How is the neck structured?

• Your neck and back are made up of small bones called vertebrae. These are stacked on top of each other to form the spinal column.
• The spinal column supports your head and protects the spinal cord. This is the main structure which links the network of nerves throughout your body. Messages travel along this network sending sensations, such as pain, to your brain.
• The top seven bones in the spinal column form your neck, and these are called the cervical vertebrae. The bones are linked together by facet joints. These are small joints between your vertebrae that, together with your neck muscles, allow you to move your head in any direction.

• Between the vertebrae are discs of cartilage. The discs act as shock absorbers and give the spine its flexibility. A slipped disc occurs when one of these discs slips slightly out of its natural position in the spine.

Neck pain symptoms

The most common symptoms are:

Pain and stiffness

• You may feel pain in the middle or on either side of your neck, but it may also extend to the shoulder or to the upper chest.
• You may have pain or weakness in your arms.
• You may have neck pain and headaches, where the pain can travel to the back of your head and sometimes into your ear or behind your eye.
• You may have neck pain when turning your head and your muscles may feel tight, especially if you’ve been sitting or sleeping in one position for a long time.
• You may notice that your neck won’t turn as far as it normally does, for example when you try to look over your shoulder while reversing the car.

Numbness or tingling

A nerve can become pinched when the muscles, bones or tissues surrounding it apply too much pressure. As a result, you may feel numbness, pins and needles or a tingling sensation that can be felt down your arm, sometimes right down to your fingers.

You’ll find that numbness and tingling will go away once the problem resolves itself. However, if your symptoms are severe, talk to your doctor; they may be able to prescribe drugs that target the pinched nerve.

Clicking and grating noises

You may hear or feel clicking or grating as you move your head. This is called crepitus, and it can be caused by air bubbles popping, or tissues and bones moving over each other, in the joint. Other joints often do this too, but noises from your neck usually seem louder because they’re happening closer to your ears. You may also find they’re more noticeable at night.

Dizziness and blackouts

If you feel dizzy when looking up or turning your head, this may be due to pinching of the arteries that run alongside the spine, otherwise known as vertebral arteries. This can sometimes happen as a result of changes in the vertebrae. Pinching of these vertebral arteries can occasionally cause blackouts as the blood flow is temporarily reduced. However, blackouts can have other causes so it’s important to seek medical advice if this is happening to you.

Muscle spasms

Muscle spasms are the sudden stiffening of a muscle or groups of muscles in your body. Often there is no known cause and they can be very unpleasant. When it occurs in the neck it usually causes pain and stiffness down one side, which can make it difficult to turn your head.

It usually only lasts a few hours or days, although rarely it may continue for several weeks. You can try to ease the pain at home with gentle stretches, over-the-counter painkillers as well as heat or ice packs. People with muscle spasms report that applying heat is particularly soothing.

Other symptoms

If you have long-lasting neck pain and stiffness, particularly if your sleep is disturbed, then you may feel very tired and, not surprisingly, you may start to feel rather down or low in mood. 

Common  causes of Neck Pain 

Neck pain is very common and most of us will have it at some point in our lives. Usually, neck pain is the result of holding your neck in the same position for too long. However, other things can also cause or contribute to neck pain, such as:

• worry or stress
• sleeping awkwardly
• an accident, which can cause whiplash
• a sprain or a strain
• a flare-up of cervical spondylosis; which can happen as the discs and joints in the spine age.

Many people develop a stiff and painful neck for no obvious reason. This is called non-specific neck pain. This is the most common type of neck pain and usually disappears after a few days, providing you keep gently moving your neck and rest when you need to.

You can often manage short spells of neck pain yourself using over-the-counter painkillers and gentle stretches. However, if your neck problem persists or significantly affects your everyday activities then it’s sensible to see a doctor or other healthcare professional-Physiotherapist.

How to treat Neck Pain