Neck Pain Health Article

Description

Neck pain is a nonspecific symptom of discomfort that has a number of possible causes. Depending on the cause, neck pain may be experienced as limited to the neck itself (localized), or as radiating to the shoulders and upper arm. The patient may experience the pain as a dull ache, a sharp stabbing or burning sensation, or a feeling resembling a muscle cramp. Neck pain is often accompanied by stiffness or difficulty in moving the neck.

Causes & symptoms

Possible causes of neck pain include:

• Trauma. Whiplash injuries from car accidents and fractures or sprains from rough contact sports or fights are examples of traumatic causes of neck pain.
• Chronic strain on the muscles and tendons of the neck. This stress is often related to the patient's occupation, as some jobs require workers to hold their neck and shoulders in one position for long periods of time.

Computer programmers, dentists and dental hygienists, professional musicians (especially string and woodwind players), dancers, and long-distance truck drivers are especially vulnerable to this type of neck pain. In addition, teenagers who work are at higher risk of chronic neck pain than teenagers who participate in sports. Poor posture can also contribute to chronic strain on the neck.

• Degenerative disorders that affect the neck and spine. These include osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (an inflammatory disorder of the spine most often seen in young men), and osteoporosis.
• A herniated disk in one of the cervical (neck) vertebrae. In a herniated disk, the disk projects outward between the vertebrae.
• Congenital abnormalities. People who are born with abnormally shaped vertebrae or loose joints in the neck region may develop neck pain when the vertebrae begin to put pressure on the spinal cord.
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• Fibromyalgia.
• Infectious diseases. One of the earliest signs of mumps, meningitis, encephalitis, and poliomyelitis is stiffness and soreness in the neck.
• Cancer. Malignant tumors in the neck cause pain when they grow large enough to press on nerve endings and the spinal cord.
• Climatic factors. People whose jobs require them to work in drafty areas or outdoors in cold weather are at higher risk of developing neck pain.