“Why does my neck ache after waking up?”
I'm an 18 year old male. I recently began waking with an upper neck ache that does not seem to go away. What can be the cause?
11 Answers
It could possibly be a bad pillow. I could be the position in which you’re sleeping. It could be you have an existing issue in your neck that needs to be resolved.
Poor sleeping posture can stress your muscles and cause Subluxation due to cripp phenomenon- slow tissue deformation under a gentle load.
often people who sleep in poor sleeping posture will wake up with pain.
Depends on the mattress and pillow combination.
often people who sleep in poor sleeping posture will wake up with pain.
Depends on the mattress and pillow combination.
Neck ache upon waking can come from several possibilities. It is possible that your pillow may be too high or just plain old worn down. You may also have some vertebral misalignments or degenerative changes that may contribute to a neck ache.
It depends on many things like your activity level throughout the day like working out or sitting in poor posture at the computer. It can also depend on any injury that you may have or have had in the past. If all of those are normal with no injury noted, then it may be your pillow or sleep position. Laying on your stomach or using a poor pillow without proper support can make your neck stiff when waking up. I suggest getting checked out by a chiropractor to see what the cause is.
Vishal K. Verma, DC, CCSP
Vishal K. Verma, DC, CCSP
Your bed or the pillow may be too old or worn out, causing a cervical subluxation (misalignment) which can be painful. See a Doctor of Chiropractic for an evaluation.
Victoria E. Malchar
Chiropractor
Often neck pain is caused by improper sleeping positions and / or not using the correct pillow. If your head is too high or too low this could lead to chronic muscle pain and spasms, especially of the sub-occipitals which are located at the base of your skull. Try sleeping on your side with your head level. Be sure to get a chiropractic evaluation to see if your cervical curve has been altered which leads to chronic neck instability, pain, headaches and spasms. Buy a chiropractic approved pillow and have your chiropractor evaluate it for your size..
Hi there, improper sleeping positions can cause you to wake up with upper neck ache. Sometimes having double pillows causes a stretching of the upper neck muscles leading to a spasmodic type feeling or stiffness. This can occur laying on the back. If you try using one pillow verses two it can help alleviate some of the muscles soreness upon waking. Laying on left side is best, with pillow between knees, and on the back is second in my opinion.
There are too many reasons to know without seeing you basically. It could be your pillow. Could be your activities, maybe a change in your diet. You need to see a chiropractor who is curious to investigate along with a good examination, etc. Don't give up. Get in to see a chiropractor. You will probably feel better afterward.
New Pillow?
Something is wrong, maybe the way you are sleeping or wrong pillow.
The cause can be from the muscles, nerves or joints of the neck. I advise going to a Chiropractor or Doctor of Physical Therapy to identify the cause and treat it.
