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| Neck Pain Neck pain is common. More than half of people develop a bout of neck pain at some time in their life. One survey found that, of adults aged 45-75 years, about 1 in 4 women and about 1 in 5 men had current neck pain. Types and causes of neck pain include: 'Mechanical' neck pain is the most common type. This is sometimes called 'simple' or 'non-specific' neck pain. Causes include minor injuries or sprains to muscles or ligaments in the neck. Bad posture is also a common cause. For example, neck pain is more common in people who spend much of their working day at a desk with a 'bent-forward' posture. Often the exact cause or origin of the pain is not known. A whiplash injury, most commonly due to a car crash, causes neck pain. Please see separate section 'Whiplash' for details. Acute (sudden onset) primary torticollis. This is sometimes called 'wry neck'. A torticollis is when the head becomes twisted to one side and it is very painful to move the head back straight. Degeneration ('wear and tear') of the spinal bones (vertebrae) and the 'discs' between the vertebrae is a common cause in older people. This is sometimes called cervical spondylosis. Cervical radiculopathy is when the root of a nerve is pressed on or is injured as it comes out from the spinal cord in the neck (cervical) region. This causes symptoms such as numbness, pins and needles, and weakness in parts of an arm supplied by the nerve in addition to neck pain. The common causes are cervical spondylosis and a disc problem. More serious and rarer causes include: rheumatoid arthritis, bone disorders, cancers, and serious injuries that damage the vertebrae, spinal cord or nerves in the neck. We will consider mechanical neck pain. What are the symptoms of common mechanical neck pain? Pain develops in the neck and may spread to the base of the skull and shoulders. Movement of the neck may make the pain worse. The pain may spread down an arm to a hand or fingers. This is due to irritation of a nerve going to the arm from the spinal cord in the neck. Some numbness or pins and needles may occur in part of the arm or hand. Treatment Our health professionals will stress pain relieving techniques, and work with you to gently exercise your neck, gradually increasing neck ranges of motion and decreasing your reliance on medications with side effects. In the past, some people have worn a neck collar for long periods when a bout of neck pain developed. The problem with collars is that they prevent you from moving your neck properly. Studies have shown that you are more likely to make a quicker recovery if you do regular neck exercises, and keep your neck active rather than resting it for long periods in a collar. Also, if you keep the neck active during a bout of neck pain, it is thought to help prevent chronic (persistent) neck pain from developing. Enhance your experience with a spa-quality therapeutic massage! |
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A1 Pilates
