Neck pain

Alternative Names

Neck pain

What is Neck pain

Neck pain is a common illness when neck muscles are strained from bad posture. It happens if you are leaning into your computer at work or hunching over your workbench doing hobbies at home. It is not as such a disease but a symptom or cause of other disorders.


Signs and symptoms

Neck pain is usually accompanied by:

  • Shooting pain into your shoulder or down your arm
  • Numbness or loss of strength in your arms or hands
  • Change in bladder or bowel habits
  • Inability to touch your chin to your chest


Possible complications

Neck pain may persist if any of above-mentioned signs remain untreated and it becomes chronic.


What causes

Neck pain may be the result of a variety of problems including:

  • Muscle strains
  • Worn joints
  • Nerve compression
  • Stiffened disks
  • Herniated disks
  • Bone spurs
  • Whiplash injuries
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Meningitis
  • Cancerous tumors in the spine


Prevention

The right posture of the neck can help prevent neck pain. So, try to:

  • Take frequent breaks if you drive long distances or work long hours at your computer.
  • Keep your head back over your spine to reduce neck strain.
  • Fix your desk, chair and computer so the monitor is at eye level.
  • Avoid keeping the phone between your ear and shoulder when you talk.
  • Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
  • Choose a pillow that helps to keep the natural curve of your neck.


Treatment

Frequently neck pain can be self-treated at home. If neck pain persists, the doctor can prescribe:

  • Pain medications.
  • Opioid analgesics are for treating acute neck pain.
  • Muscle relaxants or tricyclic antidepressant medications.
  • Injections of medication (e.g. lidocaine) relieve neck pain.
  • Neck exercises and stretching for restoring muscle function, optimizing posture to prevent overload of muscle.
  • Traction for stretching your neck to relieve neck pain.
  • Short-term immobilization by putting a soft collar that supports your neck.

Surgical treatments are rare and used for relieving nerve root or spinal cord compression.

Most Searched Diseases

See all

Most Searched Drugs

See all