How To Treat Severe Neck Pain
If you want to know how to treat severe neck pain, you are in the right spot. We are going to discuss what types of neck pain there are and how they are treated. Keep reading to learn more.
What is Cervicalgia?
Cervicalgia is a fancy name for neck pain. Neck pain is described as pain around or in the spinal area below your head. The neck also is referred to as the cervical spine. There are many different injuries and medical conditions that can cause neck pain. Headaches can also be the result of neck pain as well.
There are a few types of neck pains. One of them, which is felt mostly in the neck area, is known as axial neck pain. You may experience pain that will radiate to other areas besides your neck. You will often see your shoulders and arms experiencing pain with this type of neck pain.
The pain can also be known as acute or chronic. Acute neck pain is anything under six weeks. Anything that causes pain longer than six weeks, can be considered chronic.
With all that said, in most cases, your neck pain is not going to become or be serious. Plus, the odds are that it will improve with treatment. Keep in mind that even if your neck pain is not bothering you but you are not as active as you used to be, you may need treatment. Remember, a sore neck can affect your quality of life. Keep reading to learn the symptoms of neck pain.
Neck Pain Symptoms
Most people will notice a constant ache in their neck. Others will have a burning/throbbing pain. Lastly, other people might experience pain that starts in the neck or spine area and radiates to another portion of the body.
Here are a few other common symptoms you may see.
- Headaches
- Stiffness in the upper back/shoulders/neck
- Need help to turn your head properly.
- Pins and needles in the arms or shoulder area.
Causes of Neck Pain
Neck pain has many known causes. There are different potential things that you can look out for and be aware of to help prevent neck pain. In other instances, it is almost impossible to prevent. Let us take a deeper look.
The Older You Get
The older you get, the more wear and tear has been put on the body. When you become older, your cervical spine can begin to deteriorate. Other people might refer to this as a degenerative condition.
Osteoarthritis
Spinal Stenosis
Herniated Disk
Pinched Nerves
Physical Activity Strain
If you are overusing your neck muscles, especially doing a repetitive movement, you could experience a stiff and painful neck.
One of the biggest things that people experience neck pain from strain is poor posture.
The next thing is that people who are overweight are more likely to suffer from neck pain.
Stress
When you become stressed, the muscles in the back of your neck will become tight. Because of this, you will find you have a stiff neck and pain.
Many people do not realize that they are under stress until their body is telling them of pain.
Injuries
Injury is a trauma that has been caused to the body. In this case, the muscles. When you are doing physical activity, you can hurt yourself if you are not wearing proper equipment.
You can tear ligaments, muscles, and bones, and become stiff.
Other Health Issues
While there are a few things that can cause neck pain, there are a few other conditions that can have a side effect of neck pain.
Cancer and arthritis can cause neck pain.
Diagnosing Neck Pain
Often, you will see that a simple visit to your doctor is all you need to diagnose your neck pain. In other areas, you will be referred to a specialist if the primary doctor does not believe he or she can fix the problem. Before the doctor refers you, you will eliminate any serious possible causes. This can include pressure building on the spinal cord, infection, cancer, and more.
One of the first things that are looked at is medical history. Your provider will go through this with you to help determine if there are any previous injuries to that area. Your provider will also ask if you have been doing any extra activities or anything that could put a strain on your neck.
The doctor will also complete a physical on you. This is going to check your neck and head alignment. They are also going to check how good your range of motion is as well. During this physical exam, they are also looking for tender spots.
In most cases, you do not need to have x-rays done in order to figure out what is wrong. However, your doctor may do one just to rule out any other possible causes of your neck pain.
Treating/Managing Neck Pain
As you know, treatment is used to help relieve pain and help improve muscle movement. In most cases, neck pain will alleviate by itself at home. However, there are a few things that you can do to help alleviate that neck pain more quickly. Here are a few things that can help with a sore or stiff neck.
Traditional Medicine
Traditional medicine, such as painkillers, can be prescribed to manage pain. It also is common to use anti-inflammatory drugs to keep swelling down.
Physical Therapy
This is often used hand-in-hand with another treatment method. This is done to help improve motion in the neck.
Alternative Therapy
This can include acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage, and more.
Surgery
In most cases, you will not need surgery. However, in a few cases, you will need surgery to reverse the damages done.
Alternative Methods for Treating and Managing Neck Pain
When you want to manage or treat your neck pain without traditional doctors, there is a way to do just that. You do not have to deal with traditional medicine at all if you do not want to. Active Sport and Spine Therapy has many different services offered for treating and managing neck pain in addition to back pain and other conditions.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors manipulate the spine in order to achieve alignment. When this alignment is not proper, it can cause tightness and pain.
Posture Education
This is going to help teach you how to properly sit, stand, and more. You will learn how to properly use your body as it should be to avoid neck pain and stiffness.
Manual Therapy
This is where a more hands-on approach is used. This method can help reduce the tension that has been built up in your muscles.
Keep in mind that chiropractic care, posture education, and manual therapy are all going to be effective treatments for neck pain. You can also work together with your primary care doctor and your chiropractor to achieve optimal results.
Preventing Neck Pain
Posture
One of the biggest things that you can do is prevent the pain from happening in the first place. To do this, you will want to start by working on your posture. A good posture will help eliminate neck and back pain.
Sleeping Position
You should also make sure that you are sleeping properly. You want to provide support for your head and neck based on your sleeping position. If you are a person who sleeps on their back or side and uses a pillow, you should get a pillow that aligns the head with the body. If you sleep primarily on your back, you can put a pillow under the knees to help reduce pressure on your back.
It is advised to avoid laying on your stomach. However, if you have to lay on your stomach, it is preferred that you do not turn your head. With that said, people may find it difficult to breathe laying this way. Laying another way is going to be beneficial for anyone who sleeps on their stomach.
Active
All those exercises that you use to relieve your neck pain, can also be used to help prevent neck pain. If you find yourself at an office job, ensure that you are taking the occasional break to get up and walk around. Make sure you are moving the entire body around so that you are stretching those muscles. Especially the neck muscles.
Avoid Heavy Weight On Shoulders
You should avoid carrying any weight on your shoulders. This is going to cause strain and put
pressure on your neck and back. It is suggested to use bags with wheels or carts to help carry heavy items.
Conclusion: How To Treat Severe Neck Pain
Treating severe neck pain is not difficult. You just need to determine if you want traditional or non-traditional medicine. You can choose both as well. Working together with a primary doctor and a chiropractor can help alleviate symptoms.
Take the time to look into all the services offered by Active Sport and Spine Therapy. With all the services that are offered, you will not have to worry about neck pain ever again.
