Neck pain – the causes and how to prevent it
Neck pain: causes, treatments and prevention
Key points:
- Neck pain is very common and isn’t usually serious
- Causes of neck pain aren’t always clear
- Some more serious symptoms to be aware of
- How to prevent and treat neck pain
If you’ve ever experienced neck pain, you’ll know that the lack of movement it causes can really impact your everyday life. Simple things like getting dressed or driving to work can become difficult and uncomfortable. The good news is that neck pain isn’t usually serious and will clear up within a few weeks.
Causes of neck pain
Neck pain is a common condition and in most cases isn’t caused by a serious structural or intervertebral disc-related problem, though the cause often isn’t clear. Usually, neck pain is likely to be related to soft tissue or a strain of the small ‘facet’ joints at the side of the neck.
Many people believe neck pain is related to poor posture, but it’s much more likely to be a result of a sedentary lifestyle and sitting for long periods of time without moving around.
If you have neck pain and it doesn’t go away, see a doctor who will check you over to rule out other conditions, such as:
Neck strain
If you’ve pulled a muscle in your neck, it’s called neck strain. You’ll usually experience pain at the back of the neck, upper back, or shoulder.
Symptoms include Footnote [1]:
- Pain, tenderness, or weakness around the neck
- Swelling or bruising
- Difficulty turning your neck
- Painful muscle spasms or cramping
Most strains and sprains improve over a few weeks, but you can help relieve the pain using heat or cold packs on your neck, trying light movement exercises or using a more comfortable pillow. You may be able to use over the counter pain relief but make sure you follow guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.
If it isn’t healing and you see your doctor, they may prescribe you with a muscle relaxant, or refer you to a physiotherapist who will carry out a full assessment and suggest an appropriate treatment plan.
Cervical spondylosis
This is a common condition that’s a normal part of aging, and many people don’t experience any symptoms at all. Cervical spondylosis is caused by wear and tear that leads to a degeneration of discs and bones in the cervical spine (the neck part of your spine). It usually happens in people over the age of 40 and can cause neck and shoulder pain.
The pain and stiffness can come and go, so speak to your GP or use the Aviva Digital GP^ provided by Square Health if the pain doesn’t improve.
They will carry out a full assessment to understand the history of your neck pain and support you with a specific treatment plan. They may refer you to a physiotherapist, or, depending how bad your symptoms are, prescribe medication. This may include a muscle relaxant which can take a few weeks to take effect.
If your symptoms don’t improve, your GP may consider referring you to a consultant to discuss further treatment options. Surgery is only considered if:
- There is a compression of the spinal cord (cervical myelopathy) or
- there is compression of a nerve in the neck causing symptoms affecting your upper limb on one side (cervical radiculopathy).
The NHS has more information about cervical spondylosis symptoms and treatment.
Trapped nerve in neck
A trapped nerve in your neck can be painful. It’s caused by pressure from the surrounding joints or soft tissues which can lead to sharp pain, weakness, pins and needles or numbness in your arm or hand.
Nerve pain usually gets better with rest, but if your symptoms get worse or your pain becomes more severe, it’s worth seeing a doctor.
Whiplash
Whiplash is caused when your head is suddenly jerked forwards, backwards or sideways, most commonly during a car accident or whilst playing sport.
The symptoms can take several hours to start after the neck injury and include Footnote [2]:
- Neck stiffness and difficulty moving your head
- Pain in your neck, shoulders, and arms
- Headaches
- Muscle spasms in your shoulders and arms.
If you experience whiplash and your neck pain doesn’t improve with gentle exercises, using suitable pain relief and following your normal daily routine, it may be useful to see your GP. They will assess you and may prescribe alternative medication or refer you to a physiotherapist.
Whiplash can take a few months to heal depending on the severity of the injury.
Cervical myelopathy
Cervical myelopathy is a condition that affects the spinal cord at the neck, causing the spinal cord to not work properly. It is caused by pressure to the spinal cord over time in those with degenerative cervical myelopathy. This is a rare condition but can be serious. Symptoms in degenerative cervical myelopathy include:
- Tingling, numbness and weakness in your arms and hands
- Heaviness, weakness and pain in your lower legs or hips
- Poor co-ordination, clumsiness and loss of dexterity – struggling to do your buttons up or write normally
- Not being as mobile as normal – stiffening up
- Problems with your bladder and bowel functions
- Mild to severe neck pain
- Stabbing arm pain.
It is important to book an appointment with your GP if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. Your GP will assess you and discuss a treatment plan; they may offer you an MRI scan to confirm it’s cervical myelopathy and not another condition.
If your cervical myelopathy is due to degenerative changes, having it diagnosed and treated early can stop your symptoms getting worse.
Disease and illness
Very rarely, neck pain can point to something serious. Some diseases that can cause a neck ache and stiffness include meningitis, cancer and arthritis. You may notice other symptoms such as a rash, painful lumps in your neck, or pain and stiffness elsewhere in the body. Get it checked out if you think it’s something more than neck pain.
It’s important to contact your doctor if you have:
- severe head, neck or arm pain that is constant or disturbs your sleep
- a history of inflammatory arthritis, immune-suppression, cancer, TB, drug abuse, AIDS, or other infection
- a fever, unexplained weight loss or feel unwell
- a history of violent trauma (e.g. a road traffic accident or fall from a height)
- a history of neck surgery
You should seek urgent medical attention if you have:
- severe headaches that cause visual or swallowing issues, vomiting, or double vision
- experienced recent trauma
- lost strength or experience numbness in your arms and legs
How is the cause of neck pain diagnosed?
The first step to finding out what’s causing your neck pain is to visit your doctor. They’ll examine your neck to see if there’s any muscle weakness and numbness and look at how your neck moves. They may also watch how you walk.
It isn’t common, but you might also be referred for imaging tests for further investigation:
- MRI scan, to look at your spinal cord and nerves
- CT scan to look at the structures inside your neck
- Cervical spine X-ray to show any breaks or dislocation
Another test that is sometimes used is an EMG (Electromyography) which is a test to find out if your neck pain is from a pinched nerve.
Types of treatment for neck pain
Physiotherapy
If your neck hurts, physiotherapy might help. This means doing special exercises and treatments to make your neck feel better. Reasons you might need physiotherapy include muscle strains, stiff joints, or after a small injury.
Medication
You may be able to take over the counter pain relief but make sure you get advice from a pharmacist before taking new medication.
Injections
If your symptoms have not improved with treatment and persist over a long period, your GP may refer you to a specialist to discuss your treatment options, including an injection.
Surgery
Your GP may decide to refer you to a specialist to discuss your treatment options, which may include surgery. Surgery is rare but if you have ongoing or worsening symptoms affecting the spinal cord or nerves in the neck, you may be advised to consider it.
How to prevent neck pain
Around 50% of people who experience neck pain will suffer from it again, but there are things you can do to help prevent it returning Footnote [3].
Making some simple changes in your daily routine can help you look after your neck and prevent pain or injury.
- Be careful with your posture, remember to sit and stand up straight with your shoulders back.
- Take breaks from any repetitive motions, or from keeping your neck in the same place for a long period of time.
- Sleep on a firm mattress if possible and try to avoid stress on the neck by keeping your head the same height as the rest of your body.
- And remember, hunching over your smartphone for long periods of time, or staring at your computer can quickly bring on neck tension and stiffness.
- Try to reduce the stress of daily life. Following simple mindfulness techniques can help, as well as exercising regularly and and remaining active.
You can use your cover to pay for treatment for neck pain
You could claim for treatment of neck pain using your health insurance cover. The first step is to get a referral from your GP, or through our Digital GP app^. Then you can make a claim through MyAviva, over the phone, or online .
If your claim is eligible, you’ll be able to get treatment through our Spine network – a selected group of treatment providers offering quality treatment and proven expertise – for your neck condition.
A full list of networks can be found here aviva.co.uk/health-network.
If we confirm that your claim meets the terms of your policy, we’ll pay for the treatment directly. Just be sure to tell us if you need more tests or treatment, or if your hospital or specialist changes.
It’s good to have one less thing to worry about.
^ These services are non-contractual and can be withdrawn or amended by Aviva at any time.
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