About Neck & Back Pain
Pain, Spine & Sports
Medicine
Medicine
Causes of Neck Pain: You need to know what's causing your neck pain because that
impacts your treatment options. As you probably know, there are a lot of ways to experience
neck pain. It may be mild or severe, numbing or burning, in your neck or in your hand. There's a
variety of symptoms because there's a variety of causes of neck pain. A few common causes
are:
Daily Life: Just getting through every day takes its toll on your body — you most likely know
that from first-hand experience. Stress and emotional tension can cause muscles to tighten and
contract, resulting in pain and stiffness. You can sleep wrong and wake up with a crick in your
neck. You can sit too long at your desk, staring at your computer, and give yourself a stiff neck.
Also, the way you're living could be causing your neck pain. Poor posture, obesity, and weak
abdominal muscles often disrupt the spine's balance, causing your neck to bend uncomfortably
to compensate.
Even healthy, normal activities can cause neck sprains and strains, which can lead to pain.
Gardening, tennis, a friendly game of touch football, and even golf can all potentially hurt your
neck.
Growing Older: Age-related disorders such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and
degenerative disc disease directly affect the cervical spine.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) can cause the intervertebral discs to become less hydrated,
and they lose their flexibility, elasticity, and shock-absorbing abilities. And over time, you may
develop a bulging disc or a herniated disc. With both bulging and herniated discs, the disc
material can press on nerve roots, causing neck pain that may run into the arm, tingling, and/or
numbness.
Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder that causes progressive deterioration of cartilage.
Without the cartilage, your bones rub together. The body reacts by forming bone spurs
(osteophytes), a self-protection step. However, the bone spurs can press on your nerves,
causing neck pain.
Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways between the vertebrae to narrow, which
can compresses and trap the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck,
shoulder, and arm pain and numbness when these nerves are unable to function normally.
Injury and Accidents: That's right—whiplash. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in
any direction and the resulting "rebound" of the head or neck in the opposite direction is known
as whiplash. The sudden "whipping" motion causes injury to the surrounding and supporting
tissues of your neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle
fatigue that results in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also involve injury to the
intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car accidents are the most
common cause of whiplash. If you've had a head injury, more than likely, your neck has been
affected, too, even if you don't feel it right away. It's wise to seek medical attention immediately.
Anatomy of Neck PainYour head is a lot to carry around—it can weigh 15 pounds or more. Not
only does your neck fully support all that weight, it enables you to nod your head, shake your
head, and turn your head. No other part of your spine has the ability to move so much: 90° of
forward motion, 90° of backward motion, 180° of side-to-side motion, and almost 120° of tilt to
either shoulder.
Technically, your neck is called the cervical spine, and it begins at the base of your skull. It
contains 7 small bones (vertebrae), which doctors label C1 to C7 (the 'C' means cervical). The
numbers 1 to 7 indicate the level of the vertebrae. C1 is closest to the skull, while C7 is closest
to the chest.
impacts your treatment options. As you probably know, there are a lot of ways to experience
neck pain. It may be mild or severe, numbing or burning, in your neck or in your hand. There's a
variety of symptoms because there's a variety of causes of neck pain. A few common causes
are:
Daily Life: Just getting through every day takes its toll on your body — you most likely know
that from first-hand experience. Stress and emotional tension can cause muscles to tighten and
contract, resulting in pain and stiffness. You can sleep wrong and wake up with a crick in your
neck. You can sit too long at your desk, staring at your computer, and give yourself a stiff neck.
Also, the way you're living could be causing your neck pain. Poor posture, obesity, and weak
abdominal muscles often disrupt the spine's balance, causing your neck to bend uncomfortably
to compensate.
Even healthy, normal activities can cause neck sprains and strains, which can lead to pain.
Gardening, tennis, a friendly game of touch football, and even golf can all potentially hurt your
neck.
Growing Older: Age-related disorders such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and
degenerative disc disease directly affect the cervical spine.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) can cause the intervertebral discs to become less hydrated,
and they lose their flexibility, elasticity, and shock-absorbing abilities. And over time, you may
develop a bulging disc or a herniated disc. With both bulging and herniated discs, the disc
material can press on nerve roots, causing neck pain that may run into the arm, tingling, and/or
numbness.
Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder that causes progressive deterioration of cartilage.
Without the cartilage, your bones rub together. The body reacts by forming bone spurs
(osteophytes), a self-protection step. However, the bone spurs can press on your nerves,
causing neck pain.
Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways between the vertebrae to narrow, which
can compresses and trap the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck,
shoulder, and arm pain and numbness when these nerves are unable to function normally.
Injury and Accidents: That's right—whiplash. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in
any direction and the resulting "rebound" of the head or neck in the opposite direction is known
as whiplash. The sudden "whipping" motion causes injury to the surrounding and supporting
tissues of your neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle
fatigue that results in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also involve injury to the
intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car accidents are the most
common cause of whiplash. If you've had a head injury, more than likely, your neck has been
affected, too, even if you don't feel it right away. It's wise to seek medical attention immediately.
Anatomy of Neck PainYour head is a lot to carry around—it can weigh 15 pounds or more. Not
only does your neck fully support all that weight, it enables you to nod your head, shake your
head, and turn your head. No other part of your spine has the ability to move so much: 90° of
forward motion, 90° of backward motion, 180° of side-to-side motion, and almost 120° of tilt to
either shoulder.
Technically, your neck is called the cervical spine, and it begins at the base of your skull. It
contains 7 small bones (vertebrae), which doctors label C1 to C7 (the 'C' means cervical). The
numbers 1 to 7 indicate the level of the vertebrae. C1 is closest to the skull, while C7 is closest
to the chest.
In between each vertebra are tough fibrous
shock-absorbing pads called the intervertebral
discs. Each disc is made up of a tire-like outer band
(annulus fibrosus) and a gel-like inner substance
(nucleus pulposus).
Besides the bones and the discs, your neck has
joints, muscles, and ligaments. They are what make
your neck so moveable. They also stabilize your
neck.
Your neck houses the upper part of your spinal
cord, nerve roots, and an elaborate system of
arteries and veins. The nerves in your neck help
the brain communicate with your shoulders, arms,
and chest. The arteries and veins circulate blood
between the brain and the heart.
All in all, your neck is amazing and intricate.
However, because it has such freedom of
movement, it's at a high risk for pain and injury.
But remember, even severe pain may not require severe treatment, so always check with your
doctor.
Back pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts four to six weeks, but chronic pain is
persistent, long-term pain—sometimes lasting throughout life. At times, people with chronic
pain can also have episodes of acute pain.
Back pain comes in many forms. It may be sudden and sharp—or it may be dull. Pain may
occur with movement, and it may even occur with coughing and sneezing. You may also have
numbness in your arms or legs. (Leg symptoms are often referred to as sciatica caused by a
pinched nerve.)
It’s important to treat your back pain properly. Seek medical attention if your back pain
persists—and seek immediate attention if you have any of the emergency signs listed below.
Warning Signs You Need Help
There are a variety of reasons for back pain. To get the best treatment, you first need to know
the origin of the problem. This article will help you understand back pain and some of its
causes. You will read about treatment options and discover prevention tips to help you avoid
injury.
Causes of Back PainBack pain has a variety of causes, including poor posture and poor body
mechanics. For example, standing for long periods of time or sitting incorrectly can cause back
pain. Engaging in certain sports often carries a risk of back injury. Low back pain is often
associated with heavy physical work, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting, or
awkward positions. You may even have a back injury and not know it until a stressful movement
aggravates the condition. Uncommon—but serious—causes of back pain include infections,
tumors, and fractures.
Don’t ignore back pain. Talk to your doctor if your pain persists.
Here are some common causes of back pain:
Sprain or Strain: A sudden fall, car crash, or sports injury can cause a sprain or strain—or
even just lifting something too heavy. When a back injury occurs, muscles, ligaments, and
tendons can become over-stretched, overused, or torn. Tissues can swell, causing pain,
tenderness, and stiffness.
Obesity: Your spine caries a large portion of your weight. Being overweight puts pressure and
stress on the back, especially the low back. Plus, carrying excess weight aggravates other
health conditions such as osteoporosis (weak bones), osteoarthritis (joint pain), rheumatoid
arthritis (an autoimmune disease), degenerative disc disease (described below in the aging
section), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.
Aging: Ligaments thicken and discs dry out with age. These age-related changes in the spine
may lead to disorders that create pressure on your spinal nerves—meaning that you’ll have
symptoms like pain, numbness, or weakness. Degenerative disc disease is an example of an
age-related spinal disorder. Over time, your discs can lose their normal structure and function.
That is just wear and tear, but it can result in a herniated disc (bulging out) and pain (see
diagram). Sometimes when there’s a tear, chemicals are released, and they can irritate the
spinal nerves, causing a specific type of nerve pain (radiculopathy).
Symptoms of Back PainBack pain is its own symptom. However, there are various ways to feel
back pain, and your symptoms depend on what is causing your pain and where it is affecting
your spine.
Your back pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts four to six weeks, but chronic pain is
persistent, long-term pain—sometimes lasting throughout life. At times, people with chronic
pain can have episodes of acute pain.
Back pain may be sudden and sharp—or it may be dull. Pain may occur with movement, and it
may even occur with coughing and sneezing. You may also have numbness in your arms or
legs. (Leg symptoms are often referred to as sciatica caused by a pinched nerve.)
It's important to treat your back pain properly. Seek medical attention if your back pain
persists—and seek immediate attention if you have back pain with any of the following
emergency signs:
Anatomy of Back Pain
Your back, or spine, is made up of many parts. Your backbone, also called your vertebral
column, provides support and protection. It consists of 33 vertebrae (bones). There are discs
between each of the vertebra that act like pads or shock absorbers. Each disc is made up of a
tire-like outer band called the annulus fibrosus and a gel-like inner substance called the
nucleus pulposus. Together, the vertebrae and the discs provide a protective tunnel (the
spinal canal) to house the spinal cord and spinal nerves. These nerves run down the center of
the vertebrae and exit to various parts of the body.
doctor.
Back pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts four to six weeks, but chronic pain is
persistent, long-term pain—sometimes lasting throughout life. At times, people with chronic
pain can also have episodes of acute pain.
Back pain comes in many forms. It may be sudden and sharp—or it may be dull. Pain may
occur with movement, and it may even occur with coughing and sneezing. You may also have
numbness in your arms or legs. (Leg symptoms are often referred to as sciatica caused by a
pinched nerve.)
It’s important to treat your back pain properly. Seek medical attention if your back pain
persists—and seek immediate attention if you have any of the emergency signs listed below.
Warning Signs You Need Help
- Pain is getting significantly worse
- Pain affects every day activities
- Severe symptoms
- Groin or leg weakness or numbness
- Arm or hand weakness, tingling, or numbness
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
There are a variety of reasons for back pain. To get the best treatment, you first need to know
the origin of the problem. This article will help you understand back pain and some of its
causes. You will read about treatment options and discover prevention tips to help you avoid
injury.
Causes of Back PainBack pain has a variety of causes, including poor posture and poor body
mechanics. For example, standing for long periods of time or sitting incorrectly can cause back
pain. Engaging in certain sports often carries a risk of back injury. Low back pain is often
associated with heavy physical work, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting, or
awkward positions. You may even have a back injury and not know it until a stressful movement
aggravates the condition. Uncommon—but serious—causes of back pain include infections,
tumors, and fractures.
Don’t ignore back pain. Talk to your doctor if your pain persists.
Here are some common causes of back pain:
Sprain or Strain: A sudden fall, car crash, or sports injury can cause a sprain or strain—or
even just lifting something too heavy. When a back injury occurs, muscles, ligaments, and
tendons can become over-stretched, overused, or torn. Tissues can swell, causing pain,
tenderness, and stiffness.
Obesity: Your spine caries a large portion of your weight. Being overweight puts pressure and
stress on the back, especially the low back. Plus, carrying excess weight aggravates other
health conditions such as osteoporosis (weak bones), osteoarthritis (joint pain), rheumatoid
arthritis (an autoimmune disease), degenerative disc disease (described below in the aging
section), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.
Aging: Ligaments thicken and discs dry out with age. These age-related changes in the spine
may lead to disorders that create pressure on your spinal nerves—meaning that you’ll have
symptoms like pain, numbness, or weakness. Degenerative disc disease is an example of an
age-related spinal disorder. Over time, your discs can lose their normal structure and function.
That is just wear and tear, but it can result in a herniated disc (bulging out) and pain (see
diagram). Sometimes when there’s a tear, chemicals are released, and they can irritate the
spinal nerves, causing a specific type of nerve pain (radiculopathy).
Symptoms of Back PainBack pain is its own symptom. However, there are various ways to feel
back pain, and your symptoms depend on what is causing your pain and where it is affecting
your spine.
Your back pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts four to six weeks, but chronic pain is
persistent, long-term pain—sometimes lasting throughout life. At times, people with chronic
pain can have episodes of acute pain.
Back pain may be sudden and sharp—or it may be dull. Pain may occur with movement, and it
may even occur with coughing and sneezing. You may also have numbness in your arms or
legs. (Leg symptoms are often referred to as sciatica caused by a pinched nerve.)
It's important to treat your back pain properly. Seek medical attention if your back pain
persists—and seek immediate attention if you have back pain with any of the following
emergency signs:
- Pain is getting significantly worse
- Pain affects every day activities
- Severe symptoms
- Groin or leg weakness or numbness
- Arm or hand weakness, tingling, or numbness
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
Anatomy of Back Pain
Your back, or spine, is made up of many parts. Your backbone, also called your vertebral
column, provides support and protection. It consists of 33 vertebrae (bones). There are discs
between each of the vertebra that act like pads or shock absorbers. Each disc is made up of a
tire-like outer band called the annulus fibrosus and a gel-like inner substance called the
nucleus pulposus. Together, the vertebrae and the discs provide a protective tunnel (the
spinal canal) to house the spinal cord and spinal nerves. These nerves run down the center of
the vertebrae and exit to various parts of the body.
What is Back Pain? If you injure parts of
your back, you may feel pain. You may not
remember the injury—but your back does,
and the pain is trying to tell you something.
Back pain is actually very common—about
three in four adults will experience back pain
during their lifetime, especially low back pain.
Most back pain comes from sprains and
strains caused by stressful movements, and
with a bit of medical attention, those will get
better.
Occasionally, back pain requires more
demanding medical help and possibly even
surgery.
your back, you may feel pain. You may not
remember the injury—but your back does,
and the pain is trying to tell you something.
Back pain is actually very common—about
three in four adults will experience back pain
during their lifetime, especially low back pain.
Most back pain comes from sprains and
strains caused by stressful movements, and
with a bit of medical attention, those will get
better.
Occasionally, back pain requires more
demanding medical help and possibly even
surgery.
Parts of the Spine
Your back also has muscles, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. Muscles are strands of
tissues that act as the source of power for movement. Ligaments are the strong, flexible bands
of fibrous tissue that link the bones together, and tendons connect muscles to bones and discs.
Blood vessels provide nourishment. These parts all work together to help you move about.
Back pain may be a result of injury to any or all of these body parts. Injury to the soft tissues
(muscles, ligaments, tendons) results in sprains or strains, which are generally not considered
serious. However, injury to bones, nerves, or blood vessels may be more serious. Also, the
outer layers of discs can get tears or cracks, allowing the annulus fibrosus or nucleus pulposus
to bulge out. Any of these injuries can cause inflammation and pain.
Facts and Tips about Back Pain
At some point in their lives, 80% of Americans will experience back pain.
You can injure your back by coughing or sneezing.
If you have a sprained or strained back-—not a serious injury—use ice to help reduce swelling,
muscle spasms, and pain for the first 24 to 48 hours after you injure your back.
If you have a sprained or strained back-not a serious injury-use ice first. After 48 hours, switch
to heat to warm and relax sore tissues.
Good posture is one of the best ways to avoid straining your spine.
Exercising on a regular basis helps you maintain a healthy spine.
Each year, back pain costs Americans about $100 billion in medical bills, disability, and lost
productivity.
Back Pain Prevention and Relief
To recover and remain pain-free, follow the treatment plan your doctor has outlined. Make sure
you have regular check-ups, and tell you doctor if you are not getting better.
Lifestyle changes are the best road to wellness. If you smoke, now is the time to stop; if you are
overweight, now is the time to lose weight. Patients who smoke, are obese, or have
psychological problems have more problems with recovery from surgery. Smoking in particular
negatively impacts the process of fusion and healing. Take time to learn, adjust to, and adopt
habits that will help you preserve your spine for years to come.
Back problems can be prevented with some simple measures:
Sit and stand properly
Exercise regularly (aerobic exercise is especially good)
Attain and maintain a healthy weight
Stop smoking
Eat healthy (a well-balanced, low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables)
Lift safely (see tips below)
Wear a seat belt
Use proper sports equipment
Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Back Injury When Lifting
Before you lift something, think carefully through how you will do it.
Stand close to the object, and if you’ll be placing it on a high shelf, make sure you’re also close
enough to the shelf.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees—instead of bending from the
waist to pick up the object.
As you lift, draw on your core strength by tightening your stomach muscles.
Your leg muscles (not your back muscles) should do most of the work, so do not lock your
knees as you lift.
To avoid twisting your body, especially while holding the object, point your toes in the direction
you want to move and pivot in that direction.
For especially heavy objects, get help.
You can start improving your back today by using proper body mechanics. Improve your
posture by eliminating a forward head position and rounded shoulders. You can also do this
simple exercise: Tuck your chin back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and link your
arms behind you while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for a count of five, and
repeat several times a day. Exercises like this will increase mobility in your neck and back. They
will align your spine, making it easier to stand properly and reducing the chance of future back
pain.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Phone: (845) 521-1542