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Neck Pain – Causes, Symptoms and Self Care
Author: peterhutch   | Posted: 24-04-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 642 | Rating: (262)  (?) 
The neck (cervical spine) is composed of vertebrae that begin in the upper torso and end at the base of the skull. The bony vertebrae along with the ligaments (which are comparable to thick rubber bands) provide stability to the spine. The muscles allow for support and motion. The neck has a significant amount of motion and supports the weight of the head. However, because it is less protected than the rest of the spine, the neck can be vulnerable to injury and disorders that produce pain and restrict motion.
Neck injuries can be serious and can affect your ability to walk, stand normally, and move with ease. This is because neck injuries may result in damage to the spinal cord, which connects your brain to the rest of your body.
The most frequent causes of neck injuries include car or motorcycle accidents, sports injuries, whiplash of rides. Accidents are the leading causes of injury to the neck. Sudden jerks of the head and just causes whiplash injuries. Whiplash is a soft tissue injury where the neck and head are suddenly thrown forward and back again at the time of impact (which is almost always a car accident).
What are the symptoms?
You may feel a knot, stiffness, or severe pain in your neck. The pain may spread to your shoulders, upper back, or arms. You may get a headache. You may not be able to move or turn your head and neck easily. If there is pressure on a spinal nerve root, you might have pain that shoots down your arm. You may also have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm.
Common causes of neck injuries include car or motorcycle accidents, sports injuries, and whiplash from amusement park rides.
Spasm: Neck spasms are contractions of the muscles in your neck. The muscles become tight, hard, and painful. Neck spasms may occur from an injury, overuse, poor posture, or stress. For example, it is common for a person doing a lot of computer work to feel his or her neck stiffen. Spasms may even occur from an uncomfortable night's sleep.
Self Care:
Self-care for neck pain: If you have severe muscle pain and loss of motion in your neck, self-care should include a few simple techniques to assist with controlling these symptoms and hasten recovery:
Apply ice, a cold pack, or even a small bag of frozen vegetables, such as peas or corn, placed in a light towel, to the sore area for 10-15 minutes every few hours. This will decrease inflammation and cramping.
Use heat or cold to help stop muscle spasms, whichever one gives you the most relief. Alternating heat and cold may help. Rest your neck by wearing a soft, supportive collar or small towel rolled and placed under the chin. Do this for relief of muscle pain and loss of motion. Take care to preserve the normal curve of the neck when wearing a support.
One and again is to take a bath towel and then fold it lengthwise. This should be used to wrap around the neck before bedtime. A massage would also be very helpful, and so is relaxing. Pharmaceuticals such as ibufprofen, aspirin or naproxen are options as well. They ought to be used as directed and they can relieve pain and inflammation. A healthcare professional might recommend certain exercises. They would serve to alleviate the pain and improve the muscles.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can 3 pounds break your neck
By: Tironspider | 23-08-2008
can 3 pounds break your neck
Cervical spine problems
By: Bonnie Jane | 18-08-2008
I am told I have a collapsed disc (c-4-5_ in neck also spondylosis and loss of the cervical lordosis. Will be just starting my doctor visits this week. Any advice on any of these things, please?
I keep getting adrenal surges (that's the best way ...
By: floydian1987 | 25-07-2008
I keep getting adrenal surges (that's the best way I can describe how they feel) that go to my chest and cause me to have chest pain, what could this be
and the other night I felt this shock-like pain go straight to my heart
could this be neck or back pain related?
Whiplash Injury
By: gc4321 | 08-07-2008
Have you suffered from whiplash injury? How long did it take you to get better? What treatment worked best for you?
Is there anything at all you can do for a sore ...
By: ambers83 | 29-04-2008
Is there anything at all you can do for a sore neck... its so bad that its hard to move at all and I was wondering if there were any home remedies or at least something to ease the pain for now...Im not sure how it got so sore, I woke up and it was as if I had whiplash or something similar to that.
Can soft drinks cause intense shoulder pain?
By: Jim1175 | 05-04-2008
Every time I drink a soda like Coke or Mountain Dew I experience sharp shooting pain from my neck to my shoulders that is excruciating. Can drinking soda cause this pain?
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