About 223 million people worldwide reported neck pain in 2019 alone. It resulted in 22.1 million YLDs (years of healthy life lost due to disabilities). It also accounted for 2.6% of the global YLDs during the same year.
Fortunately, many causes of neck pain are preventable, and many treatments are available.
That’s why it’s vital to learn what can cause neck pain, as its prevention starts with knowing your risks. The same goes for its treatment; treating the underlying cause can make the pain it causes go away.
To that end, we created this guide listing the top neck pain causes. Read on to discover what they are and what you can do to treat and keep them at bay.
Traumatic Injuries
Neck pain is prevalent because the neck has many structures, including seven vertebrae. It also consists of eight pairs of cervical nerves, along with muscles and blood vessels. If any of those develop injuries, pain often follows.
Traumatic events are some of the primary causes of cervical injuries. Motor vehicle crashes, sports accidents, and falls are examples of such occurrences.
Whiplash injury is a common injury that can result from traumatic incidents. It occurs when an impact forces the neck to move in a rapid back-and-forth motion, like lashing a whip. Aside from neck pain and stiffness, it can cause shoulder, low back, arm, and hand pain.
Painful neck injuries from minor accidents go away after a few days or weeks of rest. However, they can also lead to chronic neck pain, lasting for at least three months.
Therefore, seeing a doctor should be your first order of business if you’ve been in an accident. That way, you can undergo tests, such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs to confirm if you have a minor or severe injury. Treatments include self-care, medication, therapy, and, in rare cases, surgery.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries, also called repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), occur over time. They happen when you place too much stress on a body part, such as the neck. They can cause pain, swelling, muscle strain, and tissue damage.
You may develop an overuse neck injury if you do activities that require turning the head from side to side. It may also occur if you keep your neck in the same (or an awkward) position for extended periods. Dancing, swimming, and painting ceilings or walls are some examples.
Resting and taking frequent breaks can help prevent overuse neck injuries. Treatment options are the same as those for traumatic injuries.
Poor Posture
Posture, which is how you position your body, is a common modifiable risk and cause of neck pain. It’s modifiable as you can develop or change your dynamic (moving) and static (still) posture.
For example, sitting for long periods while working on a computer that’s too low can force you to look down. That can increase the pressure and stress on your neck, resulting in a painful neck sprain or strain.
Your sleep posture may also increase your risks of neck pain, especially if you sleep on your stomach. That’s because the position forces your head to one side for hours at a time. That misaligns the neck, placing extra stress on it.
You can prevent neck woes from poor posture by sitting with your back flush against the back of a chair. Mind your head, too; ensure you align it with your hips and not overly forward, backward, or sideward. Keep shoulders rounded and relaxed, and position a computer screen at the same level as your eyes.
For better sleeping posture, avoid sleeping on your tummy. Instead, try to lie on your back or side.
Cervical Disc Herniation
The average person has 33 individual vertebrae at birth, but some fuse together with age. That’s why adults only usually have 24 of these tiny bones in their spines.
Spinal discs sit between each vertebra. They act as cushions, preventing the bones from grinding against each other. They also dampen the shock of impact, such as when you walk, run, or when your body receives a jolt.
Inside each spinal disc is a soft, jelly-like substance called the nucleus pulposus. It helps the discs perform their job of absorbing shocks. The soft nucleus stays in place because of its rigid, rubbery exterior called the annulus.
Age, lifestyle, and accidents can damage the annulus, allowing the nucleus to push out. Disc herniation, also known as a slipped or ruptured disc, is the term for that condition. Therefore, a cervical disc herniation affects one or more of the neck’s discs.
A slipped disc in the neck can cause pain if the protrusion pokes into a muscle or irritates a nerve. The pain can range from aches to electric-like sensations in the neck, shoulder, or arms.
To keep your neck discs healthy, improve your posture, stretch, and exercise regularly. Treatments for getting rid of neck pain caused by a slipped disc are the same for injuries.
Dental Abscesses
Approximately one in four US adults have untreated dental decay. Unfortunately, failure to address cavities can result in the tooth roots becoming infected. Over time, that infection can cause the formation of a pocket of pus, known as an abscess, to form.
Dental abscesses can cause the gums and cheeks to swell. Worse, the infection may spread to other body parts, including the jaw, neck, and head. That can then lead to sepsis, a life-threatening medical emergency.
Flossing and brushing for at least two minutes twice a day helps keep tooth decay at bay. Preventing cavities, in turn, staves off dental abscesses and the neck pain it can cause.
If you have an abscess, you may need antibiotics and a root canal procedure. Your dentist may also have you take pain relievers as part of your dental and neck pain treatment.
Avoid These Causes of Neck Pain
As you can see, many causes of neck pain share a common ground: you can prevent them from happening. For instance, 99% of accidents are preventable, and so are the neck injuries they leave. Poor posture (which can lead to slipped discs) and dental abscesses are avoidable, too.
So, to keep neck pain at bay, be careful while driving, going down the stairs, and playing sports. Lastly, mind your posture and oral health.
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