Have your days and nights been interrupted by constant neck pain and discomfort? If so, you’re not alone on this issue. According to statistics, 50% of adults in the US suffer from chronic neck pain, and 85% struggle to find a solution for this symptom.
There are several reasons why your neck could be hurting: poor posture, stress at work or home, an injury like whiplash in an accident, or even because of something as simple as wearing high heels all day. It doesn’t matter what the cause is; you deserve relief.
In this blog post, we’ll give you all the information you need to find the solution for your neck pain and go back to life as it was before.
What Is Neck Pain?
The best way to answer this is with an example. Imagine that you woke up this morning and turned your head from right to left. You felt a horrible pain in the back of your neck, which made you want to curl up under a blanket for the day. This is what neck pain feels like because the muscles become overstretched and inflamed.
How To Identify Neck Pain
Even though each person’s neck pain symptoms for this issue are different, these are most common:
- A stiff or tight feeling in your neck that doesn’t go away with some rest
- An ache in the back of your head on your neck
- Sharp pain in your head when you turn it from side to side
Common Causes For Neck Pain
Usually, neck pain is very common in people who suffer from:
- Osteoarthritis: Most commonly known as degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis. With this type of arthritis, the cartilage within a joint begins to break down, and the underlying bone changes.
- Spinal stenosis: Refers to narrowing your spinal canal,, causing pressure on your spinal cord and nerves.
- Herniated disc: Also known as a slipped, ruptured, or bulging disk, it’s when a disk between two vertebrae starts slipping out of place and irritates the surrounding nerves.
- Pinched nerve: When too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles, or tendons, it becomes pinched. The function of the nerve is disrupted by this pressure, resulting in discomfort, tingling, numbness, or weakness.
Other common causes of neck pain include:
- Muscle strain: This is caused by overworking the muscles in your neck, which then pull or tear.
- Stress & tension: Psychological stress puts pressure on certain parts of your body, like your neck.
- Head, shoulder, and/or arm pain: These areas can be strained if they’re not in the correct position while sleeping or working at a desk.
How To Prevent Neck Pain
If you’re suffering from neck pain, that means it’s already a problem for you. Here are some tips that will help you prevent further injury:
- Adjust your workstation so that your eyes, wrists, and mouse are all in the same line. This will reduce any strain on your neck or hands.
- Gently stretch your neck before you get out of bed in the morning. Lightly tilt your head from side to side, and rotate it around to loosen up the muscles.
- Take breaks while working at a desk or on the computer. Instead of sitting upright all day, consider walking around for some fresh air.
How To Treat Neck Pain
You’ve probably tried all types of pain killers, but symptoms just keep coming back. Luckily, there are a few natural neck pain remedies that have been proven effective in easing your symptoms:
- Heat: Applying heat will increase the blood flow to your neck and relax your muscles.
- Ice: Once the blood flow to your neck has increased, ice can help bring down any inflammation or swelling.
- Chiropractic Treatment: Chiropractors usually perform adjustments along with other neck pain relief exercises. Symptoms may worsen before they get better, which is a sign that the treatment is working.
- Acupuncture: Studies have shown that acupuncture can successfully reduce neck
- pain and stress levels.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): This therapy involves using low-voltage electric currents to treat neck pain. A small device delivers the current at or near nerves where the pain is.
Trust Pain Management Experts
Citizens of Chapel Hill, your neck pain days are over. At Leigh Brain and Spine, we’ve got the absolute solution for your joint pains. We don’t use any kind of surgical procedures or prescribe our patients drugs because we can manage the pain with exercises, adjustments, and other specialized therapies such as the ARP Wave Therapy.
No more living with pain! Dr.Cosmas Leigh has helped thousands of patients like you to overcome their most chronic pains, no matter their conditions.