What causes neck pain?
Your neck is made up of vertebrae that extend from the skull to the upper torso. Cervical disks absorb shock between the bones. The bones, ligaments, and muscles of your neck support your head and allow for motion. Any abnormalities, inflammation, or injury may cause neck pain or stiffness.
Most of us experience neck pain or stiffness in the neck occasionally. In many cases, it is due to poor posture, normal wear, and tear, or overuse. Sometimes, neck pain is caused by injury from a fall, contact sports, or whiplash.
Most of the time, neck pain is not a serious condition and may be relieved within a few days. In some cases, neck pain may indicate serious injury or illness and require a doctor’s care. If neck pain continues more than a week, is severe, or is accompanied by other symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
Causes of Neck Pain or Stiff Neck
Neck pain or stiffness can happen for a variety of reasons.
Muscle Tension and Strain
This is usually due to activities and behaviors such as:
- poor posture
- working at a desk for too long without changing position
- sleeping with your neck in a bad position
- jerking the neck during exercise
Injury
The neck is particularly vulnerable to damage, especially in falls, car accidents, and sports, where the muscles and ligaments of the neck are forced to move outside their normal range. If the neck is dislocated or fractured, the spinal cord may also be damaged. Neck injury caused by a sudden jerking of the head is commonly called “whiplash.”
Diseases and Conditions that causes neck pain
Arthritis causes pain, swelling of the joints, and bone spurs. When these occur in the neck area, it leads to neck pain.
Osteoporosis weakens bones and can result in small fractures.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes muscle pain throughout the body.
As you age, the cervical discs can degenerate (spondylosis), narrowing the space between the vertebrae and adding stress to the joints. When a disk protrudes, it may add pressure to the spinal cord or nerve roots. This is called a herniated cervical disk, also known as a ruptured disk or slipped disk.
Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal column narrows and causes pressure on the spinal cord. This can be due to long-term inflammation caused by arthritis or other reasons.
Symptoms of heart attack include:
- shortness of breath
- sweating
- nausea
- vomiting
- arm, jaw, or neck pain
If your neck hurts and you have other symptoms of heart attack, call the hospital immediately.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. A fever and severe headache usually accompany stiff neck. Meningitis can be deadly and is a medical emergency. If you have symptoms of meningitis, seek help immediately.
In rare instances, neck stiffness or pain is caused by congenital abnormalities, in addition to infections, abscesses, tumors, or cancer of the spine.
Mudra For Neck Pain and Stiffness of neck:
Mudra is a part of holistic healing Ayurveda and Yoga.It is very useful and easy to practice. Anyone can do it anytime, and there is no need of expertise to do it. Just forty-five minutes of regular practice is enough to get good results. If you are new to mudras then follow the links to know more details of how to do, benefits and precautions.
Before practicing Mudras it is very important to find your Ayurvedic Body type To find your Ayurvedic body type follow this link
Practicing mudras is one of the best choice for neck pain. It is a natural treatment and it is beneficial in numerous ways. It will enhance your overall health.
Also, read my E-book ” Complete Hand Mudras”
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