Also known as cervical pain, Pain felt in the neck. Can be in the neck bones, ligaments or muscles. Neck is made up of vertebrae that extend from the skull to the upper torso. Cervical discs absorb shock between the bones. The bones, ligaments, and muscles of your neck support your head and allow for motion. Any abnormalities, inflammation, or injury can cause neck pain or stiffness.

Many people experience neck pain or stiffness occasionally. In many cases, it’s due to poor posture or overuse whether it’s leaning over your computer or hunching over your workbench sleeping in an awkward position. Sometimes, neck pain is caused by injury from a fall, contact sports, or whiplash.

Neck pain is not always related to an underlying condition. It may be caused by:

Bad sleeping posture

Prolonged use of a desktop or laptop computer

Injury or trauma around the neck

Gritting your teeth

Carrying heavy shoulder bags

Wearing heavy necklaces

Sometimes neck pain may signify an underlying health condition. These conditions includes the following:

Osteoarthritis Of The Cervical Spine (Cervical spondylosis, Cervical Spondylarthritis) :

The degenerative changes are common in cervical spine. In the beginning intervertebral disc shows the primary degenerative changes and leads to pain and stiffness of the neck. Sometime the pain is referred to the upper extremity also.

In the later stage osteophytes commonly encroach upon the intervertebral foramina, reducing the space for transmission of the cervical nerves and leading to manifestations of nerve pressure, some time the spinal cord may suffer damage due to encroachment of osteophytes within the spinal canal.

The main symptoms are pain in the neck (in the trapezius area) and stiffness of the neck. There may referred pain of the dull nature of the shoulder joint and radiating pain on the upper extremity.

Most cases of cervical spondylosis are with no symptoms. In case the symptoms are noted, they range from mild to severe.

Pain around the shoulder blade

Increasing pain during standing, sitting, sneezing, coughing, or bending the neck backwards

Pain along the arm and in the fingers

Headaches, mostly in the back of the head

Muscle weakness, making it difficult to lift the arm or grasp things

Numbness or tingling sensation in the shoulder and arms

Neck pain and stiffness

Loss of balance and control over bladder and bowel movements

Wear and tear of the cartilage and bones in neck is the main cause for cervical spondylosis. This could be due to:

Age – elderly persons are more prone to develop spondylosis

Herniated discs

Dehydrated or drying spinal discs, reducing the space between two neck bones

Injury to the neck

Overuse of spine

Stiffer ligaments in the neck

Repetitive stress such as holding the neck in an uncomfortable position for long durations

Age – risk increases after 40 years of age

A neck injury caused by sudden back and forth movement of the neck. This causes neck pain and stiffness, shoulder pain and headache.

A condition causing asymmetrical head or neck position due to a problem in the neck muscles. It causes neck pain, headache, tilting of chin to one side, and inability to move head normally.

Symptoms may include:

An inability to move your head normally

Decreased neck movement

Neck pain

Self-treatment for Neck Pain : Self- care steps that may be helpful in some less- serious cases:

Hold a hot water bottle or heat pack around the neck

Check your posture

Rest

Use a low firm pillow at night instead of too many pillows

Avoid driving or other activities that may force you to strain your neck

Practice neck exercises

Cervical pain is one of the most common pains among world population. Approximately 1 million people currently suffer from chronic cervical pain. Acupuncture is one of the most widely used treatment options for chronic neck pain or acute neck pain, as it has a proven history of effectively treating this condition.

Salem Prabu's Quantum Therapy Acupuncture Is Specialized in Treating Neck Pain / Cervical Pain / Cervical spondylosis. Contact us for your soonest recovery.