What are the common causes of neck pain?
There are a number of reasons a person can experience acute or chronic neck pain. Some of the most common causes include:
- Sleeping in the wrong position
- Sports injuries
- Poor posture
- Repetitive motion, such as while swimming or dancing
- Whiplash injury
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Arthritis
- Infection
- Emotional stress
- Fibromyalgia
This is not an exhaustive list. Visiting a physician or physiotherapist is important in order to diagnose the precise cause of neck pain. Your physiotherapist will evaluate your symptoms, conduct a physical examination, and prescribe different diagnostic tests to identify the cause and offer treatment.
What are some common symptoms associated with neck pain?
Neck pain is often accompanied by a variety of symptoms, depending on the underlying cause. Most commonly, neck pain involves one or more of the following symptoms:
- General soreness
- Headaches
- Pain that radiates into the shoulders and arms
- Stinging or stabbing pain that is localized to one spot
- Stiff neck
- The sensation of tingling or numbness
- Trouble gripping object
How do I know if my neck pain is due to a serious underlying medical condition?
A thorough evaluation by a physiotherapist or any other qualified medical professional is the best way to determine this. However, there are a few signs that suggest the presence of an underlying medical condition and require immediate consultation with a healthcare professional. These include:
- Pain that occurs in coordination with coordination or balance problems
- Pain that is accompanied by a feeling of numbness or tingling in fingers
- Chronic pain that has a severe intensity and does not respond to treatments
- Pain that significantly increases at night
- Pain & tenderness with light pressure on neck vertebras
How is neck pain treated?
The treatment of neck pain depends on the cause and severity of symptoms. If the pain is not debilitating and is not associated with a medical condition, you can use the following self-care options to relieve pain and discomfort.
- Take rests and let the injured or overused muscles and tendons heal on their own.
- Apply ice to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Massage the affected region to relieve muscle tension.
- Follow these tips to achieve a better desk posture.
For pain that keeps coming back or lasts for a long time, it is important to consult a Toronto physiotherapist.
Can physiotherapy help relieve neck pain?
A physiotherapist can evaluate your symptoms and educate you on different exercises to increase muscles flexibility, strength, spinal stability and to promote healing of the injured muscles. In addition to this, if you are experiencing neck pain due to poor posture or repetitive movement of the neck during sports or on the job, a physiotherapist can suggest you different ways to improve the posture, as well as how to minimize the damage caused by repetitive movement.
If you have more questions about the use of physical therapy in the treatment of neck pain or if you want to book an appointment with our North York physiotherapist, you can call us at 416 444 4800.
