Virtually everyone suffers from neck pain from time to time. Unbalanced posture, overexertion, injury, and more can contribute, so rest and self-care solves the problem.
Persistent, or chronic, neck pain isn’t as frequent, but it can be a big problem when it starts to interfere with your daily life. The team at Active Care Chiropractic & Rehabilitation can help with diagnosis and treatment, as well as developing a plan to keep you pain-free.
We’re neck and shoulder pain specialists, so contact us the next time persistent neck pain gets in the way of your routine.
Given the weight of your head, the neck has a challenging support role. Since head movement is important, your neck needs to be both strong and flexible, two characteristics that sometimes have different demands.
Neck pain can take several forms. Common symptoms include:
Medical attention for neck pain may be urgent if your pain results from an injury such as an auto accident or athletic participation, particularly in contact sports. If your neck issue causes severe pain, spreads down your arms or legs, or includes headache, numbness or tingling, or muscle weakness, seek immediate medical care to rule out serious injuries.
You can develop neck pain for a wide range of reasons, but like many medical conditions, there are both common and obscure causes. Let’s look at five general categories of neck pain causes, covering many of the reasons that may be behind your case.
Since your neck supports a heavy weight, it’s not difficult to overload soft tissues like ligaments, muscles, and tendons. One of the most common reasons behind soft tissue strain is unbalanced posture.
Whenever you perform a motion that takes your head out of neutral posture, your neck’s soft tissues come under increased strain. This happens when you tip your head forward to view your computer, smartphone, tablet or book.
The spinal column is a complex structure that permits movement while protecting elements of your central nervous system. Nerves branch off the spinal cord and pass through spaces between vertebrae and soft tissue.
When these spaces narrow, from problems like spinal stenosis or herniated discs, nerve roots can become compressed or irritated. The cervical spine section at the neck is a frequent site of problems.
Joints can wear out over time, a condition called osteoarthritis, and the joints of the spine are no exception. A common injury response is bone spurs, which can cause spinal stenosis and otherwise interfere with neck mobility.
The weight of the head leaves you prone to motion injuries, such as in car accidents and sports contact, causing an often multifaceted injury called whiplash. Awkward movements and falls can also strain the soft tissues of the neck, causing persistent pain.
We’ve already seen how osteoarthritis can affect the bones of the neck. Other forms of arthritis, cancer, and meningitis are some of the diseases that feature neck pain as a symptom.
The important takeaway from today’s blog is that you don’t need to live with persistent neck pain. Call or click to request an appointment with the nearest location of Active Care Chiropractic & Rehabilitation today.
