What is Neck Pain?
Neck pain is what it sounds like – pain in or around your neck, which is the portion of your spinal cord known as the cervical spine. It could be caused by a range of conditions, but typically will present with some kind of tenderness or limited range of motion.
Unfortunately, neck pain knows no bounds in who it affects – and because of the complex make up and use of your cervical spine each day, it’s likely that you’ll experience pain in some form during your lifetime.
Chronic neck pain, which is pain that has persisted for more than three months, should be seen by a medical professional at your soonest convenience. Request a free consultation today.
What Are The Symptoms of Neck Pain?
Neck pain typically represents a spectrum of disorders affecting the cervical spine is a spectrum. Some mild cases could be treated at home. This is typically if you’ve woken up after a restless night or sleeping in an abnormal position.
If the pain does not subside, or worsens, it’s critical that you seek medical advice. Other symptoms that may indicate the need for an examination may include:
- A stiff neck
- Weakness in your arms or hands
- Increasingly limited range of motion
- Pain or tingling that extends through the neck and into hands/fingers
What Causes Neck Pain?
There’s a variety of reasons that you could be experiencing this kind of pain, from poor posture, to an injury of the soft tissue and neck muscles, or even osteoarthritis causing bone spurs that rub on or compress your nerve roots.
Some of the most common causes are:
- Poor posture
- Aging
- Physical strain or injury
- Degenerative disc disease
- Cervical herniated disc
What Are My Treatment Options For Neck Pain?
The treatment that your doctor chooses for you will depend on a range of factors, including but not limited to the source of your pain, the severity, duration of symptoms and your medical history.
This is why it’s imperative that you seek proper medical care for this kind of injury, to ensure the treatment is comprehensive and customized to you. Some of the ways your doctor may treat your pain are:
1. Rehab therapy – Physical therapy specialists will develop a custom exercise plan, designed to encourage normal, pain-free movement. This, alongside at home stretching, can enable you to resume normal activities and relieve your pain.
2.Trigger Point Injections – This treatment involves a special kind of injection that has anti-inflammatory properties helping to relieve pain, this is particularly helpful for conditions caused by injury or other forms of inflammation.
3. Chiropractic care – Depending on the underlying cause of your neck pain, you may find relief in chiropractic adjustment. This consists of our chiropractor repositioning any spinal abnormalities that may be causing compression of a nerve, and leading to your pain.
4. Spinal Decompression Therapy – This kind of non-surgical therapy works to stretch the spine, allowing you to release any tension held in your spinal canal, limiting the pressure and pinching of the nerves that’s causing the pain.
Frequently Asked Questions About Neck Pain
What is the fastest way to relieve neck pain?
The fastest way to relieve your neck pain is to find the root cause of the pain. This is why you should schedule an appointment with a doctor to ensure the proper treatment plan is given.
How do I know if my neck pain is serious?
If you’re in enough pain that you’re searching for this answer, we recommend that you seek medical attention for proper diagnosis, pain relief and ongoing treatment.
In general though, stiffness, limited ability, and/or weakness in your arms or hands are sure signs that your neck pain could require medical attention.
How should I sleep if my neck hurts?
This will depend on how your neck hurts, and why it hurts. But overall, sleeping on your back with the proper neck support from your pillow is the most common recommendation for sleeping with neck pain.
