Why Do I Have Neck Pain?
- Written by NewsServices.com
Neck pain has long been a fairly common ailment among people all over the world. One of the reasons it’s so common is that there are many possible factors that can cause it. If you are suffering from chronic neck pain, or any neck pain that is interfering with your work or daily life, then you should take action immediately such as going to book a neck pain treatment session in Melbourne or closest to where you live.
If you’ve never had a consultation for neck pain treatment before and you’re wondering where your neck pain is coming from, the following are some likely and very common possibilities.
1. Consistent Poor Posture
People who sit in office chairs all day with their heads, faces and necks pointed towards computers are in a particularly susceptible position when it comes to neck pain. The fixed and often incorrect posture creates stiffness that can manifest into much more lasting pain. Posture and positioning of the neck affects us in other arenas, too, such as sleeping in awkward positions, sitting slouched on the sofa watching TV, or hunching over a table at home using our laptop computers.
2. Whiplash from Car Accidents
If you’ve ever been in a car accident, then you’ll likely be familiar with the unpleasant whiplash effect that can occur as a result. Even a seemingly minor crash in which no one appears outwardly injured can result in whiplash because of the sudden and harsh jolting of the neck that brings injury to the muscles, tendons and soft tissue around the neck.
Besides pain in the neck, whiplash can bring on dizziness, headaches, feelings of weakness, and even difficulty in concentrating, vertigo and blurred vision in more serious cases. If left untreated, whiplash can lead to serious nerve damage, and even dislocation in the neck. Chronic pain lingering after initial whiplash is rare, but has been known to happen in some cases.
3. Sprains, Strain and Other Injuries
As resilient as the neck is in many ways, it is still susceptible to falls, sharp and sudden twists, or strains from overextension. Some people don’t realize that we’re using our neck muscles for so many things in our daily lives, and thus may not be paying attention to how certain physical movements may affect their neck.
If your neck is sprained, it means that the ligaments have been overstretched. Sprains are typically mild, but the initial pain can linger for some time. Sports injuries in the neck region are also common, the most serious being breaks to the bones in one’s neck, which are known as the cervical vertebrae. Even when healed, these can be the source of much ongoing pain and discomfort.
4. Herniated Disc
The cervical discs that support the neck and act as its shock absorbers contain a softer substance that under certain injury or strain can escape from the disc and start to press on nerve roots, which can cause numbness, shooting pains or even a feeling of burning. Some people panic when this happens because the shooting pains down a single arm are also a symbol of heart attacks. A herniated disc is also known as a ruptured disc or bulging disc.
5. Cervical Osteoarthritis
Finally, existing disorders like osteoarthritis in your neck and cervical spine cause increased friction in the facet joints which causes both stiffness in the neck as well as pain. In its more advanced state, this kind of arthritis can lead to the formation of bone spurs that cause very painful headaches, as well as wider pain in the shoulders and arms.
