10 Causes of Neck and Shoulder Pain
The neck and the shoulders are complex parts of our body which are resplendent with several tiny yet important anatomical structures of the spinal cord. This inherent complexity makes them prone to risks of pain, degeneration, movement restrictions and dangerous injuries.
Neck pain and shoulder pain are fairly common complaints in the busy lifestyle of people today. It is usually a result of bad postures, ergonomics, falls or over usage. Normally, these pains do not imply any serious medical condition and settle by themselves or with minimal home remedies.
However, if these pains continue for more than a week or are accompanied by other symptoms (like severe headache and nausea, numbness, dizziness, immobility or radiating pain in the arms and legs) it is advisable to seek appropriate medical help.
Causes of Neck Pain
Neck stiffness and pain may be caused by several reasons including-
- Physical trauma
- Mental stress and worry
- Wrong postures while sitting and sleeping and sudden jerks in accidents leading to muscle spasms and muscle strain
- Lack of exercise due to prolonged working hours and technology misuse
- Bone and muscle-related diseases like Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia
- Prolapsed disc caused by spine injury
- Scoliosis (deformation in the natural curvature of the spine) and Spinal Stenosis (narrowing of the spinal cord)
- Infections like neck tuberculosis and tumorous growths in the neck leading to structural damages