Neck Pain - Diagnosis and Conservative Treatment
The reason for your neck pain may be from a variety of potential causes. This list can include a variety of issues similar to what is discussed on Low Back Pain - Diagnosis and Conservative Treatment. To reiterate, your neck pain could be musculoskeletal or non-musculoskeletal in origin. The most common things we see in practice include sprain or strain, joint dysfunction, hypermobility like whiplash, hypomobility, myofascial trigger points, muscle spasm, intervertebral disc annular tears, disc herniation, nerve root irritation/impingement, and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis). That is not an exhaustive list but rather what clinicians like myself typically see in day to day practice. That is why trusting an experienced clinician in neck pain diagnosis and treatment is essential.
The majority of patients presenting with neck pain will not be suffering from a severe disease or fracture. Of course it is critical that a trained doctor in the area of neck pain evaluate you to address these concern you may have. Some issues that may come up in the history that warrant the need for imaging like an x-ray could include things like high impact injury (motor vehicle collision at high speeds), neck trauma from a fall, advanced age, and/or patients with special risks (fused spinal segments, down's syndrome, Marfan's syndrome, underlying inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, etc.).
We've said it before that the spine is a complex structure made of bone, ligaments, muscles, joints, and fluid dynamics. Problems causing musculoskeletal injury and trauma to the joints can be a result of overuse and/or immobilization. Things like re-injury, excessive aberrant movement, joint hypermobility or instability and premature degenerative joint disease are examples how overuse plays a factor. Things like disuse of stabilization muscles, prolonged muscle guarding, joint fixations and restrictions, ligamentous shortening and myofascial contracture, and chronic hypomobility are factors resulting in immobilization or lack of movement to the spine.
An estimated 50% of the human population will experience significant neck pain in their lifetime. Neck pain will be the cause of over 16 million patient health care visits annually to hospitals and physician offices. The good news is 80-90% of neck pain cases, like low back pain cases, recover within 6-8 weeks regardless of treatment.
Effective conservative treatments for musculoskeletal related neck pain are very similar to that of low back pain treatment. You can read about them here. The goal of treatment must be patient-centered, meaning we must keep the patient goals in mind, and allow the patient to be an equal team member in their healing. Goals typically include outcomes like controlling pain and inflammation, preventing further injury, promoting strength and tissue load capacity, improve circulation to injured issues, increase tissue flexibility and support the general repair and remodeling process. A conservative treatment plan will usually involve things here like spinal manipulative therapy, passive soft tissue work like stretching and massage, mechanical traction, and active soft tissue work like functional strength training. It is incredibly important to address predisposing factors to a patient's neck pain. Educating a patient on a variety of principles such as posture and movement mechanics will drastically increase the likelihood of a good response to treatment.
It is important to let an experienced clinician assess your neck pain sooner rather than later. Waiting too long to seek treatment can result in deep referred pain and the possibility of chronic pain in which the nervous system essentially re-wires it's response to pain making you feel more sensitive to pain in the future.
Great go to exercise for neck pain
Neck pain? Headaches? Give these exercises a try.
If pain occurs during these exercises stop by for an evaluation.
Yes I'm using 🧻 but doesn't everyone have piles of it lying around 😉.
1️⃣ Chin retractions - slowly make a double chin without lifting the base of the skull up. Hold for up 15 seconds and repeat 5 times per set; 2 sets every hour when suffering from neck pain.
2️⃣ Range of Motion chin retraction to extension - slowly move throughout a chin retraction to tilting the head back as if trying to look behind you. Repeat up to 15 times per set; 2 sets every hour when suffering from neck pain.
3️⃣ Deep Neck Flexor Endurance - slowly chin retract then minimally lift the base of the skull up. Hold for as long as possible. Stop if lifting the head more, losing chin retraction, shaking too much, or if pain occurs. Pain-free normal values, regardless of age: Men = 40 seconds, Women = 30 seconds.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
If pain occurs during these exercises stop by for an evaluation.
Yes I'm using 🧻 but doesn't everyone have piles of it lying around 😉.
1️⃣ Chin retractions - slowly make a double chin without lifting the base of the skull up. Hold for up 15 seconds and repeat 5 times per set; 2 sets every hour when suffering from neck pain.
2️⃣ Range of Motion chin retraction to extension - slowly move throughout a chin retraction to tilting the head back as if trying to look behind you. Repeat up to 15 times per set; 2 sets every hour when suffering from neck pain.
3️⃣ Deep Neck Flexor Endurance - slowly chin retract then minimally lift the base of the skull up. Hold for as long as possible. Stop if lifting the head more, losing chin retraction, shaking too much, or if pain occurs. Pain-free normal values, regardless of age: Men = 40 seconds, Women = 30 seconds.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.