You've done it before. You go to turn your head when someone calls your name and all of a sudden, OUCH! You've got a sharp pain in your neck!
The muscle grabs every time you try to move your neck. That's a muscle spasm in your neck!
A muscle spasm is an involuntary muscle contraction, and in this case, it can be involving any number of the cervical muscles. They typically act this way as a protective mechanism, to prevent what they think could be damaging.
It's still your muscle! That's the muscle spasm. Muscles should be soft and pliable when they are relaxed and at rest. When they feel hard and lumpy they aren't working at their optimal level.
Heat! Heat those muscles to help them release. Plus mentally being snuggled up with a warm blanket and a heating pad on our neck helps our body to relax and ultimately our cervical spine as well.
Gentle stretching. You don't want to crank very hard on muscles that are holding tight in contraction. We need to calmly convince them to relax on their own.
If you aren't seeing any improvement or it feels like you are a little better but hit a plateau, it's time to talk to a professional. Those spasmed muscles need a little more help to completely release. Your physical therapist will use a variety of manual therapy techniques to calm them down. One tool that is especially helpful is dry needling. We are able to obtain a great reset of the muscle when the needle glides through the tensioned tissue.
Try to be aware of your posture and movements. You don't need to live your life in a bubble and never move. But just be mindful. Also, Your physical therapist will help guide you to strengthening the cervical spine and deep neck flexors.
If you have neck pain and spasms reach out to our office today!