Neck muscle contracture: symptoms, causes and treatments

A muscle contracture is a condition characterised by excessive muscle tension of varying intensity. It can affect anyone and almost every muscle group in the body.

A neck contracture, also called a cervical contracture or stiff neck, can become particularly disabling. The pain can even prevent you from moving your head.

Find out everything you need to know about neck muscle contracture, from the symptoms to prevention tips, as well as the most effective treatment methods.

Neck muscle contracture: symptoms, causes and prevention

A cervical contracture is a muscle condition that usually causes more or less severe pain in the neck. Note that cervical is a generic term that can refer to several types of contracture, such as a trapezius contracture or a scalene contracture.

Find out the symptoms and causes that can lead to a neck contracture, as well as some tips to prevent it from occurring.

What are the symptoms of a neck muscle contracture?

People with a neck muscle contracture usually describe the following symptoms:

• Pain of varying intensity located in the neck, which can spread to the head, shoulders and upper back,
• A feeling of stiffness and excessive tension in the neck,
• Difficulty moving the head because of the pain,
• Increased pain when touched,
• Spasms in the neck,
• Headaches,
• Dizziness may sometimes occur.

A neck muscle contracture usually only lasts a few days and does not require any specific medical treatment.

If the symptoms persist or worsen, it is important to see a doctor quickly. The doctor can then identify the exact origin of the neck pain and set up a suitable treatment plan.

Causes and risk factors of a neck contracture

A neck contracture can have several origins. The most common causes and risk factors are:

• Poor posture over a long period,
• A poor head position during the night and unsuitable bedding,
• Practising a sport that involves sudden, repetitive movements,
• Overly intense strain on the neck muscles,
• Trauma caused by a violent impact or a wrong movement,
• Stress and fatigue,
• Various infections (flu, sore throat, etc.) affecting the ear, nose and throat area,
• Etc.

Cervical muscle contracture: how to prevent it?

Here are some tips to help prevent a neck muscle contracture:

• Use suitable bedding (a good pillow, avoid mattresses that are too soft, etc.),
• Do not sleep on your stomach,
• Protect your neck with a scarf or a polo neck when it is cold,
• Warm up properly before doing any sport,
• Adopt a healthy posture during long periods (watching television, at the office, etc.),
• Invest in an ergonomic workstation,
• Have a healthy lifestyle (sleep, diet, stress, etc.),
• Do exercises to strengthen the neck muscles,
• It can sometimes be useful to have your eyesight checked, as focusing problems can cause muscle tension in the neck area,
• Etc.

How to relieve a neck muscle contracture?

Neck contractures are benign conditions that disappear spontaneously after a few days.

However, they can become chronic and last for several months or even several years. In this case, it is important to see a healthcare professional to identify the exact causes of the recurring contractures. They can support the patient by setting up a suitable treatment plan.

Here are some treatments that help relieve the main symptoms of a neck muscle contracture.

Follow-up with a physiotherapist

Support and a suitable treatment plan from a physiotherapist may be necessary to treat chronic contractures.

This professional can relieve the pain felt and improve head mobility using various massage and stretching techniques. They can also recommend certain exercises to patients to strengthen the muscles of the neck area.

A physiotherapist’s role is not limited to relieving symptoms. They also provide education to help limit recurrences. In practice, they carry out a full check-up by asking the patient about their lifestyle habits. Sleeping and working positions are discussed in particular.

Based on their observations, they suggest changes and adjustments to help prevent neck contractures.

Electrostimulation

Electrostimulation is a natural solution that involves stimulating the body’s muscles using low-intensity electrical impulses. These weak electrical currents are generated by a compact device and transmitted to the muscles via electrodes placed on the skin.

Electrotherapy offers many benefits for people suffering from a neck contracture:

• A significant reduction in pain,
• Reduced stress thanks to increased production of endorphins,
• Increased range of motion of the head,
• Gentle, controlled strengthening of the neck muscles,
• Reduced tension and stiffness,
• Etc.

It is important to point out that electrostimulation is not a miracle cure that treats neck pain overnight. It is a natural solution that can be included in an overall treatment plan to optimise results.

Applying heat or cold to relieve a scalene contracture

Applying heat helps reduce the pain felt in the neck. It is also an effective way to reduce stiffness and accumulated tension. Cold, on the other hand, is not recommended for treating contractures in this anatomical area.

Relieving the symptoms of a neck muscle contracture with Bluetens

Made up of a team passionate about sport and technology in the medical field, Bluetens has developed a modern, effective and easy-to-use electrotherapy solution. Its goal: to make electrostimulation accessible to everyone and improve people’s daily lives.

An intuitive app gives access to a wide range of electrostimulation programmes designed to treat certain conditions, such as contractures.

Here are some programmes to use to effectively relieve the symptoms of scalene contractures.

The “Stiff neck” programme

The “Stiff neck” programme is ideal for relieving the pain felt and improving range of motion when neck rotation is limited. It is a programme made up of seven individual electrostimulation sessions spread over one week.

To access it, simply open the Bluetens app on your smartphone and go to the “Generic treatment” section. Then select the body part “Upper back” and choose the “Stiff neck” programme.

You get the essential information directly on your smartphone so you can carry out each session in the best conditions. From the recommended duration to electrode placement with an illustration, everything is in place for a safe and effective session.

The “Acute pain” programme

The “Acute pain” programme has been specially designed to relieve recent, intense pain, such as that felt with a neck contracture. Lasting 20 minutes, it can be used up to five times a day as needed.

To access it, go to the “Single session” section of the app. Then simply choose “Cure” and “Upper back”, and select the “Acute pain” programme in the “Pain relief” section.

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