Neck Pain: Cause & Treatment
Introduction
Neck pain, denoted as cervicalgia, is a term used when our neck hurts. It is very common nowadays in every age groups and can be caused by vived reasons explained below in this article.
Neck connect the brain with whole lower portion of body. It is one and only parts which balance the heavy weight of brain and skull in whole body. Sometime person with neck pain complain of headach and shoulder pain But neck pain is primary complain.
The Common Neck pain Cause
The most commonly affecting 10% to 20% adults include women more then man .The common neck pain causes seen in patient are as follows ,
Bad posture
If you wake up in morning and feeling that your neck hurts a lot then it is due to bad posture postioning during sleep .You just need to change your position and problem will automatically solves.
A very common reason for neck pain is poor posture such as sleeping in wrong positions ,Long desk sitting position in office worker ,Watching Television , Reading for prolong period can results to muscle stiffness or muscle stress increases or strain in muscle etc.
Trauma / Injury
History taking is must during assestment as it help to identify the cause of pain. A patient come in a situation where a road traffic accident or fall that causes whiplash injury lead to sever neck pain .
Physical strain
Any tension or strain or overusing on neck muscle due to any every day repetative activities such as bending over a desk , sleeping in an uncomfortable position , lifting things fastly . For example, straining your neck to see computer screen .
Diseases
There are patients with diseases who complain of neck pain, some common are Neck muscle stiffnes, rheumatoid arthritis, cervical radiculopathy , meningitis, or Tumor.
Nerve pinching
A nerve responsible for supplying neck muscle is either irritated or compres can cause specific signs like weaknes of neck muscle , Numbness or tingling (pins and needles) feeling in arns and Radiating pain etc .
Ageing
Evidences shows that ageing affect musculoskeleton system leading to degeneration of muscle and tendon(such as osteoarthritis and herniated disk ) , .Weakness and stiffness is a common symtom seen in elderly population above 40 age group .
Stress and Emotional distrubance
When any person is in stress he/she are more prone to diseases because under stressfull condition our immune system become weak which is responsible for tremendious increase in musculoskeleton conditions.
Common area of Neck pain
Posterior and lateral views of the anatomic region of the neck used in the Task Force on Neck Pain
Best Treatment for Neck Pain
The treatment focuses on pain relief and improvement in neck movement. Most of the causes of neck pain can be treated at home by Exercises and medication.
Pain Medication
Muscle relaxants and NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) help to relieve pain and inflammation of neck muscles.
Corticosteroid injection: Under severe pain conditions steroid injection can be used .
Topical Analgesics: Creams, and gels such as lidocaine or capsaicin.
Hot /Cold therapy
At home, we can use a hot pack bag and if you do not have these then you can use a hot towel for 15-20 minute. It will help you to relax your muscles and promote local circulation of blood.
Use a cold pack or ice cubes wrapped in a towel for 15 minutes and use 3-4 times a day. It helps to constrict the blood vessels and help to decrease inflammation and swelling.
Lifestyle modification
Many people have neck pain due to poor posture and then just understand the mechanics of the neck and learn the correct position of sitting and sleeping. By lifestyle modifications like chairs, pillow height, mattress, etc can give you faster results than any medications.
Exercises
Cranio-cervical flexion exercises
A recent systematic review aimed and investigated that this exercise is more effective than no other intervention for people with chronic neck pain
- lie flate on back , with your hands feel the large muscle of neck infront.
- Donot activate these muscle try to activate the deep neck flexors by gently nodding head as you are saying “yes “
- The back of your head should slide up the foor of table .
- Hold for 5-10 sec and repeat 10 repetation.
Diaphragmatic breathing exercise
- Sit or lie comfortabley and place your hand on chest ,breath in slowly
- As you release you belly rise with your lower rib expandation .
- As you exhale your stomach goes in .
Cobra stretch
- Lie down in floor with towel under forehead.
- Place your shoulder blade together to bring the hand off foor
- Lift the head a inch off the foor
- hold 10 sec and repeat 10-15 times
Chin tuck
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart , Face forward and pull your head straight back
- Chin tuck and touch the head back
- Hold 5 sec and 10 repeatation
Neck stretching
Expert recommend that stretching is always done before strenthening exercises for tight neck muscles . It can be performed after and before the strenghtening exercise .
Some common stretch are
Levator Scapulae Stretch
- In sitting or standing rotate the head to the right about 45 degrees ( halfway of shoulder ).
- Tilt the chin downward and feel the good stretch on the back of left side
- If you want to increase stretch by left hand to back of head
- Hold for 30 – 60 sec and repeat to other side .
Neck circles
- In sitting and standing , slow rotate head in a full circle
- Put your the head backward along with rotation.
- Hold for 30 – 60 sec and repeat 10 time.
Soft tissue therapy
Myofascial release and trigger point release technique is used incase if you have muscle tension and discomfort in neck. Soft tissue release (STR), Muscle Energy Technique (MET), Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM).
Massage
Massage therapy is one of oldest treatment for pain .It include both mobilisation and manipulation for neck muscle . The physiotherapist uses this technique for neck pain because their are many evidence saying that it is a very effective treatment method .
Acupuncture
Acupuncture therapy is a method in which thin needles are placed in skin based on the condition or in neck area can promote healing.
Mindfulness meditation
Meditation help to relax muscle and body. It will help control over the pain. Majorly people with side effect of drugs can do controlled breathing , relaxation technique.