What is Neck Pain?
Neck pain is a common issue, affecting many people over their lifetime. Pain can occur anywhere from the bottom of your head to the top of your shoulders and can spread to the upper back. Neck pain can also be associated with headaches, facial pain, shoulder pain, and arm numbness or tingling. These associated symptoms can be a result of pinched nerves in the neck.
You may also feel a knot, stiffness, or pain in your neck muscles that can lead to difficulty in turning your head. Neck pain can be caused by activities that strain the neck. This can lead to neck strain, a sprain, or a spasm in the neck muscles. In addition, underlying joint changes in the neck can make you vulnerable to pain.
Some Common Causes of Acute Neck Pain Include:
• Carrying a heavy backpack or purse on one shoulder
• Emotional stress can cause the neck muscles to tighten up and ache in response to stress, anxiety, or depression
• Sports injury due to strain from a sudden or unusual neck movement or caused by a collision
• Poor posture due sitting for long periods at a computer, watching TV, reading, or texting on your phone
• Sleeping on your abdomen or in an awkward position
• Trauma from a car accident or a fall
• Holding the head in an unusual position due to painting a ceiling or cradling your home phone between your shoulder and neck
Neck pain is a common issue, affecting millions of people every year. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 75% percent of people will, at some point, experience acute or chronic neck pain in their lifetime.
This is particularly true in large urban centres like Vapi, where for many people, countless hours are spent staring down at their computer or smart phone, resulting in increased postural stress and strain onto their neck and back, often leading to both neck pain and back pain over time.
Neck pain is a common reason people visit their doctor. Neck pain typically doesn’t start from a single injury. Instead, the problem usually develops over time from the stress and strain of daily activities. Eventually, the parts of the spine begin to degenerate. The degeneration can become a source of neck pain.
Knowing how your neck normally works and why you feel pain are important in helping you care for your neck problem. Patients are often less anxious and more satisfied with their care when they have the information they need to make the best decisions about their condition.
This document will give you a general overview of neck pain. It should help you understand:
• what parts make up the spine and neck
• what causes neck pain
• what tests your doctor may run
• how to decrease your pain and increase your mobility
