Different Ways of Treating Your Neck Pain

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Different Ways of Treating Your Neck Pain

The human neck consists of vertebrae that starts from the skull and ends just above the upper torso. The discs present absorbs shocks that might be harmful to humans and protects them from those shocks which occur between the bones. The cervical spine is one of the most special features of our body. It can support the weight of our head which can weigh up to 15 pounds and allows 180-degree movement. Due to the complexity, a lot of times our neck might get stiff which causes unbearable pain.

Causes of Neck Pain:

Neck pain or Muscle Tension can occur because of various reasons. Some of them are mentioned below:

#1. Muscle Tension and Strain: This occurs due to some activities or specific behavior. Neck pain treatment can ensure a better condition of the neck.

  • Poor body posture
  • Working at a desk for a long time
  • Sleeping with a bad neck posture
  • Improper movement of the neck during exercises, etc. 

#2. Injuries: During an accident or sports, the muscles and ligaments of the neck can tear down or damage. This causes a lot of pain and the spinal cord might get damage permanently in some cases.

#3. Heart Attack: Neck pain is one of the symptoms of a heart attack. Some of the symptoms are sweating, nausea, vomiting, arm or jaw pain and difficulty in breathing.

#4. Meningitis: In this case, a thin tissue between spinal cord and brain is damaged. Fever and headache are common symptoms with neck stiffness. It can be fatal and need immediate treatment.

Diagnosis of Neck Pain Treatment:

Before a doctor can treat the neck pain, he will ask the patient to undergo various tests. The doctor might ask for existing or any medical history. In order to determine the cause of neck pain, these are the tests one might have to get done:

a. Blood tests

b. X-Rays

c. CT Scans

d. MRI Scans

e. Electromyography

f.  Lumbar Puncture 

#1. Treatment:

  • Medications: The doctor might prescribe strong medicines for pain relief. If the neck pain cause is not serious or will heal itself within a week, the doctor might want the patient to take medicines in case the pain is strong and acute.

#2. Therapy:

  • Physical therapy: A therapist might help the patient with the correct body posture, neck alignment exercises, and pain relief exercises. He/she may also use heat, ice, or electrical stimulation to ease the pain and prevent it from occurring again and again.
  • Tractions: It is one of the neck pain treatment therapy. This therapy uses weights, air bladders, or pulleys to stretch the patient’s neck. This allows pain relief and should take place only under the supervision of medical experts.
  • Short-term immobilization: This treatment uses a soft collar to provide temporary support to the neck. It takes off the pressure temporarily from the neck and transfers it to the collars. But they have to be used for a short time only. If used extensively, the pain might increase.

#3. Surgical and Other Procedures:

  • Steroid injections: The doctor might insert corticosteroid medicines near the roots of the nerves into the spines or in the muscles of the neck to relieve pain. Sometimes, numbing medicines can be injected.
  • Surgery: Surgeries are not quite common, but they are used in some critical cases where the nerve root or the spinal cord can be compressed.

Other than that, sometimes home remedies might also work for neck pain treatment. Acupuncture, massages, or even some home-made pastes are applied on the aching muscles to relieve it. Neck pain treatment causes extreme discomfort, but it can be worked upon with special care and medicines.