For most neck pain, what helps is movement, targeted strengthening of the neck, shoulders and upper back, and short breaks from the screen. Warmth and massage often ease the symptoms for a few hours or days, but they do not replace exercises. If the pain radiates into your arm, your fingers tingle, or you also have fever, dizziness or a severe headache, your neck needs a doctor.
Where neck pain usually comes from
In most cases there is no single, clearly identifiable cause. Specialists then speak of non-specific neck pain. Typical triggers are sitting in the same position for a long time, a screen at the wrong height, looking down at your phone, stress and little movement in everyday life. The muscles between the back of the head and the shoulder blade then work against gravity for hours and eventually make themselves felt with pulling, pressure or stiffness.
Less often, a disc, a trapped nerve, wear in the cervical spine or an accident is behind it. You can often recognise these cases by additional signs, described further down.
What helps according to studies
Strengthen rather than just stretch
The most thorough review of exercises for neck pain to date is a Cochrane review of 27 studies. For chronic neck pain, it found moderate-quality evidence that strengthening exercises for the neck, shoulder girdle and arms noticeably reduce pain. Stretching alone, by contrast, brought no measurable benefit in the studies. That does not mean stretching does harm. It is just usually not enough on its own.
Keep moving
Resting feels right, but often prolongs the symptoms. A stiff neck usually becomes mobile again faster with careful movement than by keeping still. Turn your head slowly in all directions, as far as you can without stabbing pain, and repeat this several times a day.
Warmth
A cherry stone pillow, a warm shower or a neck massager with a heat function relax the muscles and make exercises more pleasant. Warmth is not a cure, but a good way to start the day or an exercise session.
What massage does
Many people find a neck massage the quickest relief. The studies on this should be read with caution: a Cochrane review of 15 studies found evidence that massage may reduce pain and tenderness in the short term. However, the quality of the studies was low, and nothing certain can be said about the long-term effect.
In practice, this means: massage is a good addition to release tension and clear your head. It works best together with movement and strengthening. For use at home, a neck massager with heat that you use for ten to fifteen minutes in the evening is a good choice. Which device suits which kind of tension is explained in Which massager for neck tension. If you would rather lean back completely, you can book the NAIPO Relax Lounge in Hamburg and spend an hour in a massage chair.
Four exercises for every day
The following exercises are simple and need no equipment. Do each one slowly and without momentum. A slight pull is fine, stabbing pain is not.
- Chin tuck: Sit upright and push your chin straight back horizontally, as if you were making a double chin. Hold for five seconds, repeat ten times.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades: Draw your shoulders back and down, moving the shoulder blades gently towards the spine. Hold for five seconds, repeat ten times.
- Shoulder shrugs with weight: Hold a full water bottle in each hand, slowly raise your shoulders towards your ears and lower them again. Two sets of ten repetitions.
- Rowing with a band: Loop an exercise band around a door handle, hold both ends with straight arms and pull your elbows back. Two sets of twelve repetitions.
Strengthening does not work overnight. Expect a few weeks of doing the exercises three to four times a week.
Workstation and phone
The top edge of the screen should be roughly at eye level, and the keyboard close enough that your elbows stay relaxed beside your body. Set an alarm to remind you to take a short break every hour. With your phone, it helps to hold it higher instead of lowering your head. More on this in Neck massagers for text neck and in Massagers for the desk and office.
When you should see a doctor
Have neck pain checked by a doctor if any of these apply:
- The pain radiates into your arm or hand, or your fingers tingle or go numb.
- Your arms or hands feel weak.
- You also have fever, a severe headache, dizziness, nausea or vision problems.
- The pain started after a fall or accident.
- The symptoms do not improve after two to three weeks or are particularly bad at night.
With these signs, you should also not use massage or a massager until the cause has been found.
Frequently asked questions
How long does neck pain usually last?
Acute, non-specific neck pain often subsides within a few days to weeks. If it lasts longer than three months, it is called chronic neck pain. A targeted exercise programme is then particularly worthwhile.
Does a massager help with neck pain?
It can release tension in the short term, and many people find it helpful. The studies on massage mainly show a short-term effect. Combine the device with exercises and movement.
Is warmth or cold better?
With tense muscles, most people find warmth more pleasant. Cold is more appropriate after a fresh injury. If in doubt, ask your doctor.
Sources
- Gross A, Kay TM, Paquin JP et al. (2015): Exercises for mechanical neck disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004250.pub5
- Patel KC, Gross A, Graham N et al. (2012): Massage for mechanical neck disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004871.pub4
This article does not replace medical advice.
Written by NAIPO Editorial Team · Massage & Product Experts from Hamburg
Product experts, service technicians, and massage enthusiasts at Alsterwell GmbH — specializing in massage technology for over a decade, with our own workshop and showrooms for test sitting.
Fact-checked by David Eberst · Co-founder of NAIPO
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.