Most Common Types of Neck Injury

Your neck has many intricate components, from muscles and tendons to ligaments and nerves. When you wake up with a stiff neck or sustain an injury in an accident, it can affect any or many of these areas and cause pain, stiffness, swelling, or reduced range of motion. Here, we delve into neck pain symptoms, causes, and treatment plans.

What You Will Feel

No matter what the cause, signs and symptoms of neck problems typically include:

• Muscle tightness
• Muscle spasms
• Stiffness where you cannot move your neck as usual
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness
• Loss of feeling in your hands
• Pain that is not only in your neck but also spreads to your head, shoulders, jaw, or even upper arms.

What is Behind It

While reasons for neck pain can vary depending on the patient, there are many key issues that can cause you to have neck problems. If you have been in an accident, play lots of sports, spend many hours sitting at a desk to work, or have an occupation or hobby that strains your neck muscles, then you are a candidate for neck pain. 

Examples of what can cause it:

• Strained muscles from playing sports or working out too hard
• Trauma that is a result of an accident, sports injury, or fall. Whiplash is the top reason for a neck injury, and it causes injuries to soft tissue or neck muscles.
• Pinched nerve
• Spondylosis or arthritis of the neck
• Neck fracture
• Cancer

What You Can Do

Prevention can include wearing protective equipment recommended for your particular sport, learning to do your hobby or sport with correct form to help avoid overuse, always driving carefully with a seat belt, and working on having better posture and sleeping in a good position. You should strive to move regularly throughout the day to avoid stiffness and exercise regularly to strengthen and loosen your muscles. When you are working at a computer, try to keep your monitor at eye level, so you are not leaning in to get a better look and straining your neck muscles. Sleeping on your back or side with a firm pillow supporting your head can help you avoid waking up with a stiff neck. Always do your best to have good posture throughout the day.

If you do face neck pain, our team at Pain Control Associates will work with you directly on how a treatment plan can alleviate your issue or condition. We follow a holistic approach to tackle your issue that may include medicine, physical therapy, surgery, behavioral modification, epidural injections, nerve blocks, and more. We will begin the process by discussing what you are feeling at your first appointment and performing a physical exam. After we meet and review your condition or injury, we will recommend a personalized treatment plan. Contact us anytime through our online contact form.