The back of the neck is a delicate place in the body. The soft muscles and tissues at the back of the neck are not always able to bear the load that we inadvertently put on it. This pain usually spreads to the shoulders, arms and back. However that depends largely on the cause of the aches.
The most common cause of neck ache is bad posture, migraines and headaches. If you have arthritis or cervical spondylosis, then too the neck muscles become inflammated and hurt a lot. Tension, stress or trauma in the musculoskeletal system also causes problems in the neck area. A jerk or an injury around the neck region can also cause this ache.
Patients with migraine often complain about neck aches. This usually happens because of the headaches spreading into the neck and shoulder region. If you have experienced a rapid deceleration of the neck or whiplash, the muscle fibers of the neck get torn and damaged. There may be a very low degree of inflammation initially but if proper care is not given at the right time, your condition will worsen and this inflammation can keep growing and become a chronic neck ache. An X-ray is usually able to show such an injury but unless there has been more physical damage like a fracture this kind of injury is not detected.
Cervical spondylosis usually affects people in their middle age. An individual may have this condition for a prolonged period; however, neck aches might not be directly related to it. The neck pain in this condition is caused due to the constant wear and tear of the muscles due to the kind of work we perform. The pain of this kind might spread to other parts of the body that are directly connected to the neck region – like the shoulders and the arms. The pain worsens with movement and you have to take total bed rest to get relief from the pain.
Though chronic, cervical spondylosis is usually mild, if coupled with excessive laborious work that could stress the neck muscles or continual bad posture, the condition could become really severe and the use of the upper limbs becomes very limited. Due to the constant and severe pain that can be felt at even the slightest of movements, the person may not be able to perform simple day to day activities.
Neck pains can be remedied by resting and giving the damaged and worn muscles some time to heal. A deep muscle massage can help relieve the stress and the strain on the muscles. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapy that uses needles to open up and revitalize the energy channels of the body. It is also a popular therapy for relieving neck aches. However, if you have cervical spondylosis, it is best to get it checked by a doctor.