Neck pain is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide, impacting their daily lives and overall well-being. Your neck is made up of many different structures including bones, called “vertebra”, joints, ligaments, muscles, discs and nerves. All these structures help your neck move smoothly and bend in all different directions. In this blog, we will delve into the causes, symptoms, and management strategies for neck pain, empowering you to take proactive steps towards relief.

Causes of Neck Pain:

Neck pain can arise from various causes. Sometimes a person can pinpoint the reason for their neck pain but more commonly neck pain develops over time and is not caused by one specific event. The most common cause of neck pain is a strain to your muscles and joints such as from activities that require repetitive neck movements or holding your neck in a certain position for a long period of time.

You may also experience neck pain following an injury such as after a car accident which is called whiplash. However, before being diagnosed with whiplash, it is important that you are cleared of any serious injuries by a healthcare professional.

Symptoms:

Neck pain may present with a variety of symptoms. You may experience:

1. Stiffness and limited range of motion in your neck resulting in difficulty doing tasks such as looking in your blind spot when driving. You may feel more stiffness during certain parts of the day such as the morning and evening.

2. Pain localized to the neck or pain referred to the upper back or shoulders.

3. Headaches are another common symptom you may experience when you have neck pain. Headaches can be on both sides of your head or along one side.

4. You may experience a general achiness and a feeling of tiredness in your neck. This is most often felt after a long day at work or after doing an activity for a long period of time.

Management:

The good news is that most causes of neck pain are treatable with conservative care. Some treatment options include:

1. Hands-on manual therapy typically consists of soft tissue therapy to reduce tightness in your muscles and joint mobilizations to improve mobility of the joints in your neck. This can help improve your range of motion and reduce pain.
2. Education is an important tool to help manage neck pain. It is important that you understand what is causing your pain and what options you have to manage your neck pain. We know from research that typically neck pain comes and goes and you will likely experience another episode of neck pain later in life. Therefore, understanding how to self-manage your pain is important.
3. Exercise is another important aspect of neck pain management which consists of stretching and strengthening. Exercise helps to improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension, as well as increase the strength of your neck muscles which can help you do activities for longer periods of time with less pain. As well, general cardiovascular exercise can be very beneficial and when experiencing neck pain it is important that you continue to move as much as you can.
4. Ensuring your ergonomic setup is optimally configured can help reduce neck strain during the day. For example, if you have your computer screen placed on one side of your desk, you may be forcing yourself to always look to that side which could potentially strain your neck over the course of the work day. Education on a better setup could help in these cases. It is important to remember though that there is no one position that is considered ideal and taking frequent stretch breaks and generally moving around during the day is very helpful.

Conclusion:

Neck pain is one of the most common yet treatable conditions. If you’re suffering from neck pain, contact Dr. Plener today to start your road to recovery.

The Spine Clinic located within Mount Sinai Hospital is a specialty clinic located in Toronto, Ontario. You will receive a comprehensive assessment and understand what is causing your neck pain. Dr. Plener will discuss with you individualized treatment options to help get you out of pain and back to living your life to the fullest!

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and not intended to replace medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, make sure to consult your healthcare provider.