18 May Top 3 Benign Causes of Neck Pain and How to Address Them
There is no question that the human body is quite resilient and pretty darned tough. Still, the littlest thing can cause big problems. Take neck pain. You rarely think about how sensitive your head, neck, and shoulders really are until pain brings them to the forefront. What’s more, lots of different things can cause neck pain.
We see plenty of patients suffering from neck pain rooted in a benign cause. In these types of cases, a benign cause is something other than a direct physiological condition, like a compressed nerve or trauma from a sports injury. Benign issues are more common than most people realize.
To give you a better understanding of what we are talking about, here are three benign causes of neck pain and ways of how to address them:
1. Sleeping Position
How you sleep impacts how you feel during the day. If you wake up in the morning with mild to moderate neck pain that seems to go away as the day progresses, it is possible something about your sleep position could be off. You could also be having trouble with your mattress, pillow, or both.
Sleeping on your back with a pillow that pushes your head too far forward can cause neck pain. Try a flatter pillow. You might also try sleeping on your side. If your neck pain is accompanied by lower back pain and your mattress is more than 12-15 years old, replacing the mattress might be your best bet.
2. Poor Posture
Neck pain due to poor posture is increasingly more common in the digital age. Constantly looking down at a phone screen is not only bad for your eyes and neck, but it is also for your overall posture.
Good posture involves holding your head high with your chest out and your back straight. If you are sitting, keeping the head up and looking forward is a smart thing to do. It’s a given that proper posture is difficult to maintain throughout the day, but making a conscious effort to improve posture as often as possible could eliminate your neck pain.
3. Excessive Physical Stress
Yet another benign cause of neck pain is excessive physical stress. We often see it among people who tend to carry too much weight over the shoulders. Heavy handbags, backpacks, etc. can put stress on the shoulder muscles. If a particular bag tends to slide across the shoulder to the neck, it can stress neck muscles as well.
If you’re prone to carrying heavy bags or backpacks, try taking breaks more often. Pack your bags lighter if you can. The less stress you put on your shoulders and neck, the less likely you’ll experience pain.
When the Cause Is Benign
Obviously, not every person suffering from neck pain is dealing with a benign issue. There are very serious conditions that can cause significant neck pain. These include things like slipped discs, brachial plexus injuries, and even cervical facet joint syndrome. The good news is that there are treatment options for nearly every cause.
If you are suffering from regular neck pain, don’t just grin and bear it. See a doctor as soon as you can. Better yet, make an appointment at our Weatherford, TX clinic where you can meet with a pain medicine specialist.
Many cases of neck pain involve benign causes. But other cases involve physiological conditions that respond very well to treatment. The only way to know for sure is to get checked out by a doctor. So make that appointment today. Let’s start working on helping you feel better.
No Comments