"NECK PAIN" A SILENT KILLER

The case of common neck pain is more frightening because of its nearness to the head, which we know is the "engine room" for the initiation of the entire body activities. Personally, i feel so sad seeing countless number of victims going through the needless anguish of distressing and discomforting neck pain everyday. So many are ignorant of what else to do, having tried all orthodox and traditional therapies.

It is even worsened by the unprofessional comments made by some medical analysts concerning neck pain. Some victims of neck pain have been advised to treat themselves as semi-invalids. While some doctors have been professional enough in making some kind of consoling comment like: “Your neck pain will be alright, provided you don’t turn your head to the right or left not more than x degrees". There is specific treatment approach with meets with universal standards.

This cynical view about common neck pain is an indication of how elusive the solution is in the medical world. Really, pain in the hand could be caused by certain heart condition. This is far less common than the musculo-skeletal neck pain which is very common.

The human neck is a complex structure that contains the extension of a number of vital visceral structures, including the trachea, the oesophagus is an important blood vessels and a musculoskeletal system that provides for support and motion of the head. The cervical spine itself is a series of seven separate bone elements, designated as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7, all with intricate articular and an elaborate system of ligament and associated muscle.

The cervical vertebrae also protect and allow passage of the spinal cord and cervical nerve roots. Problems such as compression of the cervical nerve roots are a frequent source of neck pain and referred pain from the neck. In addition to the pain, it may cause numbness, tingling sensation, muscle weakness and reflex deficits in a specific location.

Signs and symptoms along the distribution of a cervical nerve root are called cervical radiculopathy or cervical spondylosis. The cervical nerve roots, C4, C5, C6 and C7, are most largely involved, and result in characteristic signs and symptoms in the shoulder and hands. The compressed C1, C2, C3, nerve root can also lead to back pain especially neck pain extending along the back of the head. Sometimes this experience extends to the muscles over the eye causing huge amount of discomfort.