The structure of the neck (or cervical spine) maintains a certain instability in order have the flexibility required. As the connector from the head to the body, the causes of neck pain are numerous and usually very complex. Often it is accompanied by headaches and/or shoulder and arm pain. It is also common for neck problems to present with headaches and upper limb pain without any pain in the neck. This is due to the huge amount of nerves leaving the cervical spine supplying these areas.

Muscular causes of cervical pain are common. Many people hold their life stresses within the tissues of this area, causing the muscles to become stiff and even feeling “rope like”. Other muscular causes are injury, the most common being whiplash from a road traffic accident. This can also significantly impact the ligaments in the neck. Other causes include sleeping awkwardly or prolonged computer use.

Common problems

Various types of work can give rise to disorders of the muscles, tendons and joints (particularly in the back, hands and arms). Symptoms vary from mild aches and pains to severe pain and disability. As Myosteo-practitioners, we often find neck pain in relation to the following:

Caused by manual handling and lifting
Muscle and tendon injuries
Intervertebral disc lesions (slipped disc)
Sciatica

Caused by forceful or repetitive movements
Carpal tunnel syndromes
Tenosynovitis (eg mouse wrist)
Peritendinitis
Epicondylitis (eg tennis elbow)

Caused by unsuitable posture or repetitive movements
Low back pain
Neck and shoulder pain
Computer hump
Repetitive strain injury
Bad bed

Apart from the muscular causes of cervical pain, there are also some common serious causes:

Osteoarthritis: As the neck is a very mobile area of the body, it is prone to this common joint disorder. See the page on Arthritis for more details.

Stenosis: This is when a reduction in space between bones of the neck causes the space where the nerves run to be reduced, subsequently compressing the nerves themselves. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain and numbness when these nerves are unable to function normally.

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) can cause the intervertebral discs to decrease in elasticity and height. Over time a disc may bulge or herniate, causing pain that runs into the arm, tingling, and numbness.

There are many other potential and referred causes of neck pain. Myosteopractic has been very effective in helping with neck problems as it tracks a wide range of potential sources using its multi technique, multi structure approach ie working on the spine, muscles, tendons, nerves, myofascia, etc.