Recipe and Health Articles

The pain, which is due to contraction (tightness) of the neck and scalp muscles, can ultimately cover your entire head is often called cervicogenic headaches. Neck is part of a long flexible column, known as the spinal column or backbone, which extends through most of your body.

Symptoms

1:   Headache starts at the back of your head and spreads forward.
2:   Dull pressure or a squeezing pain, often described as a tight band or vice around the head.
3:   Muscles in your neck, shoulders, and jaw can feel tight and sore.
4:   May have difficulty sleeping.
5:   Neck pain with neuralgic symptoms (for example, numbness and tingling).

Causes of cervical neck problem

1:   Stress
2:   Depression
3:   Numbness is very common and significant symptom of cervical neck disorder. Numbness is usually caused by so called pinching of nerve by number of cervical disorder which blocks the nutrition going down to the nerves and lead to the stage where nerve stops working
4:   Any acitivity (like using a computer, typing, fine work with your hands) that causes the head to be held in one position for a long time without moving.
5:   Sleeping on a pillow that is too high, too flat, or doesn't support your head, or sleeping on your stomach with your neck twisted or bent.
6:   Anxiety.
6:   Eye strain.
7:   Fatigue.
8:   Overexertion.
9:   Head or neck injury, even years after the injury.
10:   Work or exercise that uses the upper body and arms, such as painting a ceiling or other overhead work.

What to do when neck pain occurs

1:   Physical therapy for exercises to help relieve the pressure on the nerve root.
2:   Try to calm any worry or anxiety you may feel; these emotions may only prolong the pain.
3:   Chiropractic treatments for manual manipulation to help relieve the pressure on the nerve root.
4:   Avoid excessive chilling or cooling of the neck. Keep in mind that the neck muscles require an adequate supply of blood to repair tissue injury. Warmth increases blood flow to the muscles while cold reduces blood flow to the muscles.
5:   Manual traction to help open up the cervical foramen where the nerve root exits the spinal chord. If this therapy helps relieve the pain, a home traction.
6:   Massage
7:   Use an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes to ease the acute neck pain.
8:   Use anti-inflammatory agents such as aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen if necessary.
9:   Avoid chairs without arms or back support.
10:   Take breaks to stretch when at work.

Surgical Options:

1:   Cervical Discectomy with fusion
2:   Formainotomy.