Neck Pain

Neck Pain

The neck is mainly formed by the cervical vertebrae, neck muscles, and ligaments. Other important structures are part of the neck. Nowadays, neck pain is one of the commonest problems with which people present themselves in clinics.

The causes of neck pain are numerous and the main ones are listed below:

• Incorrect posture
• Degenerative spine
• Herniated cervical disc
• Spinal tumors
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Chiari Malformation
• Metastasis
• Infections, especially tuberculosis
• Meningitis
• Trauma

Neck muscle stiffness is usually caused by incorrect posture, sitting and working for too long without changing posture, sleeping with the neck in a bad posture, jerking of the neck by barbers. Our lifestyle has taken a toll on the neck. Watching television for a long time in lying down posture, using laptops & mobile phones for a long duration. Our activities have made the mobile neck immobile.

Diagnosis: History, clinical examination, X-Ray Cervical spine, MRI and CT scan

Prevention of Early Degenerative Changes in Cervical Spine:

1. Regular exercise and yoga
2. Maintaining proper posture while sitting and lying down
3. Keeping laptops & computer screens at eye level
4. Avoiding excessive use of mobile phones and tucking the phone between the ear and shoulder
5. Giving rest to neck and doing stretching exercises frequently, while using computers for very long duration on a regular basis
6. Quit smoking

When to visit a doctor:

1. Neck pain is severe
2. Radiates down the shoulders and hands
3. Persists for many days
4. Numbness, weakness of hands or legs
5. Associated with difficulty in walking or urinary problems

Management

1. Conservative:

• Isometric and stretching exercises
• cold and hot fomentation
• Pain medications
• Muscle relaxants

2. Surgical:  

• Options include cervical discectomy,
• excision of spinal tumours,
• laminectomy,
• fixation using lateral mass screws.