What is neck pain?
Neck pain, also called cervical pain, is an experience of discomfort and pain in the vertebral region. Neck pain can be due to many reasons, the most common reason is wrong posture, apart from this some medical reasons can also be behind neck pain or neck, cervical vertebrae and inter-vertebrae discs, muscles, esophagus, larynx, trachea, Some structural disorders in the blood vessels, lymphatic organs, nerves, thyroid gland and parathyroid glands can also cause pain.
Minor neck pain can be treated with the help of a few – home neck pain remedies such as massage, rest and ice packs, while severe forms of neck pain require medical attention.
Pain in left side of neck
Neck pain on the left is mainly a result of poor posture. People suffering from certain medical conditions may experience neck pain on the left side.
Other possible causes of neck pain can be trauma, swelling or abnormal growth on the left side of the neck. People with neck pain on the left side may experience a general feeling of weakness or numbness in the neck, shoulder, or arm.
Treatment of left side neck pain includes general rest and exercise and physiotherapy for neck pain unless there is some other medical condition that may require surgery, to provide relief from neck pain.
Pain in the back of the neck: Often in neck pain, the muscles and nerves associated with the neck and back part are affected which gives pain in the back of the neck. Neck pain is also attributed to back strain.
symptoms of neck pain
There are many symptoms of neck pain; One of the most common symptoms is a mild pain in the neck. Some of the symptoms of neck pain for underlying medical issues are as follows;
- numbness
- tingling
- tenderness
- sharp pain
- difficulty swallowing
- flutter
- loud head sound
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- lymph node swelling
- gout
- stiff neck
- Severe neck pain due to a pinched nerve shows the following symptoms;
- Headache
- facial pain,
- Shoulder pain,
numbness or tingling in the arm (upper extremity paresthesis)
In addition to the above symptoms, many medical conditions can cause neck pain along with upper and lower back pain.
neck pain diagnosis
In cases of severe neck pain, a doctor makes a diagnosis after reviewing the history of symptoms, including the site of neck pain, pain intensity, duration, and radiating pain.
Some points to be noted by a doctor before making any diagnosis are – is the pain getting worse or better with certain head movements, has there been a neck injury in the past and has received treatment. Doctors also examine the patient’s nervous system to determine the involvement of any nerve(s) behind neck pain.
Some of the tests that may be done by the doctor to make a proper diagnosis include:
- X-ray
- CT scan,
- bone scan,
- MRI scan
- myelogram
- Electromyography (EMG)
- Nerve Conduction Velocity Test (NCV)
- causes of neck pain
There are as many causes of neck pain as there are types of neck pain. There are a few reasons behind neck pain ranging from common causes such as poor posture to more serious health conditions such as neck decay. Some common causes of neck pain are as follows;
- degenerative disc disease
- neck strain
- Neck injury – whiplash, herniated disc or a pinched nerve
- Neck pain, lymph node swelling and neck pain due to throat virus infection
- tuberculosis of the neck
- Infection of the spinal cord in the neck (osteomyelitis and septic discitis)
- Meningitis, with neck stiffness
- fibromyalgia
- polymyalgia
- rheumatica
- neck pain remedies
Neck pain treatment doesn’t need to be limited to massage and medication, there are now plenty of other activities that can relieve neck pain such as Jacuzzi treatments, or neck pillows specifically for sleeping, in addition to Exercises and stretches also relieve pain.
neck pain treatment
Neck pain treatments for milder forms of neck pain do not require much medical attention and include readily available neck pain treatments such as rest, heat or cold packs, topical anesthetic creams, topical pain-relief patches. Which will give relief from neck pain.
Severe neck pain, however, calls for a different neck pain treatment plan; Traction, soft collar traction, physical therapy (ultrasound, massage, manipulation), medications, local injections of cortisone or anesthetics, muscle relaxants, analgesics and surgical procedures.
Physiotherapy for neck pain
Physiotherapy for neck pain plays an important role in relieving neck pain in some cases, through stretches, strong and direct massage and specific neck exercises.
Ultrasound – helps eliminate muscle and joint pain
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS – is a therapy that uses mild electrical currents to treat pain.
Mobilization – This is a manual treatment that improves joint function along with stretching tight muscles and ligaments through neck muscle exercises.
Traction – This therapy involves creating a continuous pull on the neck to relieve neck pain due to root irritation or muscle spasm.
surgery for neck pain
In cases of neck pain due to a nerve-pinning herniated disc, anterior cervical discectomy surgery is required to eliminate neck pain. Also the most common reasons for which surgery is recommended are;
To remove damaged discs and/or other structures that irritate the nerve root
for stabilization of the cervical spine
to decompress the spinal cord
Even after undergoing surgery, the patient has to undergo a rehabilitation program that consists of certain neck exercises that help in regaining flexibility and mobility.
How can we help you?
Neck pain comes out as a very innocent type of pain but, one who suffers from severe neck pain understands the true nature of this pain.
Simple activities like walking or sudden movements can aggravate neck pain and such people need the help of health care professionals to get treatment from the comfort of their home.
Portea is widely renowned for delivering quality healthcare at home. Our Physiotherapists are not only highly trained and well experienced; They follow a patient-centred approach, which means that they modify their services as per the need and condition of the patient.
We train and help patients do neck pain exercises as part of physiotherapy for neck pain. So if you are in need of neck pain treatment at home or physiotherapy for neck pain then get in touch with us and allow us to get you back to good health faster.
physiotherapy near me
With the availability of physiotherapist at home, you no longer need to stress yourself about going to the clinic or hospital and exacerbating the injury. Search “physiotherapy near me” on Google and make an appointment with a physiotherapist on our website. You will get the best trained physiotherapists to help you get back to your normal life as soon as possible.
- Meet our renowned Physiotherapist team for Neck Pain
- Dr. L. Swarna Harini -MPT/BPT – 6 Years Experience
- Dr. Hari Prasad M – MPT – 4 Years Experience
- Dr.Neha Suhas Kulkarni – MPT – 4.5 Years Experience re
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