NECK PAIN
Neck pain is the third most common type of pain according to the American Pain Foundation. Why is it so common? There is a lot going on in your neck!
First, we all know the brain runs everything, and we are not wireless like our phones! Your neck is the main connection hub between the brain and the body. It's a highway of soft tissue structures that makes the traffic on I-95 look calm and peaceful!
In the Neck
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You have your spinal cord and nerves,
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you have bones,
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you have muscles,
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you have tendons,
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you have ligaments,
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fascia, arteries, veins, lymph nodes, etc…
The neck is capable of huge ranges of motion. The joints that move more, are less stable than joints that are not able to move as much. This is because the more you move, the less “hard” tissues (like bones) provide stability, and the more you rely on muscles and ligaments, and other “soft” tissues to stabilize you. Also, because there is a lot of “shared real estate” between the neck, and chest, and back, and shoulder, the neck is affected by the motion of pretty much every other area of the body.
If pain, stiffness, and soreness in the neck, and maybe a decreased ability to move freely has lasted more than 2-3 weeks, you have “chronic” neck pain.
What Causes Neck Pain?
The most common cause neck pain (and of shoulder pain) is injury to the “soft” tissues, for instance the neck muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. People who spend most of their day sitting at work have almost twice the risk of developing neck pain!
The worse your posture is, while sitting, the higher your risk.
Not only can you have neck pain from the soft tissue strains and sprains, but Arthritis is a very common cause of neck pain!
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of Arthritis*, and it is caused by the wear and tear of cartilage and bones (about 10 times more common than other types of arthritis, including Rheumatoid arthritis which affects about 24.5
Million people, which is less than 1% of people in the developed world)
* Global Burden of Disease Study (2015)
Neck pain can also be caused by
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An injury to the cervical spine (the neck),
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Spinal disc degeneration disease in the neck, or
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Other injuries that put pressure on the nerve roots of the neck.
Symptoms of neck pain may include:
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Pain that gets worse when your head is in one place for a long time
(Example: when driving or working at a computer, or even while binge-watching a show) -
A “crick in your neck” (muscle spasms or tightness)
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Being unable to move your head normally
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Just being “sore” or “achey”
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Numbness, tingling, or weakness in your neck or going down your arms
Neck pain doesn’t just affect the neck.
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It can change your ability to sleep.
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It can affect your ability to work and play.
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It can affect your thoughts and feelings.
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It can even affect your relationships as people in pain are often less patient with, or nice to, others.
If your pain becomes chronic and it is severe, you are at an increased risk of developing other, more severe, health problems.
