoms do not improve sufficiently after three days at the latest, you should consult a medical professional.
Preventing neck pain
- Improve your ergonomics: Adjust your screen and desk height to promote good posture. You can find specific information in the health tip on ergonomics in the workplace.
- Incorporate short relaxation exercises into your daily routine: Some breathing techniques are particularly well-suited to this.
- Hold your phone at eye level so you maintain an upright posture.
- Instead of sleeping on your stomach, it is better to sleep on your side or your back, as this is kinder on your neck muscles.
- Choose a pillow that supports your cervical spine: neither too high nor too low and adapted to the contours of your head and neck.
Free exercise consultation from santé24
The santé24 exercise specialists provide self-help solutions for tension and pain, help you to prevent falls and offer support with planning training and post-injury rehabilitation. They also offer advice on strength training, ball sports and running. The exercise consultation is free of charge for SWICA customers and is available by appointment. Please contact santé24. More about the exercise consultation.
When do you need to consult a doctor?
- If your neck pain was caused by an accident.
- If you can no longer bend your head down to your chest and you also feel ill or your general wellbeing is impaired.
- If you experience severe headaches accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness or sensitivity to light.
- If the pain radiates to your arms or fingers, possibly combined with a loss of strength, sensory disturbances such as pins and needles, or a reduced sense of touch (feeling of being wrapped in cotton wool).
- If you also experience unexplained weight loss, fever or chills.
For your health: santé24 and SWICA Benecura
Do you have a health question? Our physicians and healthcare professionals at santé24 are available 24/7 on +41 44 404 86 86 for SWICA customers. In addition to telephone health advice, patients whose conditions are appropriate for telemedicine can receive medical services such as diagnostics, treatment, and even e-prescriptions for prescription medications.
Do you feel ill? The SWICA Benecura medical app makes it easy to carry out a digital SymptomCheck. You will receive a personal recommendation about what to do next. Send your information in encrypted form to the santé24 online practice for your telephone consultation to significantly shorten the assessment.
