Chronic neck pain is a severe and functionally impairing problem for many patients. Neck pain is miserable and can hurt throughout the cervical region, including the upper back, neck and head. These symptoms can also radiate into the face, arms or hands. Long-term neck ache is not only physically debilitating, but can be emotionally draining, as well.
Neck pain sufferers often have trouble working, sleeping and even concentrating. There is no doubt that any significant ongoing cervical pain syndrome is truly a “pain in the neck”. Statistically, neck pain is the second most common type of chronic dorsopathy found in patients all around the world. It is also one of the most worrisome, due to the sensitive location of symptoms and the possibility for serious health issues if the spinal cord is involved.
This dialog investigates why neck pain might become a chronic health crisis for any patient with persistent symptomology.
Chronic Neck Pain Causes
Pain is possible to experience from a neck injury or degenerative condition. However, in these circumstances, appropriate medical or complementary therapies will usually cure the symptoms in a prescribed amount of time. Remember, true causative spinal issues respond quite well to indicated treatments.
Chronic neck muscle pain is a huge problem for many patients and may be far more difficult to diagnose and resolve. In some cases, there may be a soft tissue injury, such as a muscle or ligament strain or tear. In other cases, there may be a systemic disease process responsible.
Of course, one must always consider the possibility that a psychologically-induced pain syndrome is the driving factor behind the symptomatic expression. Chronic discomfort in the neck is the second most common type of psychological back pain, beaten only by chronic lumbar symptoms. In many patients, pain may exist in multiple areas at once or in alternating locales.
Chronic Severe Neck Pain
Treatments should be effective for most physical pain syndromes. The body wants to heal and with a bit of help, there are few injuries or degenerative processes which can not be soothed. It might take a few tries to discover the correct method for your specific condition, but nonetheless, if your pain is indeed caused by a purely physical, anatomical source, you should recover.
Of course, some patients have dire injurious or degenerative concerns which may not resolve despite the best care practices. Many others have healed from their original diagnosis, but still have lingering pain as a direct result of an applied treatment option, such as spinal fusion or corpectomy. Remember, many surgeries leave lasting symptoms in their wake due to nerve damage, scar tissue and idiopathic reasons.
Unfortunately, chronic pain is very common among patients with cervical symptoms. This enduring suffering typically results when the cause of the pain is not correctly identified by the doctor or the patient. Many patients spend years searching out new potential cures for their conditions, only to be disappointed time after time by poor treatment results. If this sounds like your situation, you are not alone… not by a long shot.
Chronic Neck Pain Experiences
I experienced recurrent bouts of moderate neck pain during my 18 years suffering with far more severe lower back pain. It seems that the neck would often act up as the lower back felt better. My doctors explained this with a variety of nonsensical theories that had me puzzled why I was still under their care. A few of my chiropractors really laid it on thick about how they were curing my lumbar area and now the cervical area was “adjusting” to the correct alignment of the spine. Come on, give me a break.
After many years, I realized that my pain was not what it seemed to be. Although I did have herniated discs and degenerative disc disease, these conditions were not what was responsible for my suffering, at least not at the time. My pain, like many others, was at least partially the result of the mindbody process. Thank God for some of the best mindbody physicians who opened up my eyes to the truth. I managed to cure my neck and back pain and enjoyed those subsequent pain-free years immeasurably.
Proactivity in your own care is crucial to finding success against chronic neck pain. If you learn and become involved, you will eventually end your suffering. If not, statistics clearly show that you will likely have misery that will persist, worsen and possibly dominate your life. I encourage you to follow this advice and use it to cure your own pain.
