What are the signs and symptoms of neck pain, which affects many people? How is this issue identified? What are the reasons behind it? This article contains the solution.
Since the neck supports the bones in the upper part of the spine with the help of ligaments and muscles, it is a common and understandable problem. The neck carries about the same weight as a bowling ball throughout the day.
What are the symptoms of neck pain? Neck pain can be caused by simple things like sleeping incorrectly or sitting incorrectly. It is typically not a sign or symptom of other serious diseases.
Symptoms of neck pain
Depending on a person's health, the degree and length of neck pain symptoms vary from person to person. The majority of the time, neck pain is severe and lasts only a few days or weeks. In other times, the pain is chronic, and it may be mild so that it does not interfere with the practice of activities, and it may be so severe that it causes disability. from movement and work at times.
Symptoms of neck pain may include:
- Neck stiffness, which limits the range of motion and makes the patient feel as though his neck is stuck and stiff.
- Sharp, stabbing pain in one area.
- Back pain that occurs when the spine is bent, extended from side to side, or extended from top to bottom.
- Pain that worsens when the head is fixed in one place, such as when using a computer or while driving a car for an extended period of time.
- Numbness and pain that may spread to the head, torso, shoulder, and arms, especially if the pain is pressing on a nerve. The sensation in this instance is similar to a burning, stabbing pain that travels from the neck to the lower arms.
- Headache and headache, noting that headache associated with neck pain can also be a symptom of migraine .
- In addition to difficulty swallowing, other symptoms of a neck injury include weakness, dizziness, changes in vision or hearing, changes in the sense of hearing, problems concentrating, and neck pain.
- Cervical radiculopathy, which manifests as nerve issues, includes issues with involuntary reflexes (Reflex) and the sensation that nerve roots are being compressed.
- You may experience difficulty lifting or holding objects if you experience tingling and numbness in your arm.
Possible causes behind neck pain
There are many causes that may be behind neck pain, and we will review some of them here:
- Aging and advancing age, which can also be accompanied by osteoporosis and a narrowing of the spaces between the spine, stress, and constant movement, can all contribute to disc disease.
- Injuries and sudden movement.
- Mental stress should be avoided because it can stiffen the neck muscles by causing them to tighten.
- Physical stress and excessive use of the neck muscles.
- Long periods of sitting, weight gain, and other factors can all affect how the spine balances.
- Unusual growths, including bony growths and lumps with cysts and tumours inside.
- meningitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and some types of cancer.
Methods of diagnosing neck pain
The doctor first conducts a physical examination of the patient to diagnose the symptoms of neck pain and find out its causes. He might request a number of tests, such as:
- Imaging tests
To identify potential causes of the issue, the doctor might prescribe a number of imaging exams, such as:
- X-rays: X-rays may reveal pressure on the nerve or spinal cord that can be caused by bone spurs and others.
- CT scan: This produces detailed cross-sectional images of the internal structures of the neck.
- MRI: This technique uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create detailed pictures of bones and soft tissues, including the spinal cord and nerves coming from it.
- Other tests
Tests other than imaging tests may include:
- Electromyography: This involves inserting a fine needle through the skin into a muscle, then performing tests to measure nerve conduction speed.
- Blood tests: may reveal the presence of infectious or inflammatory diseases that may be the cause of the symptoms of neck pain.