What Is Neck Pain?
Neck pain is a common problem that causes discomfort and pain in the cervical region of the body. Various reasons can be responsible for causing neck pain, the most common being postural imbalance. The net weight of our heads is the same as the weight of a bowling ball. Improper posture leads to pain in the vertebrae area if left untreated can lead to chronic illnesses and medical complications. Other than incorrect posture, other causes such as structural deformity in the neck, weakness in muscles, and other spinal disorders can result in neck pain.
Minor discomfort caused due to neck pain can be treated with the help of some home remedies such as massages, ice and heat packs, and rest while severe neck pain may need medical attention. Neck pain can be caused by injury or a trigger that can be acute and resolve itself in a couple of days or weeks. Chronic neck pain can be caused by muscle tightness and soreness in the neck and upper back. The muscle soreness leads to pinching of nerves which sends pain signals to the brain. Joint injury or weakness in the spinal region can be responsible for neck pain as well. Many people suffer from neck pain that comes and goes making it an occasional occurrence.
Neck pain on the left side is caused by improper posture. Other medical conditions may also result in neck soreness and pain. Trauma due to accident or injury, inflammation, or abnormal growth on the neck can also result in severe neck pain. It is usually accompanied by muscle soreness in the general spinal area including shoulders and arms. Physiotherapy techniques are used to resolve neck pain by practicing rest and exercise. Pain in the back of the neck may be caused due to tension, stress, anxiety, or improper sleeping posture.
Neck Pain Symptoms, Causes, And Diagnosis
Symptoms
The first and most common symptom that indicates neck pain is dull pain and tenderness in the neck. It can be accompanied by numbness or tingling in the neck and surrounding areas. The pain can be defined as a sharp shooting pain with pulsations. Neck pain can cause dizziness or lightheadedness and may create difficulty swallowing. Headache, facial pain, shoulder pain, arm numbness, lymph node swelling, and wry neck are all symptoms of neck pain. In case of severe neck pain, the pain can spread to the spinal area resulting in upper and lower back pain.
Causes
While the most common cause for neck pain is bad posture, more serious underlying illnesses such as tuberculosis of the neck can be the reason behind neck pain. There are several causes for neck pain such as strained or pulled muscle, neck injury like whiplash, herniated disc, or a pinched nerve, fibromyalgia, polymyalgia, rheumatic arthritis, meningitis causing neck stiffness, infection of the spinal bones, tuberculosis of the neck, and neck pain caused due to infection in the lymph node resulting in lymphatic swelling.
Neck Pain Remedies
In the case of mild neck pain, several home remedies can aid in neck pain relief. These remedies need not be limited to massages and prescription pain relief medications. Instead, fun activities such as jacuzzi treatment or aquatic therapy can help relieve neck pain through heating sensation that relaxes strained muscles and joints. Specifically designed memory foam neck pillows for better sleep can improve your neck problems tremendously. Stretching and neck exercises through yoga can help improve your posture resulting in relief from neck pain. Resting, heat and ice packs, topical pain-relief patches and creams can induce pain relief in the neck.
Physiotherapy Treatments
Physiotherapy techniques and treatments provide neck pain relief and induce recovery in case of injury or trauma caused by accident using stretching, strengthening, and straightening exercises. Massages and specific neck pain exercises help in alleviating neck pain effectively.
Ultrasound physiotherapy technique is used to eliminate muscle and joint pain through the use of ultrasonic waves propagated through the affected area causing a heating sensation that results in muscle relaxation and pain relief.
TENS or Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a therapy involving mild electrical currents applied at the painful area to treat neck pain.
Joint mobilization and manipulation is a physical therapy technique that facilitates joint mobility using targeted stretching exercises relieving muscle soreness and tightness. It improves the functionality and free range of motion for joints and limbs that help in recovery from neck pain.
Traction is a physical therapy that uses inducing a sustained pull on the neck to provide relief from neck strain and neck pain caused due to nerve root irritation or muscle spasm.
Weak muscles strained tendons, and ligaments may result in neck pain which can be relieved using strengthening exercises that restore the function of the neck. Physical therapy techniques may involve re-training neck muscles to provide better support to your head, improve postures and educate patients with the proper techniques while sleeping or sitting in front of a screen for prolonged periods of time. Chiropractic rehabilitation, acupuncture, deep tissue massage, ice, and heat therapies are some of the other physiotherapy techniques that serve in neck pain relief.
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