Symptoms of neck pain:

What does a neck ache feel like?

1. Diffuse pain located in the neck area as well as rigidity in the neck muscles.
2. The pain may spread down to the shoulder or between the shoulder blades.
3. It may also spread out into the arm, the hand, or up into the head, causing a one-sided.
4. The muscles in the neck are stressed, painful and feel hard to the touch.
5. Severe pain can give rise to irregular neck posture in which the head turns to one side, and doesn’t move easily.
6. Neck pain can also be felt as pain at the bottom of the skull, and may be accompanied by a sensation of weakness in the shoulders and arms.
7. Neck pain can also lead to a prickly or stinging feeling in the arms and fingers.

Your neck both supports your head and provides it with the mechanics to move. Your neck is the main link between your head and your body. Your neck is composed of seven specialized bones, called vertebrae, which support the neck. Your neck is somewhat less protected than the rest of of your spin, and therefore more prone to being injured, or to having conditions which create pain and restrict motion. Neck pain is the common term to describe strain of the neck muscles or inflammation of the neck.

Neck pain can be chronic or acute. Acute neck pain is caused by a rapid, severe injury like whiplash, a blow to the head or neck or strangulation. Chronic neck pain is usually caused by longer term disorders, such as cervical disk degeneration, a pinched nerve, meningitis, influenza, or a heart attack. Pain in the neck can also be caused by poor posture, poor sitting or sleeping position.

When sleeping, for example, be sure to use just one pillow, and to use one that isn’t too high. When your pillow is too high, this can create stress on your upper body muscles, and arms, and can lead to neck pain the next day.  Chronic neck ache and disability can be a result of osteoarthritis, although other forms of arthritis can be culprits as well.

The symptoms of neck pain:

Individuals with slight neck pain may be experiencing the earliest symptoms of arthritis. Osteoarthritis can start in those as young as thirty and may progress for many years before symptoms appear. Other symptoms of neck pain comprise headaches, pain in the shoulder, arm or hand, reduced range of motion in the neck, numbness, weakness and slower reflexes in the arms, hands, legs or feet.  Usually, medical treatments may help ease the symptoms of neck pain but they do not address the root of the problem. Sometimes stretches or structural exercises can help improve the muscle weakenss in the neck. Certain natural medicine therapies can also help you reduce your neck pain.