One very common cause of tension headaches is rooted in the neck, resulting from muscle tension and trigger points.
What causes tension headaches?
At the base of the skull, there is a group of muscles called the suboccipital muscles. They can cause headache pain for many people. These four pairs of muscles are responsible for subtle movements between the skull and first and second vertebrae in the neck.
The suboccipital muscles may become tense and tender due to the following:
Eye strain
Wearing new eyeglasses
Poor posture
Grinding teeth
Trauma (such as a whiplash injury)
Pain from the suboccipital muscles commonly feels like a band wrapping around the head. Also, tension in these muscles may cause compression of a nerve that exits the base of the skull. This can trigger pain that wraps over the head and above the eyes.
How can you relieve tension headache pain?
Here are some tips to help you manage the cause of your tension headaches:
Get an eye exam. If you’re straining to read, or keep tilting your head up and down to use those off-the-shelf glasses, you may need a new pair of glasses.
Redesign your workstation. Simply raising your computer monitor or getting a document stand can help reduce repeated head tilting that can strain the occipital muscles.
Avoid slouching and practice good posture. Consider trying yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi. All of these disciplines are great forms of exercise and all can help to improve posture. Also, you may want to consult a physical therapist, chiropractor, or movement therapist for exercises that are tailored to your need.
Get a 30-minute massage that concentrates on the neck and upper back. This can help relax your muscles and relieve your headache pain.
Try applying a hot pack to the base of the head. Do this for 15-20 minute intervals.
Stuff two tennis balls into a sock and tie it off tightly. Lie on your back on the floor. Place the tennis balls under the base of your skull and allow your head to compress against them. Gently rock your head back and forth and side to side for a few minutes.
When does a headache indicate a serious health problem?
Most headaches are painful but not dangerous. However, headache pain can be a warning sign of a more serious health problem. Learn when you should contact your health care provider to find out if your headaches are a sign of a more serious problem like a brain tumor.
New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area. New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders. Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more. If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.
https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TensionHeadache.jpg300833nmorthohttps://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NMO-Logo-Teal.pngnmortho2021-06-04 12:00:512021-06-04 12:00:51That Tension Headache May Be a Pain in the Neck
We fear spine pain more than we fear other kinds of pain. Backs and necks seem vulnerable. And yet most spinal pain does not have a serious cause. The bark of neck pain is usually worse than its bite. This article explains how to tell the difference.
Please do seek care immediately if you’ve been in an accident or you have very severe or weird pain or other symptoms — obviously. This article is for non-emergency situations. But if you have neck pain that’s been starting to worry you, this is a good place to get some reassurance and decide whether or not to talk to a doctor.
Although it’s rare, once in a while neck pain may be a warning sign of cancer, infection, autoimmune disease, or some kind of structural problem like spinal cord injury or a threat to an important blood vessel. Some of these ominous situations cause hard-to-miss signs and symptoms other than pain and are likely to be diagnosed correctly and promptly — so, if it feels serious, go get checked out. Otherwise, if you are aware of the “red flags,” you can get checked out when the time is right — and avoid excessive worry until then.
The rule of thumb is that you should start a more thorough medical investigation only when all three of these conditions are met, three general red flags for neck pain:
it’s been bothering you for more than about 6 weeks
it’s severe and/or not improving, or actually getting worse
there is at least one other “red flag” (see below)
And there is one (hopefully obvious) situation where there’s no need to wait several weeks before deciding the situation is serious: if you’ve had an accident with forces that may have been sufficient to fracture your spine or tear nerves. I didn’t really have to tell you that, did I? Well, I did for legal reasons!
Several more specific red flags for neck pain: a checklist
Check all that apply. Most people will not be able to check many of these! But the more you can check, the more worthwhile it is to ask your doctor if it’s possible that there’s something more serious going on than just neck pain. Most people who check off an item or two will turn out not to have an ominous health issue. But red flags are reasons to check… not reasons to worry.
Light tapping on the spine is painful.
Weight loss without dieting is a potential sign of cancer.
Mystery fevers and/or chills (especially in diabetic patients).
A fierce headache, and/or an inability to bend the head forward (nuchal rigidity), and/or fever, and/or altered mental state are all symptoms of meningitis (inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, caused by infection or drug side effects).
A severe headache that comes on suddenly is colourfully called a “thunderclap headache”! Most are harmless, but they should always be investigated.1
Severe, novel pain (throbbing or constrictive) may be caused by an artery tear234 with a high risk of a stroke. Pain is the only symptom of some tears. Most but not all cases5 are sudden, on one side, and cause both neck and head pain (in the temple or back the skull), but the pain is usually strange.6 Any hint of other symptoms?7 Go to the ER.
There are many possible signs of spinal cord trouble in the neck,8 with or without neck pain, mostly affecting the limbs in surprisingly vague ways that can have other causes: poor hand coordination; weakness, “heavy” feelings, and atrophy; diffuse numbness; shooting pains in the limbs (especially when bending the head forward); an awkward gait. Sometimes people have both neck pain and more remote symptoms without realizing they are related.
Unexplained episodes of dizziness and/or nausea and vomiting may indicate a problem with stability of the upper cervical spine. (Such symptoms should never be dismissed by alternative health professionals as “detoxification” or “healing crisis.” For context, see What Happened To My Barber?)
Steroid use, other drug abuse, and HIV are all risk factors for a serious cause of neck pain.
If you are feeling quite unwell in any other way, that could be an indication that neck pain isn’t the only thing going on.9
The main signs that neck pain might caused by autoimmune disease specifically include: a family history of autoimmune disease, gradual but progressive increase in symptoms before the age of 40, marked morning stiffness, pain in other joints as well as the low back, rashes, difficult digestion, irritated eyes, and discharge from the urethra.
Signs of arthritis are not red flags
One of the most common concerns about the neck that is not especially worrisome: signs of “wear and tear” on the cervical spine, arthritis, and degenerative disc disease, as revealed by x-ray, CT scans, and MRI. Many people who have clear signs of arthritic degeneration in their spines will never have any symptoms, or only minor, and/or not for a long time.10 For instance, about 50% of fortysomethings have clinically silent disk bulges, and even at age 20 there’s a surprising amount of spinal arthritis. The seriousness of these signs is routinely overestimated by patients and healthcare professionals alike.11
Signs of arthritis are almost never diagnostic on their own.12 Do yourself a favour: don’t assume that you have a serious problem based only on pain plus signs of arthritis. Pain is common; serious degeneration is not.
Percentages of people with various kinds of spinal degeneration but no pain. Source: Brinjikji et al
Imaging finding
Age
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Disc degeneration
37%
52%
68%
80%
88%
93%
96%
Disk height loss
24%
34%
45%
56%
67%
76%
84%
Disk bulge
30%
40%
50%
60%
69%
77%
84%
Disk protrusion
29%
31%
33%
36%
38%
40%
43%
Annular fissure
19%
20%
22%
23%
25%
27%
29%
Facet degeneration
4%
9%
18%
32%
50%
69%
83%
Sharp, stabbing, and shooting neck pains are usually false alarms
Sharp neck pain is not in itself a red flag. Believe it or not there is no common worrisome cause of neck pain that is indicated by a sharp quality. In fact, oddly, sharp pains are actually a bit reassuring, despite how they feel. In isolation — with no other obvious problem — they usually indicate that you just have a temporary, minor source of irritation in the cervical spine. Serious causes of neck pain like infections, tumours, and spinal cord problems tend grind you down with throbbing pains, not “stab” you.
Sharp, shooting pains are mostly neurological false alarms about relatively trivial musculoskeletal troubles: your brain reacting over-protectively to real-but-trivial irritations in and around the spine. The brain takes these much more seriously than it really needs to, but evolution has honed us to be oversensitive in this way. That’s not to say that the brain is always over-reacting, but it usually is. Most of the time, a sharp pain is a warning you can ignore.
The cervical spine is also surrounded by a thick, tangled web of nerves. In general, those nerves are amazingly difficult to irritate, much harder than people think, but it’s not impossible. Many sharp and shooting neck pains are probably caused by minor neuropathy (pain from nerve irritation) that will ease gradually over several days or a few weeks at the worst, like a bruise healing. It’s unpleasant, but not actually scary, like banging your funny bone (ulnar nerve): that thing can really take a licking and keep on ticking. So can the nerves in your neck.
Is a stiff neck serious?
Rarely. Nearly all neck stiffness is minor, diffuse musculoskeletal pain: several mildly irritated structures adding up to uncomfortable, reluctant movement as opposed to physically limited movement. The most common scary neck stiffness is the “nuchal rigidity” of meningitis — which makes it very difficult and uncomfortable to tilt the head forward — but that will be accompanied by other serious warning signs, of course. Like feeling gross otherwise (flu-like malaise).
If you have severe neck stiffness for a long time, plus any other warning signs, there could be a worrisome cause — but still probably not, and probably not urgent. Investigate if you have enough red flags, and even then it’s likely to amount to nothing.
Miscellaneous medical causes of neck pain that might mean you can stop worrying about something worse
This section presents a comprehensive list of somewhat common medical problems that can cause neck pain (and might, conceivably, be confused with an “ordinary” case of neck pain). I’ll give you a quick idea of what they are and what distinguishes them. If you find anything on this list that seems awfully similar to your case, please bring the idea to your doctor like a dog with an interesting bone; and get a referral to a specialist if necessary.
Important! None of these are dangerous! Although some are quite unpleasant. Reading about medical problems on the Internet can easily freak us out,13 so the goal here is to identify possible causes of neck pain that are not so scary. If you can get a positive ID on one of these conditions, then you get to stop worrying about the threat of something worse.
Some skin problems on the neck can cause neck pain, but are usually obvious — most people will identify them as “skin problems on the neck” and not “a neck problem affecting the skin.” Herpes zoster (shingles)[CDC] causes a painful rash, cellulitis[Mayo] is extremely painful but superficial, and a carbuncle[Wikipedia] … well, it’s just a super zit, basically. If you can’t diagnose that one on your own, I can’t help you!
Bornholm disease[NHS] is a crazy viral disease with several other intimidating names.14 It feels like a vice-grip on the chest and lungs, is intensely painful, and sometimes also causes neck pain. If you feel like you can’t breathe, you should look into this. The infection is temporary. It’s an extremely unlikely diagnosis.
Trichinosis[Wikipedia] (or trichinellosis, or trichiniasis) is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild game. It can be mild or severe or fatal, and digestive disturbance is likely. It can also cause spasming and widespread muscle pain, including the neck. There’s a laundry list of other symptoms.
Temporal arteritis can cause neck pain as well as fierce headaches.
Temporal arteritis [healthline] is an inflammation of arteries in the temple, with a lot of symptoms: severe headache, fever, scalp tenderness, jaw pain, vision trouble, and ringing in the ears are all possible symptoms, along with neck pain. It’s almost unheard of in people younger than 50, and it usually occurs in people with other diseases or infections.
Lymphadenopathy.[Merck] The lymph nodes of the neck may bulge and swell in response to disease or infection. Once in a blue moon, someone might mistake these bulgings for muscle knots. More likely, it will be obvious that something else is going on: a variety of other symptoms.
Parsonage-Turner syndrome,[RareDiseases.org] inflammation of the brachial plexus. For no known reason, sometimes the web of nerves that exit the cervical spine, the brachial plexus, becomes rapidly inflamed. This condition may sometimes occur along with neck pain. Strong pain in the shoulder and arm develops quickly, weakens the limb, and even atrophies the muscles over several months. There is no cure, but most people make a complete recovery.
Thyroiditis,[Wikipedia] inflammation of the thyroid gland in the throat, can be difficult to diagnose, causing a bewildering array of vague symptoms. If your neck pain is accompanied by symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, feeling “fuzzy headed,” depression and constipation, consider checking with your doctor.
Eagle’s syndrome[Medscape] is a rare abnormal elongation of a bizarre little bit of bone at the back of the throat called the styloid process. Even a normal styloid process looks jarring when you first see one: it is so skinny and sharp that it makes one wonder how it can possibly not be stabbing something. Well, it turns out that in some cases it does “stab” you in the neck. This will cause a feeling of a lump in the throat and/or moderate intensity pains throughout the region, possibly including the side of the neck, although pain is more likely to dominate the jaw and throat.15
And one more important one …
Necks just hurt sometimes
The neck is one of a few areas of the body — along with the low back, jaw, and bowels — that is vulnerable to bouts of unexplained pain, sometimes quite stubborn. In most cases, the pain goes away. Pain is weird and unpredictable, and is often the result of the brain being overprotective and paranoid.
Worrying about the pain may be literally the worst thing you can do — not just a poor coping mechanism, but a genuine risk factor. Like noise pollution, the more you focus on it, the worse it gets. That’s why this article is focused on rational reassurance.
If you want more, carry on with my huge neck crick tutorial, for people with a frustrating sensation of mechanical stuckness. Or read about the weirdness of pain and learn more about how to tame your brain’s false alarm: Pain is Weird.
New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.
New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.
Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.
If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.
https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/When-to-Worry-About-Neck-Pain-and-when-not-to.jpg300833nmorthohttps://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NMO-Logo-Teal.pngnmortho2019-12-28 18:04:022019-12-28 18:04:02When to Worry About Neck Pain … and when not to!
If you’re bothered by neck pain, you have plenty of company. Doctors estimate that seven out of 10 people will be troubled by such pain at some point in their lives. But if you were to ask each of these people to describe their neck pain, you would probably get seven different stories.
Boosting athletes’ neck strength in the off season might reduce their concussion risk in sports such as football and soccer, researchers say.
This is among several recommendations from researchers at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., who are looking to prevent these serious head injuries in athletes.
“Our ability to detect sports-related concussions has greatly improved, but our ability to prevent concussions and decrease post-injury outcomes remains limited,” said study lead author Allison Brown. She is an assistant professor in the School of Health Professions.
“We have identified neck strength, size and posture as potential factors that reduce risk by lessening the magnitude of force upon impact. Thus, increasing neck strength and possibly size could substantially reduce risk or severity of injury or outcomes,” Brown said in a university news release.
For the study, her team reviewed previous research on the relationship between sports-related concussion risk and neck strength, size and posture.
A neck that is stronger, thicker or in a forward posture — ears ahead of rather than aligned with the shoulders — may reduce the amount of energy transferred to the brain during an impact, reducing the risk and severity of concussion, said study senior author Carrie Esopenko, also an assistant professor in the health professions school.
Esopenko noted that compared with men, women typically have less neck strength and a higher risk of concussion, more severe symptoms, and a longer recovery.
Their other recommendations for physical therapists and athletic trainers include doing a thorough cervical spine assessment as part of the pre-athletic participation exam, and screening for pain. Pre-existing neck pain has been associated with increased concussion risk in young athletes, the study authors said.
A concussion occurs when an impact to the head makes the brain move within the skull. It can cause nausea, dizziness, problems with thinking, concentration and mood, and other neurological changes.
The study was published online Jan. 15 in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy.
New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.
New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.
Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.
If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.
https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Could-Neck-Strengthening-Prevent-Some-Concussions.jpg300833nmorthohttps://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NMO-Logo-Teal.pngnmortho2019-02-13 15:25:462019-02-13 15:25:46Could Neck-Strengthening Prevent Some Concussions?
Your doctor might suggest this type of treatment if you’ve had an injury or illness that makes it hard to do daily tasks. Physical therapy (PT) is care that aims to ease pain and help you function, move, and live better. You may need it to:
Relieve pain
Improve movement or ability
Prevent or recover from a sports injury
Prevent disability or surgery
Rehab after a stroke, accident, injury, or surgery
Work on balance to prevent a slip or fall
Manage a chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis
Recover after you give birth
Control your bowels or bladder
Adapt to an artificial limb
Learn to use assistive devices like a walker or cane
Get a splint or brace
People of all ages get physical therapy. It can treat a variety of health problems.
What Is a Physical Therapist?
These licensed health professionals get specific graduate training in physical therapy. You may hear them called PTs or physiotherapists.
Some PTs get a master’s degree. Others also have a doctorate in physical therapy. They must pass a national exam to get certified. They’re licensed by the states where they practice.Physical therapists look at your needs and guide your therapy. They may perform hands-on treatments for your symptoms. They also teach you special exercises to help you move and function better.In most states, you can go directly to a physical therapist without a referral from your doctor. Or your doctor might prescribe it. Check your insurance policy to see if you need a prescription to cover the cost.If you have a serious illness or injury, a PT won’t take the place of your doctor. But he will work with your doctors and other health care professionals to guide treatments. You’ll feel better and you’ll be more likely to get back full function in the area being treated.PTs often have assistants. They’re also trained to do many types of physical treatments.
What Does a PT Do?
At your first therapy session, your PT will examine and assess your needs. He’ll ask you questions about your pain or other symptoms, your ability to move or do everyday tasks, how well you sleep, and your medical history.
The PT will give you tests to measure:
How well you can move around, reach, bend, or grasp
How well you walk or climb steps
Your heartbeat or rhythm while active
Your posture or balance
Then, they will work with you to create a treatment plan. It will include your personal goals like functioning and feeling better, plus exercises or other treatments to help you reach them.
You may take less or more time to reach those goals than other people in physical therapy. Everyone is different. You may also have more or fewer sessions than others. It just depends on your needs.
You treatments might include:
Exercises or stretches guided by your therapist
Massage, heat, or cold therapy, warm water therapy, or ultrasound to ease muscle pain or spasms
Rehab to help you learn to use an artificial limb
Practice with gadgets that help you move or stay balanced, like a cane or walker
Your therapist will watch your progress and adjust your treatments as necessary.
You can do the exercises your therapist teaches you at home between sessions. This will help you stay on track and improve your fitness.
New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.
New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.
Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.
If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.
https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/physicaltherapy.gif300833nmorthohttps://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NMO-Logo-Teal.pngnmortho2018-09-12 21:57:432018-09-12 21:57:43What Is Physical Therapy? How to Feel and Function Better
Two types of arthritis commonly lead to neck pain: cervical spondylosis and rheumatoid arthritis. With both types, it’s joint damage that causes pain and discomfort in your neck.
Neck Pain and Cervical Spondylosis
Neck or cervical spine pain becomes more common as you age, often because of age-related degeneration of the neck bones. This wear and tear is what causes cervical spondylosis, also known as osteoarthritis of the neck or cervical osteoarthritis, and osteoarthritis may be accompanied by the growth of bony spurs and problems with the ligaments and disks in the neck.
Cervical Spondylosis Symptoms
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis may include:
Neck stiffness and pain
Pain that may radiate into the arms
Numbness or weakness in the arms and hands
Numbness or weakness in the legs or feet that may lead to problems with balance
Neck popping or neck cracking, or grinding or clicking sounds in the neck
Muscle spasms in the neck
Headaches
Irritability
Fatigue
Trouble sleeping
Cervical Spondylosis Diagnosis and Treatment
To diagnose cervical spondylosis, your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and perform a physical exam. You may also need to undergo imaging studies, such as X-rays or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), so that your doctor can view the vertebrae, disks, and ligaments of the neck and look for any abnormalities, such as bone spurs, that may be contributing to your symptoms.
Treatment options for cervical spondylosis include:
Limiting neck movement, which may mean wearing a cervical collar
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or other pain medication to help relieve your pain and swelling
Physical therapy
Heat therapy
Ice therapy
Exercises to improve poor posture
Chiropractic manipulation
Neck exercise to strengthen and stretch the cervical spine
Neck steroid injections in some cases
In rare cases, surgery may be necessary to relieve pressure on the spinal cord from bone spurs or a herniated disk
Neck Pain and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Another type of arthritis that can cause neck pain is rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory disease that can damage the joints. While rheumatoid arthritis typically affects the joints of the fingers and wrists, it can also affect other joints, including the neck.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
The symptoms and signs of inflammation may include:
Warm, tender, swollen joints
Joint pain and stiffness in the morning lasting more than 30 minutes
Fatigue
Fever
Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis and Treatment
A rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis begins with a physical exam and discussion of your symptoms. Your doctor may also order laboratory tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, to get a better understanding of your condition.
RA affects each person differently, and treatment will depend on your symptoms and how severe they are. Common treatments for rheumatoid arthritis include:
Medications to reduce inflammation and relieve pain
Medications to slow joint damage, such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologic response modifiers
Rest when you need it
Chiropractic treatment to alleviate neck pain through adjustments to your neck’s vertebrae.
Splints to support swollen, painful joints
Surgery when necessary; this may involve joint replacement (depending on the joint involved), reconstruction of tendons, or removal of inflamed tissue.
Ways to Treat Neck Pain at Home
In addition to medical treatments, consider:
Exercise. When your disease isn’t active, get moving — just don’t overdo it. In moderation, it can reduce your pain, help with movement, make you feel less tired, and it’s just a good thing to do for overall health. Your local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation may offer water exercise and other kinds of classes specifically for people with arthritis.
Ice packs. The next time you need to reduce swelling and pain, go to your freezer and grab a bag of frozen peas or corn — these aids conform easily to the neck area.
Not smoking. If you smoke, find a way to stop. The chance of complications from RA increases if you smoke, as do your odds of developing osteoporosis.
Warm baths. Besides helping with sleep, a warm bath can soothe achy joints and relax muscle tension.
Herbal remedies. If you’re looking for natural relief, turmeric, the common kitchen spice, is known to be an anti-inflammatory and may reduce neck pain caused by inflammation. Boswellia is another natural pain reliever with anti-inflammatory properties.
Yoga exercise. This ancient practice, which involves stretches, poses, and meditation, is not only a great exercise, but it also relieves stress and neck pain by reducing tension.
Massage. Have your partner or a professional gently massage your neck where it hurts, for temporary relief.
Neck Pain: Related Conditions
Neck pain is common among those who are 50 or older. “But I have children who come into my office with neck pain,” says Robin Lustig, DC, CCSP, of New Jersey Total Health in Lodi, N.J.
Other common causes of neck pain include:
Pinched nerve. This occurs when too much pressure is placed on a nerve by surrounding tissue. The pain from a pinched nerve in your neck can radiate into your shoulders, arms, or back. When you have a pinched nerve, you may also feel numbness or tingling in the area.
Injury or trauma such as a car accident or a fall. Injury or trauma to the neck can have long-lasting effects and cause arthritis years later, Dr. Lustig says.
A stiff neck. This is when it’s painful or difficult to move your neck from side to side. “A stiff neck can be caused by sleeping on your stomach in a funny position for a long time or from a muscle that went into spasm,” Lustig says.
Cervical myelopathy. This condition occurs when the spinal cord channel in the back of your neck narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord, which can result in neck pain and numbness or weakness in your hands, arms, legs, and feet.
Shoulder arthritis. “People often develop shoulder arthritis where there is wear and tear or overuse,” Lustig says. The pain from shoulder arthritis can radiate into the neck.
Poor posture. If you sit hunched over your computer all day or hold the phone with your neck while you’re working at your computer, your neck can hurt at the end of the day.
Tumors. A tumor in the cervical region of the spine will cause neck pain and should be examined to determine the best course of treatment. As the tumor grows, it can cause pain as it compresses different nerves.
Meningitis. Neck pain and stiffness is a primary symptom of this infection, which can be life-threatening. If your neck pain and stiffness is accompanied by fever and vomiting, see your doctor immediately.
Lack of magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that plays an important role in the way our bodies function. Many people lack magnesium in their diet. Researchers have linked a lack of magnesium to cramps, twitches, muscle tension, soreness, and back and neck pain.
New Research on Neck Pain
Arthritis cannot currently be cured, but researchers are working from many different angles to learn how this disease develops in order to find a cure.
Some of the new research on arthritis includes:
Focus on cells. Scientists are studying T-cells, a major player in immunity. They want to find out how inflammation starts so they can stop it.
Gene study. To find the genes responsible for rheumatoid arthritis, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Arthritis Foundation are supporting the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium. At 10 research centers around the United States, scientists are gathering information and genetic samples from 1,000 families in which at least two siblings have the disease.
Other studies. Researchers are also looking at hormones, bacteria, and viruses in the hope of learning more about RA.
Clinical trials. As for research into cervical spondylosis, a recent look on the NIH clinical trials Web site turned up eight trials involving this disorder.
Neck Pain Prevention is Key
You can prevent some neck pain with these steps:
Learn stretching exercises. Consult a physical therapist if necessary. You should stretch every day especially before and after you exercise. If after exercising, your neck hurts, apply ice immediately.
Keep your back and neck supported. This is a must, especially sitting at your computer. If your computer is at eye level, it will keep you from having to look up and down and constantly change your neck position. Use a headset when talking on the telephone to avoid straining your neck.
Sleep with support. Use a firm mattress. If your neck is sore in the morning, you might want to buy a pillow that supports your neck as well.
Click it. Protect yourself from trauma by always using a seat belt when riding in a car.
Managing neck pain requires a consistent approach and carefully following the treatment plan outlined by your healthcare provider. You’re the one in charge of making sure you take the time to exercise, strengthen, and soothe muscles. At times you’ll feel challenged, but if you stay determined, you’ll have the best possible outcome.
New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.
New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.
Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.
If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.