Neck Pain
Neck Pain
Neck pain is the pain developed in any of the neck structures and it can be due to many reasons. Some of the neck pains are life threatening while others are contusions and strains. Most of the neck pain impairs you from free movements and sometimes you may have a stiff neck.
Causes of Neck Pain
Seven vertebrae that surrounds the spinal cord and the canal makes the building block of the neck. There are discs in between these vertebrae. The structures of neck includes nerves, muscles, veins, arteries, thyroid gland, lymph gland, esophagus trachea, larynx etc. Any condition that affects these structures cause neck pain. The most common cause for neck pain is the tension and strain in neck muscles. It can be due to poor posture while sleeping , working, watching TV etc. Falls, traumatic accidents etc may also leads to vertebral fractures, injury to blood vessels etc. In certain condition neck pain can be due to fibromyalgia, spondylosis, osteoporosis, spinal stenosis etc. Neck pain may also arise due to the infection in the spine. In certain cases cancer may also cause the neck pain.
Symptoms of Neck Pain
Symptoms of neck pain may vary from person to person depending up on the cause of the pain. Most commonly seen symptom is a dull aching pain around the neck region. Sometimes the pain aggravate with movements and there may be a sharp and shooting pain. If your neck pain is due to the problems of nerve, then you may have tingling, numbness and at times have a weakness in your hands and arms. Some people found to have difficulty in swallowing food, dizziness, pulsations etc. In certain cases there may be swelling on the neck gland.
Treatment for Neck Pain
Treatment for neck pain depends up on the cause of the pain. You need to maintain proper posture through out the day and even on sleeping. It will be ideal to sleep on a hard bed on your back to avoid neck pain. Also try to avoid pillows. Avoid sitting for a long period. You can also apply ice or heat packs on the affected area to get rid of the pain. Take rest for some days and allow your infection and swelling to subside. Then do exercises that has slow range of motion. This helps to stretch the neck muscles gently.
