Neck pain is common amongst people of all ages, races, and genders. Anyone can experience cervicalgia which is neck pain that stays local. Other forms of neck pain start in the neck and can spread to the limbs. Cervicalgia is not as severe but it still needs to be addressed because it can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. The earlier you pay attention to this injury, the easier it is to make it go away.
Cervicalgia Anatomy
The neck is called the cervical spine or the C-Spine. The cervical spine plays three critical roles, supporting the head, protecting the spine and moving the head. It is made of bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. All of the different tissue allows the neck to be protective and flexible. The movement abilities of the neck are what make it fragile. The collar will sometimes hurt from sleeping because it is locked out of position for too long. Cervicalgia pain can be the result of a quick movement or a slow and dull movement.
Cause of Cervicalgia
- Poor sleeping position
- Poor posture for neck while at work
- Whiplash from accidents
- Long-term stress that causes tension in neck and shoulders
- Bone conditions like arthritis or osteoporosis
- Disease or spinal conditions
Symptoms of Cervicalgia
- Pain in the neck region
- Can be sharp, dull or persistent
- Stiffness in neck
- Spasms in neck
- Tenderness in shoulders
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Treatment for Cervicalgia
To treat cervicalgia properly, you need to know what the cause is. It is vital that you get a proper evaluation before you decide on treatment options. What most people do with cervicalgia is hope that it magically goes away. Sometimes it can go away with time, but other times you need treatment. If you do nothing, it will usually take 2-3 weeks to go away, but that may not be an option if you are an athlete and need to prepare for a big game.
It is essential to avoid any activities that cause further neck strains. If the neck hurts to make precise movements, then avoid doing those to help speed up your recovery. If the pain is the result of poor posture, it is essential that you start working on improving your posture right away.
- When there is inflammation, you can use ice packs to help to reduce inflammation but if it is just making the neck stiffer stop
- Apply heat before doing any physical activity
- Anti-inflammatory can help you get through the day but only take them as needed because they mask pain and make you think you are doing better than you are
- Massage therapy from a professional can be help increase blood flow
- In extreme cases, you can get a neck collar to help keep the neck from moving too much
- Stretching the neck can help when dealing with tightness but should never be painful
In the most extreme cases, you will need to go through a full rehab with a physical therapist to return to full health. If the physical therapy does not work the next best option may be surgery, but you should explore all other options before doing so.
It is also helpful to see a healthcare professional so that they can figure out if the cervicalgia is just sign of another worse spinal condition. If you experience numbness in the body, or shooting pains you should treat it as a medical emergency and seek help.
Prevention of Cervicalgia
Regular Trips to Massage Therapist and Chiropractor
By making regular trips to the massage therapists and chiropractors, you make sure that both your muscle health and spine health are doing well. If you make sure that you go without waiting to be hurt you increase your chances of staying healthy. If you do get hurt, it will not be as bad as it could be because you will be taking care of your body.
Improve Posture
You should be working on improving your posture every day. By making sure that your postural muscles are strong. The only way to do this is to walk, sit, stand and run with excellent posture. If you focus on improving this, you will quickly notice ack and neck pins getting better.
Improve Bed and Pillows
You spend 8 hours a day in your bed. If you improve that time by getting a higher quality bed and a better pillow, you will notice a difference in your health. Not only will your spine feel better but you will improve the quality of your life as well.
Stress Managment
Tension tends to show up in your neck, trap, and shoulders. By doing things like massage therapy, and meditation you can also work on reducing your stress levels. The less stress, the better your neck will feel over time.
Physical Activity
The key to physical activity is remembering that your body was made to move. If you are not moving every day, but a Fitbit and remind yourself how important it is to move. The more you work your body, the stronger and more resilient that it will be.
Finding The Best Local Sports Medicine Providers For Cervicalgia.
9INE POINT Health is the best place to start your search for a health care provider to help you stay healthy. The key to success as an athlete is staying healthy and making sure the injuries are dealt with appropriately. Anyone that sleep, which is everyone, is at risk of Cervicalgia.
9INE POINT Health lets you search for providers by type and skill. For example, you can look for a Physical Therapist that knows the Active Release Technique. It does not matter what kind of provider you need, 9INE POINT Health can help you find them and help you to sort through their skills.
If you are unsure where to start your journey, 9INE POINT Health will ask you questions and help you figure out the best starting place. All you have to do is answer a few questions. From there, 9INE POINT Health will connect you with the type of provider best suited for your needs. It does not matter if you are injured or doing everything you can to prevent a vastus lateralis injury.
The platform makes it easy to compare health providers as they are all given a 9INE POINT Number. Once you are shown the best local options, how do you know which is the best? Reading bios and reviews is just not enough because you need more than that.
Skill Sets to Look for In Sports Medicine Providers
Skill sets are the things healthcare providers learn after they graduate. A healthcare provider can take courses and get certifications for different skill sets. These skill sets are valuable and help them approach injuries from different perspectives so that you can get the best help at the right time for any Cervicalgia issues.
- Dry needling
- Acupuncture
- Joint Manipulation
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Functional Movement Screen
- Fascial Stretching
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Athletic Trainer
- Sports Background
- And many more
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.
