Health blog Category: whiplash
Four Common Neck Conditions
The neck, a.k.a cervical spine, is comprised of 7 spinal segments and 8 nerves. The nerves that exit out of the neck go on to supply innervation and control function of the arms and hands. It is also important to know that some of the muscles that control neck motion are responsible for shoulder motion too.
Common Conditions:
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Restricted nerve mobility in the neck that can cause pain into the shoulders and arms
- Muscle Spain/Strain
- Muscle that produces pain with contraction (use)
- The term “strain” specifically refers to faulty tendon contraction. Tendons are where muscles attach to bones.
Key Ways to Relieve Neck & Back Discomfort
There are many common causes of both back pain and neck pain. However, both of these can be treated with physical therapy.
Causes of Back Pain:
- Changes in the spine’s anatomy
- Lumbar disc herniation
- occurs when the gel-like interior of the disc leaks outward and irritates the nerve roots. It typically causes a stabbing pain in the back of the legs and back pain.
- Lumbar degenerative disc disease
- Wear and tear on the spinal discs can lead to lumbar degenerative disc disease.
When In Doubt, Go Get Checked Out!
Concussions are gaining more and more attention as more research is being done about this often ambiguous subject. In the past, athletes were often said to have gotten their “bell rung” or were considered to have gotten “lit up” after a hard hit in a contact sport. Unfortunately, many were told to “shake it off” and get back in the game if they felt a little better soon after the hit. We now know that that is an unsafe practice and can lead to long-lasting effects, and in the worst-case scenarios death.