In our daily lives, our neck is more active than we think. We actively use our neck muscles while driving, talking, looking in the mirror or walking with a group of people. Dear patients, I would like to inform you about the complaints, emerging diseases and treatments about the neck area, which is of critical importance for our lives but only attracts our attention when it hurts.
There is a coordinated and dense network of nerves, joints, muscles and bones in the region that we define as the neck and medically refer to as the cervical spine. The neck area has a very important function in keeping the head upright and mobile. Common neck pains disappear within a few days. There are many different factors that can cause neck pain. Injuries, staying in a draft, sleeping in the wrong position and sudden movements cause neck pain, which we call acute, short-term and spontaneously relieving.
Be Careful: If neck pain lasts longer than 4 weeks, a specialist should be consulted. Evaluation of long-term pain, expressed as subacute or chronic, is of great importance for long-term life comfort.
Types and Causes of Neck Pain
Dear patients, the causes of neck pain that many people complain about at some point in their lives. I would like to give information about the types of neck pain. First of all, it is important to remember that not every neck pain has serious causes. However, monitoring pain is among the issues that must be taken into consideration in terms of both early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment options.
Neck pain symptoms may vary depending on the person and the cause. It is generally stated that neck pain is pinpoint and this pain disappears within a few days. Neck pain due to simple causes, which we define as acute pain, is usually point-like. However, it is possible for a mild neck pain to become chronic or to have different problems underlying this pain.
If I had to classify neck pain according to their duration;
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What we call acute pain, which lasts less than 4 weeks and usually has simple underlying causes, is the pain that lasts less than 4 weeks. Pains, which we define as Subacute lasting between 12 weeks and whose cause must be investigated,
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Pains that last for more than 12 weeks, i.e. more than 3 months, and which we express as chronic pain, require investigation of the cause and must be treated. We can analyze the pain in 3 categories as pain that needs to be treated.
Causes of Acute Neck Pain
As I mentioned above, the most common neck pain is acute. It is painful and heals in a short time.
Acute neck pain usually causes;
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Posture disorder
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Sleeping in the wrong position
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Intense sports that involve repetitive movements such as dancing or swimming
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Trauma They arise depending on the
It is worth underlining that these pains, which usually heal spontaneously in a short time, should be closely monitored by the person. These pains, which occur as muscle tension and muscle spasm, may not always occur due to soft tissue injuries. It is rare, though, that some spasms indicate a problem in the cervical spine.
Causes of Chronic Neck Pain
When neck pain continues for more than a few months, we call these pains chronic pain. Dear patients, if you have chronic neck pain complaints, it is definitely beneficial for you to see a specialist.
Chronic neck pain is usually;
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Neck hernia
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Neck straightening
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They occur due to degenerative disc disease, which has symptoms similar to cervical disc herniation
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Cervical osteoarthritis, which is a chronic joint disease.
The cause of chronic pain must be found and a treatment plan must be made accordingly. I mentioned above Diseases indicate problems in the vertebrae, the discs between the vertebrae and the layers that protect the vertebrae. If treatment planning is not made, serious problems such as nerve compression and loss of sensation in the arms and loss of strength may occur.
Other Causes of Neck Pain
I would like to talk about other reasons that may cause neck pain in valued patients. Because many different diseases can affect the emergence of this pain, and all possibilities must be evaluated for a successful treatment plan.
Stress: While stress is the root cause of many problems in our lives, it can also be the cause of neck pain.
Infection: Infections occurring in the neck spine, that is, the cervical spine, are characterized by neck pain.
Myofascial pain syndrome: This syndrome, which is a chronic condition and causes chronic pain with trigger points, can manifest itself as neck pain.
Fibromyalgia: It can occur in the muscles, tendons or ligaments in the neck area. This problem is quite difficult to diagnose, but it can cause neck pain.
Spine tumor: Tumors that develop in the cervical spine, or commonly known as the neck spine, can also cause neck pain by causing tissue damage and pressure on the nerve.
What is Good for Neck Pain?
Neck pain, which is quite common, can be relieved with a comfortable treatment plan. Dear patients, at this point, I would like to give you a wide range of information, from the easiest methods to the most comprehensive techniques used in the treatment of neck pain. However, even if you have chronic neck pain or a diagnosis of cervical disc herniation, you should keep in mind that treatment with surgical techniques is used at a very low rate.
What is Good for Acute Neck Pain?
Short-term neck pain that many people experience at some point in their lives can be cured in a few steps. My suggestions for these pains, which can be overcome by taking a little care of oneself;
Rest: Rest with short-term rest Avoiding pain that will tire the neck area is a very effective treatment method for acute neck pain.
Cold compress: In cases of neck pain caused by trauma, relieving the area with a cold compress and applying 15-minute applications at 2-hour intervals is effective in relieving the pain.
Moving slowly: For neck pain that develops due to muscle tension or a condition we call stiff neck, it will be soothing to restrict movements a little and not strain the painful area.
Dear patients, when you cannot benefit from the home treatment methods that are good for neck pain and can be applied at home, we need to evaluate subacute and chronic neck pain types depending on the continuity of the pain. At this point, we should focus on treatments that should be implemented or planned by experts.
How to Treat Neck Pain?
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is recommended to strengthen the muscles in the area for the treatment of neck pain, which we define as subacute and chronic, that is, lasting longer than 4 weeks. Differential diagnosis is of great importance in physical therapy planning. Treatment planning should be made depending on the cause of neck pain.
Drug Treatment
In the treatment of neck pain, non-steroidal painkillers are primarily used. If these medications and muscle relaxants do not provide any solution for the pain, opioid-containing medications that must be used with the recommendation of a physician can be used during the treatment process.
Injection
Long-term relief can be achieved with the injection method known as radiofrequency ablation, which is applied with a needle inserted into the sensory nerves of the facet joints. . It is also possible to reduce inflammation in the area and therefore reduce the pain level by trigger point injection or injection of cortisone steroid solutions.
Be Careful: Neck pain treatment with injection must be carried out by experts. Working in this field I think that even inexperienced healthcare professionals should stay away from injection therapy. Dear patients, please remember that any intervention on the spine has serious risks.
Neck Pain Surgery
Surgery becomes necessary at a very low rate.
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In cases where the nerve root needs to be opened
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When the spinal cord needs to be opened
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Surgical intervention may be recommended when the cervical vertebrae need to be stabilized.
Be Careful: Surgical intervention should not be performed for neck pain only for the reasons I have listed above. The decision for surgical intervention should be made depending on the imaging results, diagnostic tests, as well as additional symptoms such as loss of strength and sensation in the arm.
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It occurs when the natural curved structure of the vertebrae is disrupted. The most obvious symptom of this disorder, which is characterized by the loss of natural curve, is neck pain. Pain that occurs due to neck straightening may extend to the shoulder and waist area.
Dear patients, in addition to neck pain;
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Numbness
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Tingling
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If you have symptoms such as loss of urination and defecation control, I recommend that you get an expert opinion.
Be Careful: Neck straightening is a disease that can cause serious problems when neglected. This problem usually occurs due to mechanical reasons and can be easily treated. However, if the flattening reaches the level of kyphosis, or hunchback, the need for surgical intervention arises.
What is Neck Stiffness?
It is one of the neck disorders experienced by many people, which occurs as a result of soft tissue sprain and increased muscle tension. is a stiff neck. Causes such as sleeping in an inverted position or staying in the wind
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