Neck pain and neck pain is a common condition in adults. Neck pain is usually classified as “acute” (lasting less than six weeks), “subacute” (lasting 6 to 12 weeks) or “chronic” (lasting more than 12 weeks). While most acute pain attacks resolve quickly, some people continue to suffer from pain for longer periods of time.
Neck pain can be caused by a number of factors, such as muscle or ligament strains, arthritis or a “pinched” nerve. Severe neck pain is often caused by problems with the musculoskeletal system. Some conditions only cause neck pain. Sometimes neck muscle pain can also be caused by a disorder that does not involve the musculoskeletal system, such as meningitis.
There are many possible causes of neck pain, but it is often difficult to know exactly what is causing the pain. This is because physical examination and even imaging tests cannot easily distinguish between various potential causes. In other words, there may be neck pain despite a normal imaging test result, while there may be no pain at all despite abnormalities in the imaging.
What are the Symptoms of Neck Pain?
The flexibility of the neck makes it susceptible to abrasion, tearing and overstretching injuries such as whiplash, but it also has other critical tasks. Neck muscles wear out due to poor posture positions and not only neck pain but also neck hernia pain occurs with age.
Symptoms of neck pain;
Severe pain in the lower part of the neck
stiff neck
Muscle strain in the neck
Painful swelling in the neck
Pain in the neck veins
Pain radiating from the neck to the shoulders and arms
Numbness in shoulders, arms and fingers
Headache
Causes of Neck Pain
Neck and nuchal root pain can be caused by many different causes, and neck pain can also cause other disorders.
Weak and Overused Neck Muscles
Sitting at a desk for long periods of time, especially in positions with slightly strained muscles, can cause pain in the neck or shoulder areas, pain and stiffness in the neck, and sometimes headaches. Activities that involve tilting your head towards your neck can also cause muscle problems in the neck area. These can be caused by certain types of sports, such as painting the ceiling, riding a racing bike or swimming breaststroke with your head in a fixed position.
Wear and tear on the cervical spine
Questions such as “Why does neck pain occur?”, “Is right neck vein pain a serious health problem?”, “What does the pain from the neck to the ear indicate?” are the most curious topics of patients with neck pain.
The part of the spine in the neck is called the cervical spine. It consists of seven back bones (vertebrae) separated by discs made of jelly-like material and cartilage. The cervical spine contains the spinal cord. Along the length of the spinal cord, spinal nerves emerge from the spaces between the vertebrae to connect with nerves throughout the body. The closest part of the spinal nerve to the spinal cord is the spinal nerve root. Muscles and ligaments in the neck support the spine.
As we age, various signs of wear and tear appear in the cervical spine. Neck pain due to wear and tear in the cervical spine can damage bones, muscles, discs or ligaments. However, pain can also be caused by damage to the nerves or spinal cord. When the spine is injured, a spinal nerve root can be compressed, resulting in pain and sometimes weakness, numbness and tingling in one arm. Compression of the spinal cord can cause numbness and weakness in both arms and both legs and sometimes loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence) and loss of bowel control (faecal incontinence).
Whiplash
Whiplash injury can cause pain in the neck and shoulders. This pain is the result of a road traffic accident; the impact of the collision causes the head to move forwards quickly and then back again. This usually causes minor injuries to muscles and connective tissue, painfully tense muscles and difficulty moving your head for several days. Symptoms typically disappear completely after a short period of time.
Narrowing of the spinal canal or slipped disc
If the vertebral canal is too narrow, the spinal disc tissue is bulging or leaking out and pressing on a nerve root, you may feel neck pain radiating (shooting) into your shoulder.
Neck and shoulder pain can sometimes be caused by inflammatory conditions of the spine, jaw joint problems or severe headaches. As the bones, tendons and nerves in the cervical spine often cause the same symptoms, it is not possible to find the exact cause of neck pain. If no specific cause can be found, doctors refer to the pain as “non-specific neck pain”. If there is chronic neck pain, it may take a long time to find the cause.
It is important to get support from a specialist physician for neck pain. Get complementary health insurance now; get 100% support for examination, analysis, imaging procedures and physiotherapy.
What is good for neck pain?
For non-specific neck pain, there is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of most treatments.
. Applying heat with hot water bottles or pillows is an easy way to reduce pain. Other treatments such as stretching and strengthening exercises, massages and painkillers are known to help with neck pain. The information below can help relieve your symptoms and speed up your recovery.
Investigate what triggers your neck pain. Sitting in one position for a long time, sleeping on your stomach and poor posture can cause neck and shoulder pain. If you are wondering “What is good for neck and shoulder pain?”, first of all; You need to discover the situations that cause you to experience pain and stay away from behaviours that trigger pain during the day.
Is ice good for shoulder pain? Some people prefer heat packs, hot lotions, warm shower or hot water bottle to reduce pain, while others prefer cold. Using ice for shoulder pain is a frequently used method. But always remember to wrap hot or cold packs in a towel or cloth to help protect your skin from burns and tissue damage. Apply for a maximum of 10-15 minutes and continue at regular intervals.
Rest is a temporary solution. When you have neck pain for the first time, you may feel that resting your neck relieves the pain. However, do not rest for too long because too much rest can stiffen your neck muscles and make your pain last longer. Do gentle exercises and stretches to relax the muscles and ligaments as soon as possible. If the neck pain is very severe, we recommend that you consult a doctor first.
Sleep on a low, firm pillow. Too high a pillow causes your neck to bend unnaturally and too soft pillows do not provide enough support for your neck. Be aware of your posture: Poor posture can cause neck pain or worsen existing neck pain. Poor posture puts pressure on your neck muscles and makes them work harder than necessary. Whether you are standing or sitting, make a conscious effort to adjust your posture if you slouch or stoop.
Massage the sore spot. Massage can help you deal with your physical pain and also helps to relieve stress and muscle tension. It is a good idea to go with a specialised therapist for massage to avoid malpractice. If you do not have an expert to massage you at the time of your pain, you can ask a relative to give you a light massage.
How Does Neck Pain Pass, Which Department to Go to for Neck Pain?
If the neck pain has not gone away at the end of the first week and is getting worse, if there is numbness and tingling with pain, you should definitely see a doctor. An orthopaedic specialist should be consulted for neck and shoulder pain. The orthopaedic specialist may recommend cream, painkillers and physiotherapy for the treatment of neck pain after the necessary examinations are performed.
If there is no significant disease condition causing your neck pain, your pain will be significantly reduced with the medications you use. In order to completely relieve the pain, you should work with a physiotherapist, and stretching and strengthening exercises should be performed to reduce muscle tension in the neck and shoulders.
Stay healthy.
