Neck Pain

There are many causes of neck pain, all of which can affect different structures. These cause pain in various areas of the body - not just in the neck! Here we’ll discuss the main causes of neck pain, ways you can prevent it and what our team can do to help.

Our necks (or cervical spines) are made up of 7 bones, called vertebrae, stacked on top of each other. Between each vertebrae is a disc which are filled with a gel-like substance which helps to cushion your joints. Your discs help with neck stability and are also involved with helping your neck to turn smoothly from side to side.

A tunnel-like passage is formed through the vertebrae stack, as each vertebrae has a small opening within the bony structure.

Cervical Spine Computer Generated Image by DrJanaOfficial is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

This runs from the bottom of the skull to the base of the spine and is known as the spinal canal. Your spinal cord runs through this, and the bony vertebrae protect it.

The spinal cord splits into branches up and down the spine, which are called nerve roots. These are pictured in yellow above. These travel from your spine all over your body and carry messages to your muscles and skin. In the neck, you have 8 of these on each side, and they supply the area of your neck, shoulders, arm, hands and fingers.

How can physiotherapy help my neck pain?

Our physiotherapists can assess and accurately diagnose your neck pain using a series of movements and specialist tests. Once we have identified where the pain is coming from, we can use a combination of “hands on” techniques such as:

• Massage for sore and tight muscles in the neck and shoulders

• Mobilisation/manipulation to improve stiffness in neck joints

• Stretching techniques such as traction to help reduce pressure through the nerves in your neck

• Acupuncture for pain and tightness in the muscles of the neck and shoulders

We are passionate about not just giving you a “quick fix” for the pain, and will always follow up any hands on treatment with a tailored exercise programme to keep tightness and stiffness at bay. There may be postural issues that contribute toward your neck pain, and we can work with you to improve these.

We believe that knowledge is power, and by helping you to understand your neck pain and what may have caused it can prevent the problem from re-occurring.

Get on top of your neck pain today and come see us at our clinic in Cheltenham. Click below to book your first appointment!

Causes of neck pain

There are many causes of neck pain, which is due largely to the various different structures within the neck. The list below is not exhaustive, but we have covered most of the conditions we see in our physiotherapy clinic.

Whiplash

This is a neck injury caused by sudden movement of the head. The most common cause of this is road traffic accidents, but they can occur in other ways, such as sports injuries. You can read more about whiplash and what to do about it here.

Spondylosis/Osteoarthritis/Degenerative disc disease (DDD)

We have grouped these together as they are all the same thing, but there can often be confusion over them. “Degeneration” refers to the natural age-related processes that our bodies go through. This is what causes osteoarthritis. Spondylosis refers to degeneration in the spine (spondyl = spine). This is the most common cause of neck pain in people over 50 years old. You can read more about cervical spondylosis and what to do about it here.

Spondylitis (otherwise known as Spondyloarthritis or Spondyloarthropathy)

This is an inflammatory condition caused by the immune system attacking the joints and tissues surrounding it. This is fairly rare, and tends to happen in people in their 20’s and 30’s. Again, a lot of confusion amongst people due to the name similarity to other conditions. You can read more about spondylitis and what to do about it here.

Cervical Stenosis

This condition is caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal, which is usually due to degenerative changes or trauma. Sometimes this can cause compression on the spinal cord.

Cervical radiculopathy

This refers to irritation or compression of the nerve roots as they exit the spinal canal. This in itself can be caused by several things; herniated disc, degenerative changes or stenosis. The symptoms may include pain, numbness and tingling down into the arms and hands.

Muscular neck pain

The muscles of the neck have a big job to support the weight of your head! Often these can become tight, weak, or both, which can result in pain around the neck and shoulder blades. Often this can be caused by poor posture or overuse of the muscles, or they can become sore from a sudden jerk, such as during exercise.

How can I prevent neck pain?

A large proportion of neck pain comes as a result of poor posture, sleeping position or stiffness in the joints. There are a few quick things you can implement which may help you to prevent neck pain.

• Make sure that your head is in line with the rest of your body when you are sleeping. Too many pillows will mean that your neck is in a flexed (bent forward) position, and a thin pillow may mean that your neck is in an extended (bent backward) position when you sleep.

• Try not to sleep on your front with your neck twisted around to the side. These sort of positions have a high risk of causing stiffness and tightness when you get out of bed in the morning, which may lead to neck pain.

• Be mindful of the position of your TV or computer if you are on them for long periods. If they cause your neck to be turned at an angle, this can lead to stiffness, tightness and neck pain. Try to position them straight in front of you.

• Try not to stay in the same position for too long. If you are working on a computer, take breaks where you stand up and move around every 30-60 minutes. If you are driving a long distance, try to take a break every hour or so.

  This is absolutely not written to substitute medical advice and it is always important to see a qualified health care professional for a formal diagnosis.

  We are here to help, and would love to get you started on the road to recovery. Click below to book your appointment with us!

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