When we talk about neck troubles hinting towards a visit to a doctor, we don’t only mean obvious neck injuries and pains, but there can be other reasons as well, such as old age, chronic discomfort, waking up with a stiff neck, and more.
The troublesome part of neck injuries is that if your neck does not heal properly and you get back to your normal routine, the pain can grow again and eventually become chronic.
Therefore, instead of shrugging your neck troubles off as temporary discomfort, we recommend instant checkups.
What Is Neck Injury: Causes, Pains, Exercises & Treatments
What Is Neck Troubles: Causes, Exercises & Treatments? The most common causes of neck injuries are automobile accidents, sports injuries, and outdoor physical leisure activities.
However, neck injuries (such as strain and sprain) can also occur doing normal household chores that involve reaching and lifting, and they can also gradually form because of odd posture while sitting and sleeping.
Apart from these prominent causes, some people also experience neck discomfort due to old age (over 50) and any activity that they’re regularly involved in that requires constant movement of the neck.
Whatever the cause of the trouble is, one thing is clear: It should not be ignored. Otherwise, it can become a long-term problem.
Kinds of Neck Troubles
What Is Neck Troubles: Causes, Exercises & Treatments? Neck troubles come in different forms on a wide spectrum–some are in the form of serious injury, others are just due to the wrong body movements.
Neck Injuries
In most cases, neck injuries are caused by accidents occurring on the road, playground, staircase, etc.
1. Whiplash
What Is Neck Troubles: Causes, Exercises & Treatments? Whiplash is one of the most common neck injuries. It occurs when the object with sheer force hits you from the bank and your neck tilts forward. This jerk displaces the part of your spine that connects your head to your back and shoulders.
The result turns out to be moderate to severe pain, depending on the condition, and other symptoms, such as numbness, stiffness, and tingling sensation in limbs.
Whiplash mostly occurs due to rear-ended car accidents and sports. It requires immediate neck injury treatment from a professional, otherwise, the symptoms can worsen and cast a long-term effect.
2. Fractured Cervical Spine
What Is Neck Troubles: Causes, Exercises & Treatments? The point of the spine that connects your skull to your backbone is known as the cervical spine, which forms your neck. Although it is one of the rarer ones, a fractured cervical spine is a serious condition that requires an immediate visit to the doctor.
3. Herniated Disc
What Is Neck Troubles: Causes, Exercises & Treatments? Although herniated disc commonly occurs in the lower back, being one of the main causes of chronic back pain, it can also occur in the neck.
A herniated disc usually means that the annulus (cushions of the disc) has been cracked in your backbone and it is letting the glue-like stuff (nucleus) out of your annulus, which can pressurize the nerves around your spine, depending on where the disc is located.
If the nerves are pressurized due to herniated disc, like diabetes it can affect your arms and legs Muscle as well, causing a tingling sensation around the limbs and a slight loss of motion.
These symptoms can worsen if the proper treatment procedure is not followed immediately.
Neck Pains Due to Body Movements and Positions
1. Poor Posture
What Is Neck Troubles: Causes, Exercises & Treatments? People who sleep in poor posture or on the wrong pillow (too stiff for the neck) can gradually develop discomfort in the neck that eventually results in pain. Moreover, sitting in bad posture, with the head tilted downwards, can also develop neck pain.
2. Overuse
If you have a job in which you overuse your neck, such as being hunched over a computer for hours can cause you to wear out your neck joints.
Even minor activities, such as using a smartphone up close and reading in bed can strain your neck muscles, developing pain and discomfort.
3. Neck Sprains
A neck sprain occurs when the ligaments in the neck are torn. A torn muscle or tendon is usually known as a strain.
Neck sprain and strain can occur because of any major to minor injurious act, from car accidents to playing ball and swimming to dancing.
4. Stiff Neck Muscles
Neck muscles are soft, so they tend to get stiff quicker than other muscles. Stiffness occurs when the muscles and tendons are not in the position or run that they are used to being in.
Moving in awkward positions can cause stiffness in neck muscles, which is often known as a crick in the neck.
Sitting in the same position for hours or sleeping in the same position for long periods can create neck stiffness.
Treatments for Neck Injury
The treatments of movement-based minor neck pains that you can try at home are:
- Rest – In cases of minor sprains and stiffness, relaxing and resting can get rid of the pain, with the mental note of not moving your body again in a way that triggers back the pain.
- OTC medicine – Over-the-counter medicines and painkillers can help you relieve minor neck pains.
- Anti-inflammatory diet – It calls for a diet that boosts your body’s natural ability to fight swelling and inflammation when the pain is contracted.
- Physical therapy – A certified therapist will teach you some exercises that can improve your flexibility and strengthen your muscles.
- Prescribed medicines – Prescribed medicine can work better than OTCs.
- Acupuncture – Very thin needles are inserted into particular areas around your spine to trigger the release of different chemicals into the body that can regulate and remove the pain. This treatment is usually used with other betterment plans, such as physical therapy.