Pain in Your Neck?
That niggling pain in the neck that makes life miserable is a common complaint. Regular life, as you know it, may come to a grinding halt because of this annoying pain.
One of the most common causes for neck pain is cervical disc disease. Cervical discs are cartilaginous structures between the vertebrae of your spinal column. When there is damage to any of the discs because of arthritis, stress or injury, it can cause muscle inflammation and spasms. This is what manifests as neck pain. In severe cases, if the nerves are damaged, you may even experience pain and numbness in your arms.
Orthopedic surgeons say that rheumatoid arthritis, cervical disc degeneration and accidents affecting the neck are the common causes that may trigger neck pain. Infections or tumors in the neck and congential abnormalities may also cause neck pain, though these are rare.
There are various ways to treat neck pain. You can take pain relieving medication, physical therapy, neck traction and even undergo surgery in extreme cases to get relief from neck pain caused by cervical disc disease.
Some easy self care tips when you are suffering from neck pain:
Keep your neck in a neutral position and maintain an activity level that does not strain your neck. Don't stay completely immobile though, because it can cause the neck muscles to stiffen and increase the pain.
Apply ice packs to control inflammation and then hot packs after 24 hours to ease stiffness. This works only if the neck pain is just because of stress and not cervical disc disease.
Ask your doctor about simple stretching exercises for your neck to rebuild the strength and flexibility of your neck muscles. Exercise is a proven and effective way to control neck pain but you must discontinue it you feel uncomfortable or if the pain increases. Also be careful about maintaining a good posture which keeps your neck and back in a neutral position.
Neck traction or cervical traction is also a technique applied by physical therapists to extend the neck and then rest it intermittently to flex neck muscles and reduce the pressure on affected discs.
You may try a cervical pillow which is designed to immobilize the neck when you sleep on it. A soft cervical collar can also help maintain posture and control motions. Medications for neck pain ranges from pain relievers to anti inflammatory drugs to steroids. These medications can be taken along with physical therapy or other treatments.
It is observed that a majority of people suffering from neck pain show signs of improvement with medication and physical therapy. Unfortunately, if you don't see any improvement or if your condition only worsens in spite of treatment, you might have to opt for surgery.
When surgery is carried out for cervical disc disease, the disc that is compressing the nerves or spinal cord is removed. This is called discectomy. This is done under general anesthesia and then, in order to restore the spine you may need artificial disc replacement or cervical fusion. If you suffer from osteoporosis or are allergic to stainless steel, you cannot have disc replacement surgery done for your neck pain. Once the Surgery is over, you may be able to go home the same day.
One of the most common causes for neck pain is cervical disc disease. Cervical discs are cartilaginous structures between the vertebrae of your spinal column. When there is damage to any of the discs because of arthritis, stress or injury, it can cause muscle inflammation and spasms. This is what manifests as neck pain. In severe cases, if the nerves are damaged, you may even experience pain and numbness in your arms.
Orthopedic surgeons say that rheumatoid arthritis, cervical disc degeneration and accidents affecting the neck are the common causes that may trigger neck pain. Infections or tumors in the neck and congential abnormalities may also cause neck pain, though these are rare.
There are various ways to treat neck pain. You can take pain relieving medication, physical therapy, neck traction and even undergo surgery in extreme cases to get relief from neck pain caused by cervical disc disease.
Some easy self care tips when you are suffering from neck pain:
Keep your neck in a neutral position and maintain an activity level that does not strain your neck. Don't stay completely immobile though, because it can cause the neck muscles to stiffen and increase the pain.
Apply ice packs to control inflammation and then hot packs after 24 hours to ease stiffness. This works only if the neck pain is just because of stress and not cervical disc disease.
Ask your doctor about simple stretching exercises for your neck to rebuild the strength and flexibility of your neck muscles. Exercise is a proven and effective way to control neck pain but you must discontinue it you feel uncomfortable or if the pain increases. Also be careful about maintaining a good posture which keeps your neck and back in a neutral position.
Neck traction or cervical traction is also a technique applied by physical therapists to extend the neck and then rest it intermittently to flex neck muscles and reduce the pressure on affected discs.
You may try a cervical pillow which is designed to immobilize the neck when you sleep on it. A soft cervical collar can also help maintain posture and control motions. Medications for neck pain ranges from pain relievers to anti inflammatory drugs to steroids. These medications can be taken along with physical therapy or other treatments.
It is observed that a majority of people suffering from neck pain show signs of improvement with medication and physical therapy. Unfortunately, if you don't see any improvement or if your condition only worsens in spite of treatment, you might have to opt for surgery.
When surgery is carried out for cervical disc disease, the disc that is compressing the nerves or spinal cord is removed. This is called discectomy. This is done under general anesthesia and then, in order to restore the spine you may need artificial disc replacement or cervical fusion. If you suffer from osteoporosis or are allergic to stainless steel, you cannot have disc replacement surgery done for your neck pain. Once the Surgery is over, you may be able to go home the same day.
