Neck Pain: What You Need To Know

You won’t probably know how important and mobile is the articulation of your neck until it starts to hurt. But neck pain goes beyond joint pain, and there are many other causes. It has many structures cramped in the same area, and one of the challenges of diagnosing and treating neck pain is identifying where the problem is located. In this article, you will find an introduction to neck pain, related signs and symptoms, and what to expect from this problem.

The neck is probably one of the most complex structures of the human body. Consequently, neck pain is also difficult to assess in some cases because there are many possible causes. The neck contains bone tissue, articulations, blood vessels, nerves, muscle tissue, part of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, the vocal cords, and many lymph nodes.

Neck pain can be due to one cause or another, depending on your age. In most cases, it is related to musculoskeletal causes. Thus, it is essential to evaluate the integrity of bones, ligaments, and muscles in the neck to rule out the most common triggers. Inflammation is usually the predominant mechanism of neck pain, which is why the symptoms in various conditions are similar.

Occasional neck pain and stiffness are common every once in a while, especially when you’re sleeping in an awkward position or after holding a poor posture for an extended period. Stress and anxiety can also lead to muscle tension and neck pain, and we can’t forget the type of neck pain triggered by trauma, such as whiplash after a car crash or sports injuries.

In most cases, neck pain is not severe or serious, and it relieves after a few hours or days. In this article, we will cover the most critical symptoms associated with neck pain to characterize this problem and help you describe your pain more accurately to your doctor. Then, we will also give you a few hints about the physical exams doctors do on patients with neck pain and some considerations you should take around this type of pain.