Lower back pain, neck pain can occur for many different reasons. It could be secondary to a muscle strain or spasm, facet joint inflammation or arthritis, spinal stenosis, or compressed nerve. In today's electronic age, we are looking at our phones more, sitting at desks that may not have proper ergonomic configuration and lead to poor posture.
Osteoarthritis is also a common cause of neck pain, but in rare cases, this can be a symptom of something more serious. Most cases of neck stiffness heal quickly, given the healing nature of the cervical spine.
In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about neck pain if you or someone you know suffers from it.
What causes Neck Pain?
The most common causes of neck stiffness include the following.
Muscle Sprain or Strain:
- This is the most common cause of neck pain, and can be caused by:
- Sleeping in an uncomfortable position for the neck.
- Sports injuries that strain the neck.
- Performing activities that require turning the head quickly from side to side.
- Adopting poor posture, such as slouching in front of a computer monitor.
- Excessive stress, which can cause neck strain.
- Holding the neck in an abnormal position for too long, such as holding a phone between the neck and shoulder.
Meningitis/Infection:
This is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can cause a stiff neck, high fever, headache, nausea or vomiting, and drowsiness.
There are other infections such as meningococcemia, which also causes neck stiffness accompanied by fever. It is always advisable to seek medical attention if any pain or stiffness in the neck is accompanied by other symptoms, especially fever.
Other causes of neck pain may include:
- Carrying a heavy backpack or purse on one shoulder.
- Cervical dystonia.
- Cervical spondylosis.
- Holding a phone between your shoulder and neck.
- Fibromyalgia.
- Osteoarthritis (a disease that causes joints to break down).
- Poor posture.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammatory joint disease).
- Sleeping on your stomach or with too many or too few pillows.
- Spinal stenosis.
- Tension headache.
- Temporomandibular joint disorders.
- Trauma from an accident or fall.
- Cervical hyperextension.
Symptoms of neck pain
Often neck pain can spread to other parts of the body, such as the arms, back, or head. It may begin as tingling or numbness in the fingers and you may feel dizzy and nauseous.
The most common symptoms of neck pain may be:
- Pain in the neck area.
- Difficulty moving it.
- Headaches.
- Dizziness or nausea.
- Cervical stiffness.
Types of Neck Pain:
Most cases of neck pain heal over time and can be treated with non-surgical treatments. However, some of the symptoms may indicate another condition that could be serious if not treated in time.
According to Harvard Medical School, there are 7 types of neck pain that you should pay attention to as soon as they occur:
- Muscle pain:This could be a response to excessive physical exertion, or prolonged physical or emotional stress.
- Muscle spasm:This type of pain can be caused by so-called “sleeping crooked,” which results in sudden stiffness, preventing you from turning your neck.
- Headache:Usually a pain in the back of the head can also cause pain in the neck. In these cases, turning the neck can worsen the migraine and can be caused by a muscle spasm or tension.
- Facet joint pain:This type of pain can extend to the shoulder and can be worsened if you turn your neck to the affected side. It can be caused by arthritis in the facet joints and may be more painful in the morning.
- Nerve pain:Depending on the nerves involved, it may feel like pins and needles in the roots of the spinal nerves. It may extend into the arms or shoulders.
- Referred pain:This type of pain is triggered by something else in the body. For example, neck pain that occurs when we eat could be due to a problem in the esophagus.
- Bone pain:Pain and tenderness in the cervical vertebrae is much less common than soft tissue neck pain. Bone pain needs medical attention, as it could indicate more serious health problems.
How to get rid of neck pain due to stress?
If you are suffering from neck pain due to stress, then this tension can cause not only pain but also stiffness that can spread to other areas of the body and even cause migraines.
Here are 5 tips to relieve neck pain caused by emotional stress:
- Deep abdominal breathing therapies:This is a simple practice that you can do anytime, anywhere. Sit in a comfortable place, place your legs parallel, and begin to breathe through your diaphragm (not your lungs) for 5 minutes. You will notice a big change in your stress level after a while.
- Meditation:Linked to the previous point, meditation has proven to be one of the best immediate remedies for stress and muscle tension. A 10-minute meditation practice a day can be of great help.
- Frequent breaks:When you notice that you have been driving long distances or working long hours in front of the computer, take frequent breaks. Give yourself a break to stretch, breathe deeply, take a sip of water, and return to the correct posture.
- Exercise and stretching:Low-impact stretching exercises such as yoga or physical therapy can not only prevent muscle tension but strengthen the muscles, preventing pain or ailments later.
- Heat and cold therapy:It's easier than it seems. Apply a cold compress for 20 minutes several times a day and alternate with a heat compress or a hot shower for another twenty minutes to reduce neck stiffness and pain.
Diagnosis and treatment:
The physiotherapist studies the patient's symptoms and clinical history to rule out other pathologies and make a complete and accurate diagnosis. Since headaches can have many different origins, she will evaluate the possibility that the origin is poor posture, whiplash, or trauma, among others.
Once the physical study is done, the physiotherapist will approach the treatment with a global vision to improve the patient's general health. If she detected other more serious problems, she would be referred to a specialist doctor to do different types of tests.
What physical therapy methods relieve cervical headaches?
Physiotherapy has different techniques to relieve headaches and recover correct and complete mobility of the neck. Combining physiotherapy and osteopathy procedures and applying manual rehabilitation techniques, massage therapy, thermotherapy, electrotherapy, and exercises with neck stretchers like ZAMAT.
After a few sessions and correctly applying these physiotherapy techniques, the patient will notice an obvious improvement in both mobility and the reduction of pain in the neck and head.
Treat headaches with ZAMAT:
Approved by expert physiotherapists, NekGenic Pro is the ultimate heated neck and shoulder relaxer for neck pain. This incredible and award-winning product enhances recovery and relaxation.
Features of NekGenic neck stretcher:
- Nobel prize-winning graphene heating material
- 3-way temperature control
- Ergonomic design
- Acupressure massage nodes
- Magnetic therapy
- Physiotherapist approved