Neck pain is a common problem faced by lots of people. It can be the result of a wide array of health conditions, ranging from mild to serious in nature. Constant neck pain that persists for an extended period is generally caused by an underlying health condition that requires a medical diagnosis.
Some of the main causes of neck pain include arthritis, narrowing of the spinal canal, strain or trauma. Let’s obtain a detailed overview of neck pain causes, its symptoms, and the treatment available for it.
Neck Pain Symptoms
The following signs and symptoms are an indication of neck pain:
- Stiffness in the neck: Experiencing a feeling of stiffness in the neck and a reduced range of motion.
- Sharp pain: Sharp pain in a specific region of the neck.
- Pain when moving: Pain experienced in the neck portion while moving, bending or stretching the cervical spine.
- Radiating pain or numbness: Neck pain that spreads to the arms, shoulders, head and chest along with numbness and a tingling sensation in those areas, often due to a pinched nerve.
- Headache: Pain that begins in the neck leading to a headache, identified as cervicogenic headache and as a symptom of a migraine headache.
- Pain when palpated: Experiencing a rise in neck pain when your cervical spine is being examined by a healthcare professional.
What Causes Neck Pain?
Neck pain can result from various health conditions such as muscle inflammation, strain, trauma, disc degeneration, arthritis, spinal canal narrowing, meningitis, or even cancer in rare circumstances.
Let’s get to know some of these reasons in detail:
Muscle Tension and Strain
This is generally a culmination of:
- Sleeping with the neck in a poor position
- Wrong posture
- Sedentary lifestyle with no activity in between
- Jerking neck while doing exercise
Injury
Neck pain is commonly caused by the following types of injuries:
- Falls
- Vehicle accidents
- Sports-related injuries
- Sudden jerking of the head
Meningitis
A potentially deadly disease, meningitis is basically inflammation of the membranes that encircle the spinal cord and brain. It’s usually caused by an infection and results in neck pain accompanied by stiffness.
Other causes
Other causes of neck pain include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis: A chronic inflammatory condition that impacts various joints, rheumatoid arthritis may cause neck pain due to bone spurs or joint inflammation.
- Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis usually affects the knees/hands by weakening the bones and causing tiny fractures in them.
- Fibromyalgia: A disorder that results in tenderness and muscle pain across the body, with pain in the neck and shoulder area.
- Spinal stenosis: A spinal disorder that can cause chronic neck pain, spinal stenosis is characterised by narrowing of the spinal column.
How to Ease Neck Pain at Home
Neck pain is generally mild in nature and can be cured at home with basic conservative treatments and rest. The following are some of the common treatments used at home to treat neck pain:
- Applying ice/heat packs
- Consuming over-the-counter painkillers
- Maintaining good posture
- Simple neck stretching exercises
- Adequate rest
When to See a Doctor?
If home remedies don’t work and the neck pain persists and hinders your everyday life, then it’s well-advised to consult a doctor for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Here are some of the symptoms that necessitate medical evaluation:
- Neck pain without any identifiable reason
- Having trouble moving the neck
- Lump or swelling in the neck region
- Numbness in the neck
- Tingling feeling in the neck area
- Difficulty in breathing/swallowing
Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Treatment for Neck Pain
Relief from chronic neck pain without any risky surgery or heavy medicines/injections is very much possible! The non-surgical spinal decompression treatment helps treat neck pain caused due to spinal disorders at a lower cost without hospitalisation or side effects.
A typical procedure of such treatment includes:
- Your spine will be gently stretched and released through repetitive movements.
- This will cause a negative pressure change within the spinal joints, thus facilitating the pulling back of the nutrients into the disc.
- This causes a physiological change which reduces pain levels and aids the body’s natural healing process.
About ANSSI:
ANSSI Wellness focuses on improving the quality of life for patients suffering from spinal issues, aiming to provide relief where other conventional treatments have failed. Through advanced non-surgical spinal decompression treatment, ANSSI is committed to helping patients avoid surgery and recover in a safe, effective, and compassionate environment. Connect with ANSSI Wellness on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for expert guidance.
FAQs
Reference:
Gionis, Thomas A., and Eric Groteke. “Spinal decompression.” Orthopedic technology review 5 (2003): 36-39. https://comfortrac.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Spinal_Decompression.pdf
Daniel, Dwain M. “Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy: does the scientific literature support efficacy claims made in the advertising media?.” Chiropractic & Osteopathy 15.1 (2007): 1-5. https://chiromt.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-1340-15-7
