What is Neck Pain?
Neck pain, also called cervicalgia, is common, affecting two-thirds of people at some point. It can spread to the upper body, causing shoulder, arm, and chest discomfort, and sometimes headaches. The pain often comes from tight muscles in the neck and upper back or pinched nerves in the neck bones. It's a big problem globally, ranking fourth in causing disability, and about 30 percent of people get it every year.
Types of Neck Pain
- Axial pain: Concentrated in one part of the neck, doesn't move or radiate.
- Neuropathic pain: From nerves or nerve roots, often due to issues like herniated discs.
- Myelopathic pain: Results from compression of the spinal cord in the neck.
- Referred pain: Felt elsewhere in the body, not from nerve root irritation.
- Radicular pain: Inflammation of a nerve root in the cervical spine, causing pain to spread to the shoulder, arm, and/or hand.
What Causes Neck Pain?
Causes of back neck pain particularly in females can vary widely, ranging from lifestyle factors to underlying medical conditions. Here are some common contributors:
- Poor posture, like slouching over a computer, can strain the neck by creating a forward head posture.
- Sleeping in awkward positions can lead to a stiff neck.
- Repetitive head movements
- Neck fractures
- Rheumatoid arthritis can cause neck pain, swelling, and bone spurs.
- Osteoporosis weakens bones, potentially leading to neck fractures.
- Fibromyalgia causes widespread muscle pain, including in the neck and shoulders.
- Spinal stenosis
- Rarely, birth defects, infections, lumps, or cancer in the spine can cause neck discomfort and limited movement.
Diagnosis of Neck Pain
Physicians typically diagnose neck pain, focusing on identifying its underlying cause to direct treatment. This may involve tests if you experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in your shoulder, arms, or neck, suggesting possible nerve damage:
Imaging tests
- X-rays reveal bone spurs or degenerative changes in the neck.
- CT scans provide detailed cross-sectional views of neck structures.
- MRIs produce detailed images of bones, soft tissues, spinal cord, and nerves.
- Structural issues may appear on imaging without causing symptoms, so these tests are most effective when used with a thorough history and physical examination.
Other tests
Your doctor might recommend an EMG if they suspect a pinched nerve, which involves inserting needles into muscles to measure nerve conduction speed. Blood tests can also detect inflammatory or infectious conditions linked to neck pain.
Treatment for Neck Pain
Mild to moderate neck pain often improves with self-care within weeks. If it persists, your doctor may suggest:
- Prescription pain relievers, muscle relaxants, or tricyclic antidepressants.
- Acupuncture: While further research is needed for conclusive evidence, it's been a longstanding practice in Eastern medicine. Ensure treatment by a certified practitioner using sterile needles.
Therapy
- Physiotherapy can teach proper posture, alignment, and neck exercises, along with using techniques like heat, ice, and electric stimulation to ease pain and prevent future issues.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) involves placing electrodes on the skin near painful areas to deliver small electrical impulses for pain relief.
- Traction, supervised by medical and physical therapy experts, uses weights, pulleys, or an air bladder to gently stretch the neck, offering relief, particularly for nerve root irritation.
When to visit a Doctor
If you have difficulty seeing while driving at night - or if you cannot see at all, or if you are sitting in a dimly lit restaurant and can barely see, you may have night blindness. See your healthcare professional immediately, as night blindness can be a symptom of serious illness.
How to Prevent Neck Pain?
If your neck pain interferes with your usual daily activities and the following conditions persist, you must see your doctor
- The pain started after a car accident or injury.
- Pain spreading down your arms or legs
- Weakness in your arms, hands, or legs
- Headache along with pain
- Severe neck pain with no apparent cause
- Lump in the neck
- Fever
- Headache
- Swollen glands
- Vomiting
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Weakness
- Tingling
- Pain that radiates to the arms or legs
- Inability to move arms or hands
- Inability to touch the chest with the chin
- Bladder or bowel dysfunction
Home Remedies for Neck Pain
- Apply ice for a few days, then switch to heat therapy.
- Rest from activities exacerbating symptoms; gradually resume normal activity.
- Perform daily neck exercises, including gentle stretches.
- Maintain good posture throughout the day.
- Avoid holding phones between your neck and shoulder.
- Consider receiving gentle neck massages.
- Use a specialized neck pillow for sleep.
- Obtain doctor approval before using a neck collar to avoid worsening symptoms.
