Pain in your neck and back can affect your normal functioning, mobility, and overall quality of life. Neck and back pains usually range from mild aches to severe, more persistent pain. This annoying pain in your neck or back region can last for several weeks or months. Many people often experience back and neck pains from injuries, overuse, sleeping in abnormal positions, or poor posture. Neck pains are usually common due to their motion range and location. During most injuries, your neck is left exposed and thus unprotected from injuries. In this article, we will tell you why you should have your neck and pain problems checked at orthopaedic sports medicine Albany, GA.
What are the Main Triggers of Neck and Back Pain?
While the immediate cause of neck and back pain is yet to be determined, below are some of the known causes of neck and back pain:
- Infections
- Injury, fractures, or trauma
- Abnormal growth, such as bone spurs or tumors
- Joint complications like arthritis
- Muscle spasms or tension
- Excessive strenuous activity or overuse, such as lifting heavy objects
- Obesity, which applies excessive pressure on your discs and spine
- Compression fractures
- Smoking
- Muscle strains
- Abdominal issues
- Congenital irregularities of your bones and vertebrae
Symptoms
The following are some of the common symptoms of back and neck pain:
- Leg numbness or tingling sensation below or above the knee
- Sharp pain is felt from your lower back down to your thigh and into your toes and calf
- Dull, persistent pain that is confined to a particular area or covers a large region
- Pain in the lower or middle part of your back usually worsens after sitting or standing for a long period.
- Consistent stiffness can be felt from your neck down to the tailbone.
- Loss of bowel and bladder control due to weakness in both of your legs
- Sharp, persistent headaches
Diagnosis
If you happen to experience any of the above-listed symptoms of back or neck pain, it is advisable that you immediately consult with your healthcare provider. To help accurately determine the problem areas, your doctor will perform physical and medical examinations. They also perform additional tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or X-rays, to produce more accurate results. The MRI displays images of your soft tissues, such as blood vessels, ligaments, and tendons, to a monitor where your doctor can view them. Blood tests are sometimes performed to help with the diagnosis of arthritis, which is a health complication that can potentially result in back and neck pain.
Treatment
Fortunately, mild back or neck pains can be treated with over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen. You could also try other techniques, such as moving gently to prevent muscle stiffness and increase mobility. Below are some of the other treatment solutions that may help with chronic neck and back pains:
- Braces for additional support
- Using cold or hot packs
- Aerobic exercises that will improve your strength and overall body fitness
- Acupuncture
- Pain relief injections around the affected area
- Nerve block procedures
At Orthopaedic Associates, we focus on providing all our clients living in and around Albany with premium orthopedic care. We will also provide you with effective treatment options for orthopedic issues related to the elbow, spinal cord, hand, wrist, and shoulder. Get started today and book an appointment, or call us at 229-883-4707.
