Occasional but acute neck and back pain can come in the way of leading a healthy lifestyle. Imagine that you’re scheduled for a party on one Friday night with your office colleagues but have to skip the event due to some unforeseen pain in your neck. Sure, you’d regret not attending the party, but when that happens too often, friends or colleagues can choose to give up on inviting you, presuming your absence. It hurts to miss out on all the fun stuff for some unannounced ailment.
The reasons behind the pain and discomfort can vary, but in most cases, it boils down to the following reasons:
Stress
Our bodies can suffer due to stress in multiple ways. Some repetitive spells of stress can lead to musculoskeletal issues, of which neck and back pain are the most common ailments. Stress releases hormones that increase blood supply and tighten our muscles around the spine and affect breathing. This causes muscle spasms, acute pain and affects a person’s lifestyle. It’s impractical to do away with stress in our lives, so a few lifestyle changes and postures can help reduce the frequency of your neck and back pain.
Poor sleeping and sitting posture
There’s nothing as basic as the correct alignment of your spine. When you sit for work on your chair and slouch when looking at your computer screen, you stress your spine and force it to move away from its natural healthy position. Slouching or sitting in a hunched position can damage the spine’s natural curve and can lead to diseases like arthritis in the long run. Incorrect posture can stress your cervical spine and coerce your neck and back muscles. Some people wake up with bad back or neck pain after what they think was a good night of sleep. In such cases, it’s best to see a neck and back specialist understand where you might be going wrong with your posture.
Weak muscles
Our joints and muscles need some movement to stay in a fit and active condition. Without any exercise, the muscles of our body become frail and lose endurance. This can also make you reluctant to exercise in the future. But the trick is to keep on with working out because that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the muscles of your body. This also improves your cardiovascular health and consequently increases stamina.
Overweight
Extra body weight can lead to joint misalignments. This can also lead to pinched nerves, in which case the pain becomes excruciating. For people who are overweight or obese, the spine is forced to take in extra weight, which may lead to some structural compromise and injury. Unhealthy posture and uneven weight distribution are not uncommon and can lead to spine osteoarthritis, spondylosis, etc. Overweight people also run the risks of herniated discs and spinal arthritis.
Poor eating habits
A balanced diet with good nutritional value can help prevent neck and back pain. The bones, muscles, and spine structure need proper nutrition daily to support the rest of the body. Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3, etc., help keep the body in its right position and shape. When people resort to junk food or food containing preservatives, it leads to weaker bones and poor immunity. It also contributes to straining the neck and spinal area.
Conclusion
Poor exercise forms, wrong footwear, dehydration, etc., can all lead to neck and back problems if not corrected. So seek assistance when needed and set yourself on a proper lifestyle ASAP!
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Neck strain occurs when one or more fibers or tendons in the neck muscles are overstretched and tear. It is a type of injury that is also called a pulled muscle.
Its intensity depends on the size and location of the fiber damage. The neck strain gets better on its own within a few days or weeks. The pain of the neck strain can be mild to severe.
The symptoms of neck strain are pain and decreased range of motion of the neck. Pain occurs after an injury. It is not an unusual situation for a person to not feel any discomfort in the initial stages. Since most inflammatory changes come slowly.
1.Feeling severe pain immediately after an injury can be a danger signal, in which the injury may be more serious than you think.
2.Usually, the patient feels fine after a neck injury. The next morning, the patient experiences neck pain and loss of range of motion.
3.Other symptoms include the inability to perform routine tasks or activities that were previously performed.
4.You should be alert if you notice symptoms such as nerve pain or a twitching feeling in the nerve, such as weakness, numbness, tremors, imbalance, and dizziness. You don’t get swollen lymph nodes when you have a neck strain.
5.When the strain or stiffness in the neck is severe, it usually spreads to the lower back. Symptoms such as trouble chewing, swallowing, and breathing are rare. Medical help is imperative as soon as such symptoms are seen