Causes and treatment of neck pain

Pain in the neck is one condition which causes not only suffering but when severe, becomes a cause of anxiety for the sufferer. Prevalence of neck pain is about 14% in the adult population and is more common in women. It is also said to be more resistant in women. The neck is the part of body which supports the head. It is flexible and aids one to look back and side wards. Because of its flexibility and multitude of movements it is subjected to, too much strain. Neck pain can be due to spasm of the muscles in the neck, a condition called as cervical torticollis. This often happens because of a bad position during sleeping, whereas the neck would be subjected to a jerk or undue strain, following which the muscles undergo spasm. One is unable to turn the neck and there is stiffness. This condition is frightening for the person as well as the onlooker. It can occur in any age.Another cause for stiffness in the neck is meningitis, where there is inflammation of the coverings of the neck. But here the individual is very sick and there are other associated physical signs. Examination of the fluid of the spine helps in pin pointing the diagnosis. A young person may suffer from sudden severe neck pain due to herniation of the intervertebral disc in the cervical spine. There is a pain in the neck and around. Abnormal sensations occur in the arms or fingers, if there is compression of the nerves coming out from the intervertebral discs. Cervical spondylosis is the most common cause of chronic, recurrent neck pain and parasthesias around neck, shoulders, arms and fingers. It occurs due to stiffness of the joints of the cervical spine which occurs with advancing age. There is formation of new tiny bones called osteophytes which emerge from in between the joints. Degenerative changes may occur inside the cervical spine itself (myelomalacia), which may lead to neck pain in middle aged and elderly individuals. Apart from these causes, other musculo-skeletal problems like rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, e.t.c. may affect the joints of neck as other joints in the body leading to chronic persistent neck pain. Neck is also one of the sites for pain in fibromyalgia, i.e. pain due to mental stress. Women suffer more from neck pain due to frequent bending and turning of the neck in various household chores and also during infant care. With advancing age, women suffer from osteoporosis (softening of the bones), that makes them more prone to joint pains including neck pain. When an individual suffers from neck pain, the cause is detected by means of X-ray of the neck, C.T. scan and M.R.I. (magnetic resonance imaging). Pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs are useful initially to help in providing relief from the pain. These can be used for 4 to 6 weeks, till one is free from pain. Removing a high pillow and keeping the neck on a flat surface in good alignment with rest of the body is useful in reducing the stress on the neck and hence the pain. If people suffering from chronic neck pain, using a cervical collar is beneficial as it provides support and splintage to the neck by immobilizing it, thus helping in reducing the pain. Traction is also used in some cases of neck pain, particularly in chronic degenerative conditions. But it carries the risk of compression of nerves or nerve roots resulting in paralysis in some cases. Once a person is pain free, physiotherapy is advised. This involves gentle exercises which improve the flexibility of the joints of the neck and surrounding muscles. The range of movement is gradually increased. There are specific exercises in Yoga, which help in preventing and treating neck pain. To prevent neck pain, it is important to remember just two things. One should not use a high pillow and avoid its undue bending or turning. rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk