The neck is part of the cervical spine (C1-C7) in the vertebrae (backbones) that controls the movements as well as supports the head. Being this crucial, when there is a difficulty, it affects the whole neck system. Working while having issues in the neck and being unable to move it when it is required can hamper your mood.
As per some results, neck pain is very common and may occur in one out of three people. There can be many reasons that can affect the movement of the neck or cause neck pain and among those reasons, we have concluded seven fundamental causes of it:
- Pulled Muscle or Muscle Strain: Happens due to wearing and tearing of muscle fiber. Muscle strain can be for two reasons either too much stretch or too much contraction. Sitting on laptops while working for hours, lying in bed without getting up, sudden movements of the neck, etc. are common or daily life activities that can create the problem and give you neck pain.
- Injuries: Neck pain caused by injuries can be an issue too. You can not avoid injuries while you are in the field, on the road, or doing something complex. On road, if there is a minor crash between two vehicles, the person sitting in the car can get a sudden fall back of his head that can create a pull or stretch. While in the field, playing any sport you can get injuries like that.
- Weakness in back muscles: Some people genetically have weak back muscles which means these people often suffer from back pain that can reach up to the neck sometimes and cause tension there. Weak back muscles are also due to chronic stress. Ultimately, all this leads to neck pain.
- Joints wearing: With increasing age, our muscle use is also increasing due to more force requirements. This extra force can cause the wearing and tearing of joints in many parts of the body. The neck muscle is also one of those joints where this force is exerted and causes neck pain. Osteoarthritis is a common disease (a condition where cartilage deteriorates) in aged people,
- Diseases: Types of arthritis, meningitis, herniated disc, cervical dystonia, cervical spondylosis, and fibromyalgia are some of the diseases that can cause neck pain and stiffness.
- Nerve Compression: Our spinal cord is surrounded by nerves and herniated discs when these nerves are compressed can cause neck pain and neck issues. Also, they sometimes become the reason for radiation or radiculopathy.
- Improper slee ping posture:While sleeping, our posture can determine the reason for neck pain. Many people use pillows to support their heads which plays a huge part in causing neck strains. We usually don’t pay much attention to our sleeping posture which is very important.
HOW TO MANAGE NECK PAIN?
As far as we have discussed the causes and reasons for the neck pain. Specialty Care Clinic can give you suggestions on how to avoid neck pain and create balance according to the center of gravity to maintain posture. Let’s see below :
- By maintaining the sitting, and sleeping posture, and while standing keep your shoulders in alignment so that you can prevent sudden strain on muscles.
- When working on-screen take frequent breaks. Do not sit for hours in one position otherwise, it can cause stiffness. In breaks, do some light stretching. Also, keep your devices at the level of the eye.
- Smoking can also cause neck pain, so quit smoking too.
- Do not lift sudden weight or luggage while working out or doing some chores. Sudden weight can cause the tearing of muscle fibers.
- Do not use a high and stiff pillow. Keeping your head up from the rest of the body causes non-alignment and discomfort.
- Avoid work and sports injuries while paying attention to your surroundings.
- Placing your phone in between your neck and shoulder for holding purposes while talking can cause neck pain too. So avoid that too.
Sometimes people consider these outside pain as minor and treat them without paying much attention. But, the problem intensifies, if not given proper care and focus. To ease your lifestyle, Specialty Care Clinic provides daily routine guidance to help you with your neck pain issue. To get assistance for your neck problem call us at (469)545-9983.