Neck pain occurs in the cervical spine region that is situated at the top of the spinal cord. The type of neck pain you can suffer from is typically associated with the trigger point of your symptoms. That is, your condition is dependent on the factor/disorder that has caused you pain in the neck region.
Pain in your neck is most often caused by mechanical injury or a spinal disorder. Common causes include bone spurs, herniated discs, muscle strains and poor posture.
When it comes to treatment, there is a wide range of available options. Although it is recommended to start with the least invasive method first, that is physical therapy, and work your way up from there if this did not work for you.
Alternatively, you can try the Spinal Backrack for an all-natural, side-effect-free patented spinal decompression device to treat the pain in your neck from the comfort of your own home.
Types of Neck Pain
The pain felt in your neck can be split into multiple categories. In this article we will be discussing three of the most common types of neck pain:
- Neck muscle pain, which can usually be felt as local stiffness, is the most easily treatable type of pain in the cervical spine region.
- Nerve pain. When the inner content of your cervical spine has suffered injury, most likely of physical or mechanical nature, the nerves within your spine may be affected and lead to pain.
- Referred pain, that is pain that originates in other parts of the body than where you feel it.
Causes
As previously stated, the type of neck pain that you suffer from can be associated with the condition that has caused it. Below are a few examples of leading causes of pain in the neck.
- Bone spurs. These are bony growths that can form on the facet joints of your spinal column. They can occur at any point along the spine and that includes the cervical (upper region) spine. These can put pressure on the spine, as well as the inner contents of your spinal column and lead to pain, numbness, and other symptoms.
- Cervical radiculopathy. When the inner contents of your spinal cord suffer damage, and your nerve roots are affected as a result, they can become inflamed and lead to pain.
- Cervical spondylosis. This is a medical condition that occurs due to age, and affects the discs in your spine (including the neck sections).
- Damage/injury to the soft tissue in the cervical spine or surrounding region. Mechanical damage can cause long-term effects if it is left untreated for a long period of time, or the event had a shocking/ high impact effect on the region surrounding your upper back and neck region.
- Herniated discs. Just like bone spurs, herniated discs can appear along any point of the spine. When a disc become herniated, the contents within the spinal at that spot become compressed, leading to pain.
- Muscle spasms. They can occur for a variety of reasons, although a lot of the times, they are not severe enough to cause lasting damage, despite the pain. Soothing the affected muscles might help alleviate the pain.
- Muscle strains. Injury is the most common cause of neck muscle strains and require an adequate period of rest to heal.
- Poor posture. Hunching over our desks or frequently looking down at our smartphones can put a strain on our posture and ultimately our neck.
- Spinal compression. The spine can become compressed in any region. This squishes the inner contents of the spinal column, which can cause pain.
- Other spinal cord disorders or injuries
Visual representation of the C1-C7 vertebraethat make up the cervical spine (neck) of the human body
Warning signs/ Symptoms you should not ignore
Notably, there are a few worrying symptoms that require urgent medical care. If you experience any of the following, do not hesitate to seek medical help:
- A high temperature
- A visibly inflamed or deformed neck
- Difficulty in moving your neck, or complete inability to move it
- Having suffered a known injury in the cervical spine area that now prevents you from being able to move your arms or hands
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Pain that radiates to your limbs or other parts of the body
- Pins and needles in your neck or surrounding areas
- Tingling, numbness or loss of sensation in your neck
Diagnosis and Treatment
Just like with any other health problem, it is recommended that you seek medical advice to obtain an accurate diagnosis of your condition and then receive the appropriate treatment.
The first step to receiving a diagnosis is to undergo a physical examination. Your doctor/ spine specialist will take a close look at the site your pain stems from. If any cause for concern is found during this examination, you may be referred to have further tests. That may include an X-Ray, MRI, or CT scan. The aim is to rule out more serious conditions such as broken bones, nerve root damage, or tumours.
Once your diagnosis is confirmed, you may be offered one or more of the following treatment options.
- Follow the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method for soft tissue injuries.
- Physical therapy. It is the most recommended form of treatment thanks to its success in providing pain relief and treating spinal column disorders, including chronic neck pain
- Anti-inflammatory medication. Sometimes, to temporarily alleviate pain in the neck, you may be given medication to reduce inflammation and pain. However, these should be used with caution and only for a short period of time, as they can cause a wide range of side effects, some of them long-lasting.
- Muscle relaxers. This is a type of medication that can temporarily relax the muscles in your neck or back that are responsible for causing you symptoms.
- As a last resort, surgery may be used to treat chronic neck pain cases that could not be treated through less invasive methods.
Spinal Backrack Technology
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