What Could Happen if You Leave Neck Pain Untreated
Technology like computers, mobile phones, and tablets have done a lot to improve people’s lives. They have also contributed to an increase in neck pain complaints among men and women. Of course, hunching over electronics for multiple hours is not the only factor that contributes to neck pain. What could happen if you leave your neck pain untreated?
Is Neck Pain a Nuisance or Something More Serious?
For some people, neck pain is a mild frustration. If they just change their lifestyle for a few days and do a little bit of gentle stretching, the neck pain goes away.
For others, chronic neck pain indicates that there is a more serious issue. It is not something that is just going to go away on its own. You will likely need a doctor for neck and back pain to tell you if your neck pain is due to a minor strain that is going to clear up on its own or if it is an indication of a more serious underlying problem that requires medical care. Chronic neck pain should never be minimized or ignored. With proper care, most cases of neck pain can be treated successfully.
Why You May Experience Neck Pain
Most people experience neck pain because they have strained a muscle in their neck or because they have compressed a nerve. The symptoms you are experiencing will help you know which of the two issues is causing your pain.
If you strained a neck muscle, it is likely that you are engaging in activities that put a lot of uneven strain on your neck muscles. Since all of the strain is on one side of your neck muscles, your neck tries to compensate, which can throw something off.
If you are repeatedly lifting heavy objects, you constrain the muscles of your neck. This is especially true if you are only lifting with one side of your body. Also, if you sleep in an awkward position or if you have a pillow that doesn’t support your head, you can experience muscle strain in your neck.
Nerve compression is where one or several nerves around your neck get pushed together as they leave your upper spinal canal. When the nerves leave the spinal canal, they go through your shoulders and down through your arms into your hands. If your cervical spinal disc slips out of place, the tissues in your neck become inflamed and swollen. This compresses the nerves in that area. Nerve compression can lead to pain and symptoms that affect the nerve path.
During the early stages, the symptoms of nerve compression and the symptoms of a muscle strain are similar. You may experience pain in your neck, shoulders, and upper back. What makes things even more difficult is that nerve compression and muscle strain can be caused by the same activities, such as lifting heavy objects. You can also get a pinched nerve if you slip and fall, have an automobile accident, or have a sports injury.
Why You Should Not Delay Neck Pain Treatment
If you have a compressed nerve in your neck, you do not want to delay treatment. If you do, you end up with radiating pain that goes down through your back and all the way down your arms.
With time, an untreated pinched nerve in your neck can affect your muscle strength. Eventually, it may impede your ability to use your hands properly. Sadly, if certain types of pain are not treated, they can become permanent or cause life-altering damage and disability.
Muscle strains should not be ignored. When you strain a muscle, it can become inflamed. This puts pressure on your nerves.
You may try to compensate for the strain by using other muscles in your neck and shoulders. This also can lead to a pinched cervical nerve. Even a muscle strain that seems minor can have serious effects. The bottom line is that if you are dealing with chronic neck pain that goes on for multiple days without relief, you want to speak to a medical professional.
Conclusion
Living with chronic neck pain robs you of joy. It makes it difficult for you to do simple things. Don’t ignore neck pain. The longer you ignore it, the worse it can get.
