Pains are nasty and disturbing. These disrupt your normal lifestyle by making walking, sitting, and even sleeping miserable. Yeah, that’s robbing you of all the comforts of life.
And neck pain is widespread among the general ailments we suffer daily. A recent study reports globally, at any point in time, almost 223 million people are suffering from some degree of neck pain, and every day 47 million new patients are getting affected. That’s huge! And the bad thing is neck pain never really heals. It mainly occurs due to musculoskeletal nerve compression that imparts a little bit of permanent damage that persists, and it can only be kept under control if you know how to manage neck pain.
Okay, okay, that’s overtly bleak. Don’t worry. See the numbers above. These enormous loads of people are living their life perfectly with neck pain. Because your life doesn’t have to be hell if you take steps early; for now, just keep reading till the end.
Types of neck pain
1. Acute Neck Pain :
Any strain, tear, or injury to the muscles of the neck region leads to an attack of acute neck pain. Strains are usually due to overstretching of the muscle in an awkward posture without proper support or excessive pressure applied to the muscle.
Acute neck pain is nothing much to worry about. It may last for days or weeks at most and may alleviate if not attended. Regular management like pain rubs, jellies, Over counter painkillers, heat or ice compressions, and slight stretching exercises are enough to relieve it.
Patients are advised to avoid sleeping or sitting in an overtly bent posture and to restrain from physical sports activities and strenuous work for a few days.
2. Chronic Neck Pain :
Chronic pain is a prolonged discomfort that stems from more profound and severe injuries, such as mechanical problems with facet joints, discs, and other structures susceptible to wear and tear. Regarding cervical spine injuries, also impacts neighboring regions, including the upper limb, shoulder, back, and head.
Risk factors for neck pain:-
The main risk factors are bad posture, which overworks and overstretches the muscles.
- Looking up at the computer screen, slouching, and looking down at a mobile screen are causing neck pain in many people.
- Lack of support for the neck during sleep
- Lifting overhead heavyweight loads in labor-intensive work
- Other motions that put repetitive stress on neck muscles and joints.
- Also, smoking and nicotine intake by other means may increase the chance of neck pain.
These lead to symptoms like :
- Burning sensation in the neck
- Sharp, piercing pain in the neck that particularly rises with movement. In many cases, pain persists even in a stationary state.
- Tingling sensation
- Difficulties in fluent neck movement
- Headaches that occur frequently
The main reasons behind getting neck pain
Though everything precipitates Ultimately to one suffering – Pain sensation in the neck- the underlying reasons can vary widely.
i. Cervical osteoarthritis – Excessive friction in the neck facet joint, caused by cervical osteoarthritis, results in stiffness and pain. Bone spurs pressure nerves and the spinal cord, leading to headaches at the base of the skull and pain along the nerve roots in the upper limb.
ii. Cervical degenerative disc disease – Cervical degenerative disc disease occurs when the disc undergoes wear and tear, resulting in continuous, low-level pain and sporadic episodes of intense acute pain and instability.
iii. Cervical herniated disc – A herniated disc in the cervical region causes inflammation and irritation in the surrounding joints, nerves, and muscles. This leads to neuralgic pain in the upper limb, chronic pain, and stiffness in the neck.
iv. Cervical foraminal stenosis happens due to a herniated disc or bone spurs compressing the nerve root at its origin and outlet foramen. Pain, stiffness, numbness, and weakness in the upper limb and neck follow.
v. Cervical stenosis with myelopathy – narrowing of the spinal canal itself ( stenosis), leads to extensive neuralgia affecting the whole body. It impairs fine motor skills, the ability to walk independently, etc. Also leads to weakness, numbness, and sharp burning pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, hands, etc.
What are the treatments available?
Neck pains are difficult for daily productive life; it almost handicaps us to some extent. But there are plenty of advanced treatments as well.
In chronic neck pains –
- Mostly numbing medications are used to relieve the pain sensation. Medicines are injected directly into the nerve root.
- Surgical procedures might be needed in case of injured joints, fractured spine, or vertebral disc damage.
- Physical therapy and mild exercises ( with controlled weight and against resistance etc.) are associated with the usual treatment. These don’t act as painkillers, but physiotherapy can dramatically improve your healing compared to someone just taking drugs. Physiotherapy helps keep your muscles tensile and flexible, relaxing any compression that might have happened gradually. You must contact any top-class physiotherapist in mansarovar jaipur for a session immediately.
The key to a life free from pain and suffering is in your hand. Reading this article alone doesn’t mean anything. You have to act fast and first.
Feel a sharp piercing pain while moving the neck? Working before the computer screen feels difficult? Is that pain not going away even after weeks? Contact your doctor right away.
Don’t worry; it’s gonna be okay. You’re just one call away.
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