Neck Pain Treatment
Neck Pain Treatment
Neck pain: Symptoms and treatment
Pain in the neck is quite a common medical condition. Neck pain may be caused due to a number of disorders and diseases; besides, it can involve any tissue in the neck. Most common conditions causing neck pain are strain in the neck, degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc, a pinched nerve or a neck injury such as in whiplash. Additionally, neck pain can also result from common infections like virus infection in the throat that eventually leads to lymph node swelling and neck pain. It can also be a result of some rare infections like tuberculosis of the neck, meningitis accompanied by stiffness in the neck, and infection of the spine bones. Pain in the neck can also be caused due to conditions directly affecting the neck muscles, for instance, polymyalgia rheumatica and fibromyalgia. Neck pain is also called as cervical pain.
Risk factors for neck pain entail injury mainly from involvement in contact sports, bull or bronco horse riding, motor vehicle accidents and the like. If one wants to prevent neck pain in the above mentioned context, he should include neck strengthening exercises and consider neck bracing.
Symptoms associated with neck pain
Neck pain is usually associated with a dull aching in the neck. The pain in the neck gets worsened with turning of the head or movement of the neck. Other symptoms include tingling, numbness, a sharp shooting pain, fullness, tenderness, pulsations, difficulty in swallowing, dizziness or light-headedness, swishing sounds in the head, or swelling of the lymph node.
Furthermore, neck pain can be associated with facial pain, headache, shoulder pain, arm numbness or tingling. These symptoms usually result from nerves being pinched in the neck. It is also said that depending on the condition, neck pain is also accompanied by lower back pain or upper back pain. Back pain is caused if there is an inflammation of the spine.
When the neck pain is diagnosed, it is crucial to look into the history of the symptoms. During the process, the health care professional will make note of the location, duration, intensity and radiation of the pain. He or she also considers any past injury to the neck. The physician also records the aggravating and relieving positions and motions. Further diagnosis procedures include bone scan, MRI scan and X-ray evaluation.
Ayurvedic treatment for neck pain
Though there are different treatment options available for neck pain, Ayurveda is by far the best. There are a number of reasons for this. This system of medicine does not involve any surgery, use of drugs, or any pain inducing procedures. The patient gets a unique treatment involving mild exercise, diet modification, herbal supplements and slight lifestyle changes. A basic treatment involves a gentle massage over the neck muscles and shoulder joints with herbal medicated oil. Besides, several stress relieving exercises like intensive muscle training, breathing exercises, and yoga are also advocated.
In general, Ayurveda offers the best and quickest relief from neck pain symptoms and alleviates pain considerably.