What are the causes and treatment of severe neck pain and neck stiffness? There can be several factors, some of them acute and others chronic. However, some neck pain may be intolerable and persistent, and cause disabilities.
Causes of severe neck pain
Meeting an accident wherein the neck experiences a traumatic injury may also cause severe neck pain. Accidents such as moderate vehicle collision, bike accident, fall from chair, fall from horse may cause whiplash and result in severe neck pain which may also persist for a long time. In case of some sports such as American football, martial arts, gymnastics etc, people may suffer from strain at the neck. Also in case of excessive and inappropriate gym exercises, neck may suffer from traumatic injuries.
Incase unbearable or sudden neck pain is experienced during exercising, the workout should be stopped immediately. One should take instructors assistance and continue with the exercise only if neck pain is no more felt, even if mild pain is experienced do not resume to exercises unless you seek medical aid. If gym equipments are used inappropriately, it may also cause wear and tear to the muscles at shoulder or neck which may also lead to severe back pain. Such injuries may also require special therapies such as chiropractor, osteopath etc, under surveillance of certified assistant.
Warming up even before doing yoga:
Yoga may seem easy but it is difficult and even a very gentle position in yoga can lead to severe neck pain. This can be avoided by doing appropriate warm- up which will help muscles to relax and stretch avoiding severe strains and muscles injuries later while performing more difficult yoga poses. Hence, performing yoga under certified yoga instructor will help you do warm- up and yoga poses appropriately.
Inflammation and severe neck pain:
There may be several factors causing severe neck pain according with inflammation that may be persistent. Such neck pain may also result out of infected lymph nodes. Other infectious conditions that may cause neck pain includes, neck gland infection or infection of cervical spinal tissue etc. These infectious conditions may cause acute or chronic neck ache; however, the neck pain may be severe. Irrespective of the type of pain it is essential to study its causation in order to treat it appropriately. One may use home remedies to reduce inflammation such as applying ice pack to affected neck area. However, there are non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs also referred to as NSAIDs and antidepressants which may help in obtaining relief from such painful conditions within few minutes.
Thyroid problem:
Thyroid is one of the most important body organs. This body organ is situated around the esophagus in the neck; hence, any abnormality in thyroid may cause severe neck pain. The thyroid may engorge if it is abnormally inactive which in turn causes the neck to engorge. This condition may strain other parts of neck such as vocal cord, veins, esophagus etc which may lead to neck pain. Such conditions may be server and should net be taken lightly. If such abnormalities are left untouched it may maturate and become a fatal issue.
Dental reasons:
To your information even a dental issue can serve as a reason for severe pain in neck. In some cases dental abscesses may cause inflammation which may extend to neck. Also cavities when exposed to cold while eating ice creams or drinking cold water etc, can cause pain which may spread through neck and lead to sever neck pain. If you experience sever pain in the neck while eating food it may indicate that you need dental assistant and an immediate visit to the dentist is essential.
Swimmer neck pain:
Certain exercises which include high impact jerk may cause whiplash at the neck leading to severe neck pain. Swimming is one of such activities that may serve as possible risk that may cause neck pain. While swimming, if the pose is not proper then it may exert pressure on the neck; hence, appropriate position is essential. If you are new to swimming, it is crucial to opt for instruction from a swimming coach and follow the instructions appropriately. It is said that it is not easy to switch to a different style of swimming if you are swimming in one particular style for several years. Swimmers neck pain is more or less similar to other pain that may occur due to muscles spasm or torn muscles etc.
The aforementioned factors are some of the causes that may lead to severe neck pain. Irrespective of the intensity and reason of the pain if you experiences any persistent neck pain then it is crucial to seek medical attention.
You doctor may ask you to undergo various diagnosis before he could suggest you any treatment. It is very important to identify the root cause of the issue and treat it accordingly. Some of the diagnoses that may be suggested by your doctor may include, x-ray imaging, CT scan etc.
Neck Stiffness Causes
The causes of neck stiffness can range from sleeping on one side in an awkward manner to poor ergonomics at work, whiplash, wear and tear to something systemic like Meningitis symptoms.
Treatment for severe neck pain, neck stiffness
Depending on the cause of the neck pain, your doctor will advise you treatment. If pain is temporary and may heal through the course of time, then your doctor may suggest you pain relief pills, such as NSAIDs or Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs, Antidepressants, etc or any neck pain specific drugs. You may also be suggested specific physical therapy and exercises that may cure the condition through the course of time. In some cases even mild yoga poses may help in reducing pain in the neck. Incase the problem is extremely severe then your doctor may recommend you to undergo surgical treatment.
Though home remedies to cure neck pain may work for some, it is essential to seek doctor’s advice if no improvement is seen. Any neck pain should be treated timely before it advances into a severe neck pain.
