Can neck pain be a sign of something serious?
Turn on your computer and enter your symptoms into the search engine. Nine times out of ten you’re going to find out that you have a terrible disease. Of course, you don’t really have it, that’s the problem with the internet and too much information. It’s easy to misdiagnose yourself and start panicking.
Instead of typing in your symptoms think about your main issue, such as neck pain, and ask whether it can be a sign of something serious. You’ll still get too much information but you’ll find it’s more relevant to you.
It is important to note that if you have health concerns you should visit a doctor, they’re specially trained to identify what issue you have and get you the best possible treatment.
Neck pain covers any type of pain in the neck and the very top of your shoulders, it can be caused by a wide variety of things, such as hunching over your computer or workbench. It can even be a sign of osteoarthritis.
But, the good news is that it is very rare that neck pain is a sign of something more serious.
If you do experience neck pain you should see your doctor and make an appointment with this physio Botany, they can help you to identify what is causing the issue and create a plan to prevent it from reoccurring. This is especially true if the pain is a result of poor posture.
Top Tip; If your neck pain is accompanied by a loss of strength in your arms or hands, or if you have a shooting pain going from your neck, into your shoulder, and possibly down your arm, you may have a more serious condition and should seek immediate medical assistance.
Visiting A Doctor
It’s a good idea to visit the physio as soon as you have a stiff neck and pain. But, it’s not generally worth visiting the doctor unless the pain is very severe, has continued for 2-3 days or more without any relief, and particularly if it is spreading into other parts of your body.
Additionally, as mentioned, if you have numbness, tingling or weakness you should also see your doctor.
In all other cases, the neck pain should clear by itself, with a little help from painkillers and your physio.
However, you should focus on what positions make the pain worse, this will help you to identify the issues causing the pain and resolve the issue.
Neck Pain Causes
The most common causes of neck pain are muscle strain, this is from holding your head, and possible shoulders, in the wrong position for extended periods of time. Even gritting your teeth can place a strain on your neck muscles, don’t overdo it!
If you’re older neck pain can be a sign of worn joints in your neck. These can weaken like any other joint in your body. You may also have osteoarthritis which is when the cartilage that acts as a cushion between your vertebrae starts to disintegrate. Your body compensates by creating bone spurs which actually restrict movement and cause pain.
Another cause is compressed nerves, this can be a result of back problems, particularly compressed disks. You’ll probably have pain in your back as well as your neck.
Of course, trauma, such as a car accident, can place a huge amount of stress on your neck, causing the soft tissue to be strained and damaged. Fortunately, this heals by itself.
It is worth mentioning that neck pain can be a symptom of some diseases. But, by the time you have neck pain, you should have other symptoms and the disease will have been diagnosed.