The neck is an important part of our bodies. It is actually the top end of our spine which gives support of our head and protects our whole spine.
Although it seems simple, the neck is a very complex part. It consists of bones, discs, joints, muscles, nerves and ligaments.
An injury of any of these crucial elements can cause very unpleasant pain. And an injury can easily happen in the neck region, because this is the most mobile part of the spine and it also has to carry weight and support the head.
Neck pain is definitely categorized as a very common problem. It is estimated that approximately 25 % (and more) of adults suffer from neck pain sooner or later in life.
Being such a huge problem, it represents an important cause for people’s disabilities and limited movements.
If you suffer from neck pain, good news coming! Although it seems like some serious stuff, neck pain is usually acute, which means that if you treat it right, the pain goes away quickly.
On the other hand, although more rarely, but still – the condition of neck pain in some people might be caused by something more serious.
If you still don’t know what caused your neck pain, here you’ll find some of the most common causes so that you can figure out why your neck hurts.
Most Common Causes
If you are one of all the people who suffer from this kind of pains, you probably want to know how to react and how to treat your pain.
In order to know this, we first need to go back a few steps and find out the cause and the source of your neck pains.
- Non-specific Neck Pain
Most of the people that suffer from their neck develop pains for no obvious reason. If this is your case, there is no need to worry, this is a mechanical pain and it usually goes away quickly. The exact and precise cause of these pains might not be known to you, but as long as they go away it’s okay.
- Some minor strain in the muscles or ligaments in the neck
This strain can happen even if you do not notice it or don’t know when it happened.
- Bad Posture
If you have a bad posture most of the time, you will feel neck pains and often. Try to maintain a good posture throughout the whole day.
Not holding up your body properly can damage your neck as well as the rest of your body including your back.
Be careful, cause you might not notice that some simple things such as reading in bed can be an example of bad posture
- Sleeping position
The way you sleep can also affect your neck. If you sleep in an awkward position or if your pillow does not support your neck right – this can be a source of neck pains.
- The way you lift things
If you lift heavy things, you should bend with your knees and hips, take the weight and then hold it close to your body in order to avoid hurting your neck.
- Osteoarthritis
This is an inflammation of joints, or in other words – worn joints. Your neck undergoes wear and tear as you get older and older.
If you suffer from osteoarthritis it is likely that your neck will suffer too. Usually, the neck feels stiff and there are problems with motion (limited motions).
- Whiplash
This represents a violent motion of the neck, or more precisely a sudden backward and forward head (and neck) movement. Whiplash is when your head and neck are thrown beyond the normal limits of motion.
It is usually connected with a car accident, ski accidents and other types of accidents where you violently hurt your neck doing some sudden motion.
If this is the case, you will probably have to use a cervical collar to rest your neck and then see what your doctor will recommend next.
- Nerve Compression
Some bone spurs or discs in the vertebrae of the neck can press your nerves in the spine and cause nerve compression. This nerve compression can also be a cause of your neck pain.
- Other serious diseases
Apart from osteoarthritis, there are also many other more serious diseases that can be the source of your neck pain. These are: meningitis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and so on.
If you suffer from one of these diseases, it is possible that you experience back pains.