The neck is an amazing part of the spine, with extraordinary freedom of movement. But its mobility and the complexity of its anatomy make your neck susceptible to pain and injury.
Many people suffer from neck pain. You may have tension or a muscle strain that makes movement stiff and uncomfortable for a few days or a week, and it shouldn’t be a huge concern. Neck pain that persists for three months is considered chronic and can be of concern.
Don’t wait for serious neck pain to go away. A proper diagnosis can put you on the path to effective treatment and pain relief.
Signs of serious neck pain
Chronic neck pain can be radiating, meaning it shoots down the back of your head or into one or both of your arms. Neck pain can also occur in just a very specific area. Regardless of how it manifests, you shouldn’t ignore chronic neck pain that interferes with your day-to-day activity.
Be particularly concerned if your neck pain is accompanied by difficulties moving your arm or finger or if it occurs following an accident. Neck pain that persists, whether you’re at rest or moving, is also of extra concern.
Causes of neck pain
Simple muscular overuse could cause pain and stiffness in your neck. Physical therapy offered at Metro Pain Centers can help you strengthen the right muscles and relieve tight ones to allow for a healthier range of motion and less muscle tension and pain.
Growing older can lead to degenerative disorders that cause serious neck pain and limited range of motion. These include osteoarthritis, in which the cartilage at the neck joint deteriorates and your body forms bone spurs as a result. Spinal stenosis occurs when neural passageways narrow and compress, causing numbness and pain. Degenerative disc disease occurs when the discs are less hydrated, losing elasticity and height as a result. This could cause a cervical disc to bulge or herniate, leading to neck pain and numbness.
An accident, in which your head is quickly thrust forward and back — such as when you’re rear-ended in a vehicle collision — causes whiplash that can lead to small injuries in the muscle and connective tissue and limited mobility. If you experience whiplash and it goes untreated, you may have long-term side effects and chronic neck pain.
Your postural habits also contribute to neck pain. If you’re overweight or obese and have weak abdominal muscles, you disrupt the spine’s ability to hold you upright. Your neck bends forward to compensate.
How we can help
Tolerating chronic neck pain isn’t necessary. At Metro Pain Centers, we want to help relieve your neck pain with treatments including physical therapy and regenerative therapy strategies. Our team has specialized training in properly diagnosing your neck pain and helping you deal with symptoms so they no longer have a big impact on your life.
Metro Pain Centers offers comprehensive, effective solutions for pain relief. We use a multidisciplinary approach to customize a treatment plan to address your neck pain and help you live your best quality of life. Call the office convenient to you or book an appointment using this website to relieve neck pain today.
