What is neck pain? We mean that localized pain in the neck also called “neck pain”, which can occur at any age.
Neck pain can be the result of stress, tension, and poor posture, but also changes in temperature and humidity tend to affect more with aging. Even young people, however, can suffer from it, especially if they have previously suffered local musculoskeletal trauma. It is mostly an inflammation of the cervical spine, identifiable as neck pain. On this page, you will find lots of information on the causes and remedies to relieve neck pain.
Neck Pain: What Are The Symptoms?
Knowing and identifying the symptoms of the inflamed neck helps to better define the problem and solve it as quickly as possible.
Neck pain may be associated with compression of the nerves in the neck, which can cause numbness, weakness, or a tingling sensation in the hands or arms.
The cervical musculature, in case of instability between two vertebrae of the upper part of the spine, tends to contract, narrowing the central and lateral channels of the spine where the nerves pass, thus triggering pain.
Neck pain can also be accompanied by a feeling of muscle stiffness and headache.
Neck pain can be associated with different symptoms: dizziness, headache, nausea, and sensory disturbances can be experienced. The muscles of the neck and back can also be affected by inflammation of the cervical spine, with muscle stiffness and contracture.
You may hear or feel pops or creaks when you move your head, due to the rubbing of the joint and vertebral structures.
These crunches are caused by wear on the elastic disc that acts as a shock absorber between the vertebrae, which can cause chafing between the vertebrae and cervical arthrosis. Symptoms of cervical osteoarthritis can include both finger pain and headache. When the gelatinous content of the disc (nucleus pulposus) comes out, it is called a cervical hernia.
Cervical Pain: Triggering Causes And Consequences Of Pain In The Cervical Spine
Neck pain can get really annoying as it prevents you from performing easier movements, such as turning your head to look around or lifting shopping bags.
In fact, cervical pain can extend to the entire shoulder and head area and involve many muscles.
Based on the structures involved, the following types of cervical pain can be categorized:
- Musculoskeletal neck pain involves muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. If you wake up with your neck turned to one side and locked in that position, it could be an acute form of a stiff neck. Causes can include poor posture or poor sleep support. It usually only lasts 24-48 hours, but it can also take a week to heal. Another cause can be muscle stress, i.e. carrying out work that requires repetitive or too intense effort.
- Radiculopathy: if a nerve root, that is the nerves present in the lateral canals of the spine, is compressed, then the pain in the neck can extend towards the arms, resulting in numbness or weakness.
Remedies For Neck Pain And Good Practices To Follow
Neck pain, therefore, has many causes, from muscle contractures to conditions such as osteoarthritis, or it can depend on stress, tension or incorrect posture, or changes in temperature and humidity.
It is a very common problem and the chances of suffering from neck pain increase with aging. Following practices to prevent pain or doing exercises for the cervical spine can be crucial to avoiding the problem or at least reducing its consequences.
Pay Attention To Posture: Correct Posture
Among the most common causes of neck pain are muscle tension and strains associated with poor posture, for example, watching TV, sitting in front of the computer, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, or bending or twisting the neck excessively. By correct posture, therefore, we mean that position that is ideal not to lead to subsequent cervical pain.
For example, when typing on the computer, it would be advisable to keep your back straight and lean against the chair, not to keep your legs crossed, and to have a distance from the PC that corresponds to the length of the arm. It is also advisable to remember to lower your shoulders, keeping them as far away from your ears as possible.
The tension of the neck muscles can also be caused by stress: when you say “I am very tense” to declare your nervousness, we refer precisely to that anatomical reaction whereby stress tends to create an involuntary muscle contraction. It is therefore important to try to keep the muscles relaxed.
Accidents And Anatomical Causes
Neck pain can also result from accidents and consequent injuries, such as whiplash, which occurs following a rear-end car collision and causes your head to kick back. Another cause could be found in the structure of your neck: for example, misalignment of the neck joints ( cervical dysfunction ).
In both cases, you need to go to your doctor in order to have a specific diagnosis and to get adequate remedies for your case. Your doctor may recommend some cervical spine exercises that can help you relieve pain and get back into motion.
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