Neck problems and pain can be present in many different ways and with many different symptoms. These are the most typical causes of neck pain:

•    Injury and Trauma occur when the neck moves in jerky or unnatural ways, causing stress on the muscles and joints. Whiplash is the most common neck trauma, and can make movements extremely stiff and painful.

•    A Pinched Nerve is the term used for constriction or compression of a nerve, which may be present at rest, or with movement or certain positions of your head and neck. Symptoms vary but can include numbness, tingling or “pins and needles”, as well as sharp pains radiating from the affected area.

•    Cervical Headaches can be an indication that the first three cervical joints of the neck are injured or stressed. There are however other joints in the cervical and thoracic region which can be responsible for causing headaches. Headache symptoms include those similar to the migraine, with pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound but the ache usually begins in the base of the skull and can move from place to place around the head.

•    Arthritis can develop as part of the natural aging process, or can be due to degeneration of the tissues or cartilage which protects the joints as a result of repetitive stresses or injury. This can cause painful or stiff movements, inflamed joints, and a limited range of comfortable motion.

•    Strains and Sprains may happen with traumatic injury, or can occur when unbalanced movements are made repetitively. Symptoms can range from slight to severe pains, swelling, and loss of normal motion.

Some Neck Pain Can Be Avoided 

Most neck pain is often avoidable if a few simple rules are followed. Neck pain can be caused by poor posture, age-related wear and tear, stress or other trauma. Symptoms can present themselves in a variety of ways: neck pain, headaches, jaw pain or TMJD (Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction), pain in the shoulder region and sometimes pain or numbness down the arm. 

The most common type of neck pain seen by Physical Therapists is caused by poor posture. Poor posture can generally be defined as forward, rounded shoulders and a forward head position. This posture is often found from improper computer or workstation set-up and bad habits. 

While sitting at a computer, it is important to sit all the way back in the chair. Your arms should be supported on the armrests. The keyboard should be within comfortable distance without reaching up, down or forward. The computer monitor should be at eye level and about one arm’s-length away. The chair should be at a height allowing the hips and knees to be flexed about 90 degrees. If the desk or keyboard is too high, the chair should be adjustable and can be adjusted higher with a footstool to maintain the proper hip and knee position. New research indicates reclining chairs with good lumbar support to be more beneficial that sitting in the erect position for prolonged periods.  

Bad habits can come in the form of sitting slouched, standing with shoulders rounded forward and reading while lying in bed. Good posture requires standing tall, chin tucked slightly and shoulders pulled back. Another bad habit is carrying a bag over one shoulder or carrying more weight on one side versus the other. This can lead to tightness on one side, straining the side with more weight. It is preferred to use a backpack with two straps or to carry equal weight across the body. 

Car accidents often lead to a whiplash injury, causing trauma to the muscles surrounding the neck, as well as the associated joints, ligaments and neural tissue. After initial healing, which may require the use of a cervical collar, Physical Therapy can help to regain motion, strength and function. 

Stress also leads to or intensifies neck pain and can cause headaches. This happens by increasing tension in the muscles traveling from the upper shoulder/back region up to the neck. As tension increases, associated joints will be irritated, resulting in pain referral into the head causing headaches. This increased tension and stiffness can also stress the jaw region and cause jaw pain, also known as TMJD. 

While performing day-to-day activities, the main thing to remember is posture. Posture applies to the whole back, but do not forget the importance of the neck. For example, when lifting an object, it is important to keep the lower back straight, bend at the knees, keep the object close to the body, all while keeping your head and neck tall. If the last step is forgotten and the neck is allowed to flex forward, the whole back will likely round and cause a strain. 

Another consideration is driving position. If the seat is reclined or positioned too far back from the steering wheel, the driver has to reach forward. This position rounds the shoulders forward and flexes the neck, which is the definition of poor posture! A simple solution is for the driver to sit close enough to the steering wheel so that they do not have to over stretch in front of them. One should also remember to keep their back fairly upright so that the neck is tall, shoulders are back and arms relaxed with shoulders down. 

Symptoms associated with nerve compression or constriction include pain into the shoulder, shoulder blade or arm, and possible tingling and/or numbness down the arm. Pain referral depends on which nerves in the neck are compressed, resulting in muscle tension, increased inflammation or a bulging disc. These symptoms usually respond very well to Physical Therapy by decreasing muscle tension, increasing range-of-motion, centralizing disc protrusions and normalizing nerve mobility.

Despite there being many different types and causes of neck pain, there are many different treatment methods which can be administered in order to effectively reduce the problem or even eradicate it. This puts you back in control of your health and can help you achieve a pain free lifestyle. See your physical therapist for assistance. 

Therapists at Avante Physical Therapy are skilled in helping you determine the cause of your neck pain and work with you to develop a program that will help you to relieve your symptoms.