Causes For Severe Neck Pain

Neck pain is a very common problem; additionally, there are many different neck pain causes makes this issue hard to diagnose. The neck has a huge range of motion and it is easily injured. This part of the body consists of many elements such as veins, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, nerves, muscle, and spine.

Everyone experiences neck pain in their life. The neck pain causes can be both minor and major. From such simple things as awkward sleep position to a lot more serious diseases and spine problems.

Severe Neck Pain Symptoms

There are many different pain descriptions: stabbing, dull sharp or burning. It can also last for a very short period of time, few hours, or it can be long-lasting, for example, eight weeks. Neck pain can even lead to more serious problems such as nerve damage. Additionally, it can go in hand with other symptoms such as arm numbness or shoulder and chest pain.

Common Severe Neck Pain Causes

The strain of the muscles – one of the more common severe neck pain causes. Muscle strain mostly is caused by poor posture in everyday activities. Any situation can cause muscle strain in our neck if done improperly, for example walking or even sleeping. A common symptom is neck stiffness, goes in pair with limited neck movement.

Quick movement or the so-called whiplash effect – A very common cause. This effect happens when your body goes forward and your head back or vice versa. For example, it can be caused by a car accident or a football tackle. The ligaments stretch and tear, the pain doesn’t become apparent immediately instead it can even take few days. This kind of an injury a lot of the time comes in pair with shoulder and chest pain or a headache. Bigger impact = more serious injury. It heals by itself within few days to up to 2 weeks, depending on the injury.

Aging

Degenerative disc or herniated disc – With age the space between our discs gets dried up and it causes the discs to come closer together. When they narrow down to a certain point they start to pinch the nerves and cause a lot of pain.

Cervical spondylitis – It is a very common issue among older folks. The symptoms are stiffness and numbness in the neck that improves after sleeping or lying down. A lot of time causes weakness and/or pain in both arms. This neck pain often comes in pair with shoulder pain.

cervical spinal stenosis – When the spacing becomes worn-out a pressure is put on the spinal cord. The symptoms are a weakness in legs, arms or both. The pain becomes worse when doing an activity. For some individuals, there are no symptoms.

Diseases

Most common diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis, cancer.

Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the feet and hand joints, but the neck is the next most common place of the attack.

Meningitis causes the spinal cord to swell. The main symptom is stiffness of the neck.

The cancer cause is least likely. It happens only when the tumor spreads from a different area into the spine.

If you are worried go ahead and contact me via the contact page any time you want.

Poor Posture and Neck Pain

With all of these neck pain causes the most common is a very simple one – poor posture. By correcting posture, an individual is able to live a pain-free life.  Our neck is constructed out of many elements that are prone to be injured and strained, further by having bad posture doesn’t help the neck one bit.

It is very important to have a proper posture when doing everyday activities because they put the biggest amount of stress on your neck.  Here are few tips:

Poor Posture Correction Tips

1. When doing something on your computer never lean forward. If you have trouble seeing pull the monitor closer or change the resolution.

2. Have the proper support of your head when you are sleeping.  Keep your pillow in a comfortable position – not too high or too low.

3. Always keep your chin up when walking. This will not only help you with a support of your neck but in addition, will make your look more look more confident (body language).

4. Adjust your car seat properly. Make sure your neck is supported properly.

5. Invest in a comfortable work chair that supports your back. Try to sit straight.

6. Don’t sleep on your stomach. Try to sleep on your back or side ( safe position )

7. Offer yourself a message.

8. When it is cold outside wear protective clothing around your neck

9. After waking up stretch your neck muscles. Simple stretches forward, back and side to side. You can even do this while brushing your teeth.

By doing these simple things you will be able to correct your posture and have a neck free life. Keep in mind that there are many neck pain causes, but correcting your posture is very important not only for the comfort of your neck but also your whole body.  It is very hard to change your habits, but it is crucial.

Conclusion to Causes of Neck Pain

If you know the cause of your neck pain you can take appropriate measures to ensure a quick recovery. If you are in a completely different situation and don’t know the cause of your neck pain it is mandatory to visit a specialist. Such steps should also be taken if your pain worsens or just doesn’t seem to go away. Even if neck pain most of the time is a temporary thing, by visiting a doctor you can quicken the recovery. Remember that there are many neck pain causes some are minor, but some can be very serious and even life-threatening.