Sore neck: what is causing my neck pain?
Neck pain can be, quite literally, a real pain in the neck! Neck pain, also known as cervical spine pain, is a pain that starts in the neck but can also radiate down to the back and the arms. Neck pain can begin for several reasons, but it will always involve the muscles in the neck and or the upper back, vertebral joints, ligaments, or a combination of these. Here’s everything you need to know about neck pain:
Common symptoms of neck pain
Neck pain can be mild and occasional pain, or it can be so severe that you limit your neck movement. Perhaps the most common symptom of neck pain is having a stiff neck when you twist your neck to look over your shoulder or nod your head, but there are other signs and symptoms that can indicate a neck problem. These include:
● Sharp pain in the neck. This could be either a localised pain and often described as a twinge, or a widespread pain. It may feel stabbing or stinging and may involve either the upper or lower part of the neck. It may also trigger pain towards the edge of the shoulder or in one of the arms.
● General soreness. Neck pain that is more widespread and generalised than a stabbing pain will be felt across a broader neck area: this would be described as a toothache or sore/tender pain. This type of neck pain may also restrict head movements but most often more at the extremes of motion.
● Radicular pain. This is pain radiating may be from a muscle trigger point or a nerve irritation in the neck, which transmits pain down to the shoulder and arm. Radiating pain may feel like a burning pain, although the intensity of this pain will vary depending on the severity and cause of the injury.
● Trouble lifting or gripping objects may indicate a muscle weakness caused by a nerve root irritation that is impacting your hands or fingers.
● Cervical radiculopathy is a term that describes neurological deficits including, but not limited to, problems with reflexes, strength, and sensation. This is often accompanied by pain in the area.
● Headaches. Sometimes pain in the muscles in the neck can spread up into the head, around the ear on the same side or the temporal region rather than down to the arms and shoulders, causing what are termed tension-type headaches.
Neck pain causes
Neck pain is a very common issue, particularly among desk-based occupations but also in those occupations that involve lifting and looking upwards. In addition, the rise in the number of people working from home has led to an increase in neck issues. This is a result of poor posture, lack of breaks from sitting, and reduced daily activity/exercise. This is particularly among those who are not using an office desk and chair, with the appropriate lumbar support, when seated at their PC. As a result, neck pain is one of the most common symptoms of poor daily working postures.
Other causes of neck pain include injury from a slip/fall, contact sports, or whiplash, which often leads to neck pain.
Exercising can help ease the discomfort and stiffness of neck pain, so if your doctor gives you the green light, there’s no reason you can’t exercise with neck pain. You can do gentle neck exercises at home, or you can find a specialist or expert to support you through the process of correctly stretching and exercising your neck.
What is the best treatment for neck pain?
You can help yourself to manage the symptoms and treat your neck pain at home. Some common treatment options include:
● gently exercising your neck to encourage it from becoming stiff and immobile
● practicing good posture at all times, especially when you are sitting at your desk
● avoiding lifting or contact sports for the first few days/weeks, which could aggravate your symptoms and worsen the injury.
If your pain does not diminish after a couple of days, you might also want to consider visiting a chiropractor. Chiropractors specialise in relieving pain in muscles and joints, such as the neck pain symptoms discussed above. We are delighted to offer a Free 30-Minute Consultation to discuss how we can help relieve your neck pain. During this time, we will take the time to explain what we do, how we could help your neck pain, and provide an outline of the course of treatment required to restore the full movement to the neck and get you back to the activities you enjoy.
