Description

Neck pain is common. Poor posture — if you lean on a computer or hunching over a workbench — the strains of the muscles of the neck. Osteoarthritis also is a common cause of pain in the neck.

Rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem. Seek medical care for neck pain with numbness or loss of strength in the arms or hands, or for the pain that shoots in a shoulder or an arm.

Symptoms

The symptoms include:

  • The pain is often worsened by holding the head in one place for long periods, as for example when driving or working on a computer
  • Stiffness and muscle spasms
  • Decreased ability to move the head
  • Headache

When to see a doctor

Seek immediate medical attention if severe neck pain results from an injury, such as a motor vehicle accident, diving accident or fall.

Contact a health care provider if the pain in the neck:

  • It is serious
  • Persists for several days without relief
  • Stretches for your arms or legs
  • Comes with headache, numbness, weakness, or tingly feeling

Causes

Due to that the neck supports the weight of the head, you may be at risk of injuries and conditions that cause pain and restrict movement. Neck pain causes include:

  • Muscle tension. Overuse, such as too many hours hunched over a computer or a smartphone, often triggers muscle strains. Even minor things, such as reading in bed can cause tension in the neck muscles.
  • It has been used in the joints. As with other joints in the body, neck, joints tend to use it with age. In response to this wear, the body often forms bone spurs that may affect the movement of the joints and cause pain.
  • The compression of the nerve. A herniated disk or bone spurs in the vertebrae of your neck can press on the nerves that branch from the spinal cord.
  • Injury. The rear of the car collisions often result in whiplash injuries. This occurs when the head moves backward and then forward, forcing the soft tissues of the neck.
  • Diseases. Certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis or cancer, can cause neck pain.

Prevention

The majority of neck pain is associated with a poor posture combined with the age-related wear and tear. To help prevent neck pain, keep the head centered over your spine. Some simple changes in your daily routine may help. Consider trying to:

  • The use of a good posture. When standing and sitting, make sure that your shoulders are in a straight line over your hips and your ears are directly over your shoulders. When the use of cell phones, tablets, and other small screens, keep your head up and hold the device in a straight line instead of bending the neck to look down at the device.
  • Take frequent breaks. If you have to travel long distances or working long hours at the computer, get up, move around, and stretch your neck and shoulders.
  • Adjust your desk, the chair and the computer , so that the monitor is at eye level. The knees should be slightly lower than hips. Use your chair with armrests.
  • If you smoke, stop smoking. Smoking can increase the risk of developing neck pain.
  • Avoid carrying heavy bags with straps over your shoulder. The weight can strain your neck.
  • Sleep in a safe position. The head and neck should be aligned with your body. Use a small pillow under your neck. Try sleeping on your back with your legs elevated on pillows, that flattens out your spinal muscles.
  • Stay active. If you don't move around a lot, increasing your activity level.

Diagnosis

Your health care provider will take a medical history and perform an examination. The exam will include checking of sensation, numbness and muscle weakness. And that will test the extent to which you can move the head forward, backward, and side to side.

Imaging tests

Imaging tests may help find the cause of the neck pain. Examples include:

  • The x-rays. X-rays can reveal areas in the neck, where the nerves or the spinal cord may be cut off by the bone spurs, or other changes.
  • Computed tomography. CT scans combine X-ray images taken from many different directions to produce a cross-section of structures in the interior of the neck.
  • The magnetic resonance imaging. MRI uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create detailed images of the bones and soft tissues. The soft tissues include discs, the spinal cord and the nerves coming from the spinal cord.

It is possible to have X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging evidence of structural problems in the neck without having symptoms. Imaging studies are best used with a careful history and physical examination to determine the cause of the pain.

Other tests

  • Electromyography (EMG). An EMG can determine if the neck pain may be related to a pinched nerve. This involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin into a muscle. The test measures nerve conduction velocity to determine if the nerves are functioning properly.
  • Blood tests. Blood tests can sometimes provide evidence of inflammation or infection that could be causing or contributing to neck pain.

Treatment

The most common types of mild to moderate neck pain usually respond within two or three weeks to self-care. Pain relievers and the use of heat might be all you need.

Drugs

Pain relievers can include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nsaids) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Take these medications only as directed. Overuse can cause serious side effects.

If the pain medicine you can buy without a prescription does not help, your doctor may be able to suggest the prescription of Nsaids or muscle relaxants.

Therapy

  • The physical therapy. A physical therapist can teach you correct posture, alignment and neck-strengthening exercises. Physical therapy may also involve the use of heat, ice, and other measures to help relieve the pain.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Electrodes placed on the skin near the painful areas deliver small electrical pulses that can relieve the pain. However, there is little evidence that DOZENS of works for neck pain.
  • Soft neck Collar. A soft collar that supports the neck can help relieve the pain by taking pressure on the neck. However, if it is used by more than three hours in one or more of 1 to 2 weeks, a collar could do more harm than good.

Surgical and other procedures

  • The steroid injections. A health care provider may inject steroid medications near the roots of the nerves in the spine of the joints or the muscles of the neck. Numbing medication, such as lidocaine, may also be injected to relieve neck pain.
  • Surgery. Rarely is needed for neck pain, surgery may be an option for the relief of nerve root or spinal cord compression.

Lifestyle and home remedies

In addition to taking pain killers for the pain, self-care measures can relieve neck pain include:

  • Alternate heat and cold. Reduce inflammation by the application of cold, as a cold compress or ice wrapped in a towel for 15 minutes several times a day during the first 48 hours. After that, the use of heat. Try taking a hot shower or using a heating pad on the lowest setting.
  • The exercises at home. Keep the neck in movement is important. Begin daily gentle stretches, including the neck rolls and shoulder rolls, once the worst of the pain lessens. Gently tilt, turn and twist the neck. Warm the neck and back with a heating pad or in the shower or bath before doing these exercises.

Alternative medicine

A number of alternative treatments may relieve the back pain. Always discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor before starting a new therapeutic alternative.

  • Acupuncture. An acupuncture practitioner inserts a thin, sterilized needles into the skin at specific points on the body. The achievement of the best results may require several sessions of acupuncture. Acupuncture is generally considered safe when performed by a certified professional the use of sterile needles.
  • Chiropractic. Held mainly in the spine, a chiropractic adjustment is applied to a control abrupt of the joint force. Chiropractic treatments for neck may provide short-term relief of pain and, for many people, lead to the minimization of risks.
  • The massage. During a massage, a trained practitioner to knead the muscles in the neck. Massages can help people with chronic neck pain of tense muscles.

Preparing for your appointment

You might initially in contact with your primary care provider about your neck pain. Then that could be referred to as:

  • A doctor who specializes in non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal conditions (physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist)
  • A doctor who specializes in arthritis and other diseases that affect the joints (rheumatologist)
  • A doctor who specializes in the treatment of nerve-related disorders (neurologist)
  • A doctor who operates in the bones and joints (orthopedic surgeon)

What you can do

Before your appointment, you must be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • When did your symptoms begin?
  • Have you ever injured your neck? If so, when?
  • Make certain movements of the neck to improve or worsen the pain?
  • What medications and supplements that you take regularly?

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor may do some of the following questions:

  • Where is the pain?
  • The pain is dull, sharp, or shooting?
  • Do you have numbness or weakness?
  • Does the pain radiates down the arm?
  • The pain is made worse by exertion, coughing or sneezing?
  • Do you have other physical problems?
Symptoms and treatment of Neck pain