05/25/2026
It’s real… and nobody wants to talk about it… Well that stops today
Ever wake up and suddenly feel like you “slept wrong” and now you can’t turn your neck?
One common cause is something called a facet joint irritation or “wry neck.”
The small joints in the neck (facet joints) help guide motion and provide stability. Sometimes after sleeping in an awkward position, stress, poor positioning, or sudden movement, these joints and the surrounding muscles can become irritated and protective.
Common symptoms:
• Sharp pain with turning the head
• Neck stiffness/spasm
• Feeling “stuck” in one direction
• Pain when looking over the shoulder
• Muscle guarding around the neck and upper trap
The good news:
Most cases improve well with the right movement, gentle mobility work, improving blood flow, and gradually restoring normal motion.
In many cases, complete rest actually makes it feel worse. Controlled movement is usually helpful.
The next thing to do is get it moving again asap! Next time this happens, give us a call and we will get your neck back to normal in no time!
