Three Neck Problems and the Solutions
Neck pain is something you will probably experience at least once in your life. Many things can cause neck pain, and in this blog, we will discuss three of the common types of neck pain and their causes. We will also discuss the solutions.
Musculoskeletal Neck Pain:
One of the common causes of neck pain comes from the muscles and joints of the cervical spine (or neck). We often experience this type of neck pain due to:
- Weak neck and upper back muscles and weak shoulder muscles.
- Prolonged postures (i.e., looking at a computer screen or looking up to paint a wall, etc.).
- Tightness or painful cervical joints (i.e., mild arthritic changes or poor posture)
What can you do about it?
This type of pain often does not require surgery, only in severe cases where the cervical joints are severely arthritic or unstable. Most people do not fit into this category, but a Physical Therapist can help you figure out whether surgery may be beneficial.
Discogenic Neck Pain:
Discogenic pain means that an injured vertebral disc causes pain. Often, this can be a bulging disc, but it can also just be that some of the collagen fibers that make up the disc’s outer ring may have a mild tear.
What can I do about it?
It is often not something that requires surgery but improving neck and upper back strength can often help tremendously. A Physical Therapist can help identify your individual needs and a disc problem or something else.
Neck Pain with Radicular Symptoms:
Radicular symptoms include:
- Shooting Pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
Impingement on a nerve in the spine causes these symptoms, which you will feel in your arm and sometimes hands and fingers, and this can also happen in the lumbar spine, which is often called sciatica. But what is happening is that a cervical disc is impinging on the nerve, or the inflammation from the injured disc creates nerve irritation.
What can I do about it?
Sometimes, this condition may require surgery, but it depends greatly upon your symptoms and the severity of the injury. A Physical Therapist can help:
- Address deficits in neck range of motion.
- Strengthen the appropriate muscles to improve your posture.
- Decrease nerve impingement and improve disc healing.
In general, Physical Therapy can improve these neck problems. If the severity of the injury is severe enough to require surgery, Physical Therapy is beneficial pre and post-operatively to regain movement, strength and decrease post-surgical pain.
Our Physical Therapists can help you get rid of your pain. Call today at (985) 869-7221 and schedule your personalized evaluation with one of our Physical Therapists
By Dr. Billy Beaudreau, PT, DPT, MTC, OCS, FAAOMPT