Woke up with a stiff neck?
Few things can derail a productive day faster than waking up with a “kink” in your neck.
I’ve experienced it myself, and fortunately, many episodes of neck stiffness are both preventable and treatable.
Often, poor sleeping posture, inadequate pillow support, prolonged desk work, and forward head posture contribute to the problem. The good news? A few simple exercises can help reduce stiffness and improve how your neck functions.
1. Retrain Your Neck’s Deep Stabilizers
Many of us spend hours each day with our head positioned forward over a computer, phone, or steering wheel.
Over time, this posture can weaken the deep muscles that support the neck and contribute to stiffness, headaches, and discomfort.
A simple chin tuck exercise can help activate these important muscles:
- Lie on your back.
- Gently nod your chin as if saying “yes.”
- Hold the position for 30-60 seconds while maintaining a long neck.
The goal isn’t force—it’s endurance and control.
2. Don’t Forget the First Rib
For side sleepers especially, an elevated first rib can contribute to neck tightness and restricted motion.
Using a towel or strap, a simple first-rib mobilization can often improve neck mobility and reduce tension around the upper traps and base of the neck.
This is one of the most overlooked contributors to neck stiffness that we assess in the clinic.
Try This: First Rib Mobilization
Place a towel or strap over the top of your shoulder and snug it against the base of your neck. Apply a gentle downward pull while slowly tilting your head away from the strap. Repeat 8-10 times.
3. Improve Upper Back Mobility
Your neck wasn’t designed to do all the work.
The upper thoracic spine should provide extension and rotation during daily activities. When it becomes stiff, the neck often compensates by moving too much.
Over time, this can contribute to recurring episodes of neck pain and stiffness.
Improving upper back mobility often improves neck function as well.
Try This: Thoracic Rotation
Sit upright and assist upper thoracic rotation with your hand.
For rotation left, use the fingers of your right hand to grasp onto the left side of your spine just below the base of your neck. Then, shift your weight onto your right hip while simultaneously turning to look to the left as if you were to look behind you and pulling with your fingers your spine to the right.
4. Build Strength Where You Need It
Mobility is important.
But stability matters too.
One exercise we frequently use at Upwards Physiotherapy is called the Disinhibition Series, which helps strengthen the deep muscles along the back of the neck.
Try This: Disinhibition Series
Lie on your back with a strap positioned behind your neck. Maintain a gentle chin tuck while pulling upward on the strap and resisting with your neck. Hold for 30-60 seconds.
Final Thought
Most people assume neck stiffness is something they simply have to live with.
Often, that’s not the case. The combination of proper nutrition, stress management, mobility, strength, sleep positioning, and movement habits can dramatically reduce recurring episodes of neck pain and stiffness.
Stay active. Stay capable. Stay independent.
The goal isn’t simply to avoid pain.
It’s to maintain the strength, mobility, and confidence to keep doing what you need to do, want to do, and love to do—for decades to come.
Don’t Let a Small Problem Become a Bigger One.
Neck stiffness, headaches, and recurring “kinks” in the neck often start as minor annoyances before becoming persistent problems.
If you’ve been dealing with recurring symptoms, schedule a complimentary Discovery Call. We’ll help you identify the root cause and determine the most efficient path back to moving comfortably and staying active.
To Your Best Health,
Kevin Ford, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, CSCS
Upwards Physiotherapy
