Neck pain can be excruciating and made worse by any move you make. Whether the pain is caused by a sprain or strain, injury, or a condition that has developed over time, it can impact everything you do. If you’ve recently suffered an injury or have been living with neck pain for any length of time, make an appointment with a New York neck surgeon as soon as possible! Waiting can cause the pain to worsen and end up requiring a more extensive treatment plan.
These are the top 4 common causes of neck pain:
Injuries
Unfortunately, the neck is quite vulnerable when it comes to specific injuries, such as a fall, impacts from playing sports, and car accidents, where the neck is forced to move and stretch outside of its normal range of motion. One of the most common injuries seen in the neck is whiplash, caused by the sudden jerking of the head. The most common symptoms associated with whiplash are neck, shoulder, and back pain, along with stiffness, dizziness, and numbness.
Disease
Certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis, or cancer, can cause neck pain. Bacterial infections such as meningitis can cause stiffening and inflammation in the neck and can have symptoms such as high fever, nausea, and a persistent headache. With rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints. While this disease usually starts in smaller joints such as the hands and feet, over time it can spread to other parts of your body like your neck.
Nerve Compression
Herniated disks or bone spurs in the vertebrae of your neck can press on the nerves branching out from the spinal cord, causing nerve compression in the neck. The most common symptoms of nerve compression, also known as a pinched nerve, are inflammation, pressure, and pain around the area, accompanied by numbness, tingling, and weakness.
Muscle Strains or Sprains
Both sprains and strains are caused when there is an injury to a ligament, muscle, or tendon in the neck. A muscle strain or sprain in the neck can be caused by most of the reasons above and a few others – worn joints, lifting heavy objects, and poor posture to name a few. The most common symptom seen with a muscle strain or sprain is pain in your neck that worsens with movement.
Find a New York Neck Surgeon
If you’ve recently experienced neck pain, suffered an injury, or have been living with discomfort in your neck for any length of time, get in touch with a New York Neck Surgeon today! Don’t wait until your pain worsens! If you have any questions about a potential neck injury or any pain you’ve been experiencing, give our office a call or submit a contact form in the top right corner of this page. We’d love nothing more than to get you back to pain-free living!