Neck and Upper Back Pain Afflict Millions
Neck and upper back pain afflict millions of people in the United States each year. Some types of this debilitating pain go away on their own, while others are caused by more serious problems that require treatment. Unfortunately, some types of back pain have no cures currently, and treatments are geared entirely towards making symptoms more bearable for the sufferers. For example, upper back pain exercises are designed only to reduce the severity of the soreness and the number of flare ups that occur. Chronic back pain can last for years, resulting in depression, which in turn leads to other health problems, such as obesity.
The spine is one of the most important parts of the body. It provides the support of the muscle and tissues and bones that make up the majority of our body. The spine leads up into the head and is the main support structure for the back therefore keeping it healthy is important. Spinal injuries can cause neck and back pains as well as a few others.
A Measure of Salvation
Not all the news concerning neck and upper back pain is doom and gloom though. The aforementioned exercises, along with other popular treatments such as medical remedies and visits to the chiropractor can go a long way towards relieving the pain. Also, some types of neck and upper back pain, especially those types labeled acute, often go away on their own, sometimes within just a few short days and most often within a few weeks. Neck and upper back pain is a serious problem, affecting millions of people by keeping them off work and keeping them from enjoying life to its fullest, but it can be reduced to being mild discomfort at most with modern treatments.
Some of the more serious problems that can cause neck and upper back pain include trauma, such as from a car accident. Currently, damaged nerves can only be treated with therapy to help people deal with the pain, and over the months it can dull away so that some people end up not even noticing it anymore. However, it's hoped that in the next few years medical research will yield some answers to help repair and rebuild damaged nerves, so that even the most serious trauma can be fully healed through medicine over time.
Neck and upper back pain, in the serious sense, is not caused by "sleeping wrong," although being in an uncomfortable position can certainly cause a person to be sore the next day. However, that type of soreness will go away with a little bit of stretching, exercise, and sleeping well the following night. In the medical sense, neck and upper back pain is debilitating, often chronic, and caused by more serious problems, many of which have no cures yet. If you are suffering from this type of pain, consult your doctor after just a few short days to make sure that it's not a temporary problem. Taking care of it quickly can lessen the effects, while prolonging a visit to the doctor can only serve to worsen it.
Some Problems With The Spine
The correct support in a pillow is essential to ensure that we do not suffer from neck and back pain. This also goes for the mattress and bed that we sleep on. When we lie on our pillow at night if it is not firm enough or is too soft it will cause the head to lie in the wrong position which in turn will lead to neck and back pain in the morning when we wake up. This is because the muscles around these areas will have shifted in order to carrying on trying to support us and this is when we start to feel the pain. By having the correct support we are ensuring that our muscles continue to lie in their normal position and that no extra and unnecessary pressure is put on these areas.
Our bones have soft jelly like cushions in between them to prevent them from rubbing against one another. When these "cushions" are damaged or dislodged the rubbing of bone on bone causes pain and discomfort. These can also be dislodged slowly over time as small injuries that go unnoticed can cause weakness to the area that only makes it more prone to damage. With age neck and back pain will become more common as these "cushions" begin to give in to wear and tear.
The head is constantly turning and therefore it is quite easy to tear the muscles and tissues that form around the bones of the neck. This is also true for the back area as all of these body parts are connected by the spine. Neck and back pain go hand in hand because of this and therefore it is important to make sure that we take care of these areas of our body. These movements can also cause a pinched nerve which can be very painful and cause problems with feelings around the shoulders and arms.
Neck and back pain can also cause headaches and, as mentioned before with pinched nerves, can create problems with feelings in other parts of the body. As they cause pain they can also restrict your movements, particularly with bending or turning the head which can cause interruptions in your daily functions. When travelling it is important to keep your body correctly supported so that neck and back pain can be prevented. With all the gadgets that are available now this is quite easy - from blow up pillows to built-in support systems in the car chairs.
