Crick in Your Neck? Here’s 6 Things That Could Be Causing Your Neck Pain

At some point, everyone wakes up with a crick in their neck. In fact, neck pain is a leading cause of pain in the U.S. You’re more likely to develop neck pain as you get older. Knowing what causes neck pain can help you avoid stiffness and pain in your neck. 

Anything that puts stress on the muscles, tendons, or ligaments in your neck can cause neck pain. And as you get older, the bones in your neck (vertebrae) and the discs between them start to change. These changes can cause neck pain. And old injuries, like whiplash, can act up and cause neck pain too. 

But everyday activities can also cause neck pain by stressing your neck muscles, tendons and ligaments. And if you already have other reasons for neck pain, these activities can make your neck pain worse. While arthritis and old injuries might be harder to treat, you can learn about how to relieve stress caused by these causes of neck pain.

1. Screens

The average adult spends about 10 hours a day looking at a screen. Depending on your screen’s height and position, you may be bending or flexing your neck too much. Added up over the course of a week, that means you’re holding your next at an awkward angle for dozens of hours. This stresses your neck’s muscles, ligaments, and tendons and causes pain.

Studies show that keeping screens that are too high or low can lead to neck pain. Other studies show that people who keep their monitors slightly off to the side report more neck pain. 

So it’s important to keep your screen centered and at eye level to help fight off neck pain. This goes for laptops, computers, TVs, and handheld devices. Another tip – try texting while standing, especially if it’s a long text. Studies show that people bend their necks more when they sit while texting. 

2. Pillows

A good cycle of sleep refreshes your mind and lets your body and immune system recover from the stress. Getting enough sleep is important for your health. But the wrong pillow can put stress on your neck and cause neck pain. 

Pillows that are too high can make you flex or bend your neck too much while you’re asleep. This can lead to muscle and ligament strain and cause neck pain. You want to keep your neck in a straight line with the rest of your body while you sleep. If you’re a back-sleeper, a low pillow will keep your neck in a neutral position overnight. You can also add a pillow under your knees to help straighten your spine and relieve muscle tension in your neck.

If you’re a side sleeper, you may need more pillow height to keep your neck in line with your body. To check, you can ask someone to take a picture of you from the side while lying down on your pillow.

3. Glasses (or contact lenses)

If you wear glasses or contact lenses for vision correction, when was the last time you had your prescription checked? An up-to-date prescription keeps your vision clear. And it also keeps you from developing neck pain. 

People with the wrong eyeglass prescription may turn their head to look through the lens at a different angle. Over time, this leads to neck muscle strain and causes neck pain.  

Studies show that people wearing progressive lenses are more likely to extend their neck. So if you wear bifocals or progressive lenses, it’s even more important to make sure your prescription is up to date. 

So if you’re overdue for your regular eye exam, talk to your eye doctor about whether your vision might be causing your neck pain. 

4. Exercise

Regular exercise provides a variety of health benefits. But some exercise moves can cause neck pain. Exercise routines or sports that involve twisting and turning can lead to neck pain. That doesn’t mean you should stop these activities. But you should talk to a trainer, coach, or physical therapist about fixing your technique. You can then still do your favorite activities without straining your neck.

If you’re doing strength training, be aware that lifting heavy objects can also cause neck pain. Again, working on your form can help you avoid neck pain. It’s also a good idea to give your neck muscles a break when you’re not working out. Avoid putting weight on your upper back muscles by not wearing backpacks or large over-the-shoulder bags. If you’re carrying a heavy object, hold it closer to your body. This helps to take pressure off your neck and shoulders. 

5. Stress

Some evidence suggests that people with higher levels of stress experience more neck pain. There isn’t a completely clear cause and effect relationship between stress and neck pain. But some people do tense the muscles in their neck when they feel stressed. This can cause neck pain and even trigger a tension headache. Some people also clench their jaw when they’re feeling stressed. 

While there’s no quick way to banish stress from your life, there are scientifically proven ways to combat stress. Progressive muscle relaxation and yoga are two ways to ease stress and neck sore muscles.

6. Jobs

If you’ve ever heard someone describing an occupation as a “pain in the neck,” they probably didn’t mean it literally. But it turns out that your job or hobbies can cause neck pain. 

People with jobs that involve a lot of reading, writing, or screen time tend to hold their heads in a slightly bent position (forward head posture). People who need a forward head posture for their jobs are more likely to experience neck pain. And it’s not just a problem for office workers. Any job (or hobby) that involves looking down at an object or surface causes a forward head posture. 

There are steps you can take to combat forward head posture. Take a few minutes every 1 to 2 hours and go to the bathroom or take a quick walk to give your neck a break. 

What can you do to reduce the pain in my neck?

If the above tips aren’t enough to help your neck pain, there’s still other things you can try to reduce your neck pain:

• Strengthening exercises: These focus on muscles in the neck, upper back and shoulders to reduce neck pain. Studies show that supervised exercise programs help people improve muscle strength and mobility. These can help relieve pain.  

• Massage therapy: This can help ease muscle tension. There’s some evidence that easing neck and upper back tension can reduce neck pain. 

• Acupuncture: These techniques have been used for centuries to treat many medical conditions. There’s some evidence that acupuncture can help with neck pain.  

• Cervical manipulation: A chiropractor can help you with this. There’s some evidence that it can provide temporary neck pain relief. 

When should you see a healthcare provider for neck pain?

If you’re having worsening neck pain and at-home remedies aren't working, talk with your healthcare provider. 

You should see a healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms that suggest your neck pain isn’t from muscle, tendon, or ligament strain. This includes:

• Weakness in your arms, hands, or fingers

• Numbness in any part of your body

• Tingling in your arms, hands, or fingers

• Lowered sensation in your hands or fingers

• Pain that shoots down your neck and into your arm

These are signs that the nerves that come from your spinal cord are being pinched or compressed (cervical radiculopathy). Cervical radiculopathy doesn’t go away on its own and can get worse without treatment. Early treatment can relieve your symptoms and stop them from getting worse. 

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Written by:

Jennifer Sample, MD

After a fellowship, Dr. Sample worked as the medical director at the University of Kansas Hospital Poison Center (The University Of Kansas Health System Poison Control Center), which served the state of Kansas for poison exposures. In 2007, she returned to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, as a consultant in clinical pharmacology and medical toxicology.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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