Injuries That Can Cause Neck Pain in Vacaville

Your neck is vital yet vulnerable, which makes it prone to pain and injury in Vacaville caused by accidents, competitive sports, and heavy lifting.

The common causes of Neck Pain in Vacaville

Any injury that puts pressure or stress on your neck can potentially cause neck pain. The general causes include the following:

• Falls
• Falling objects
• Lifting heavy objects
• Car accidents, especially rear-impact collisions
• Diving into unknown waters
• Repetitive motions
• Sports, such as football, hockey, and horseback riding

The type of injury you experienced will determine if it will end up as neck pain as well as headache, shoulder pain, and numbness or tingling in the arms and legs.

Here are some specific types of injuries that can lead to neck pain

• Disc injury: If an injury caused damage to your vertebral disc, then it will irritate the nerves in the neck. This will cause the pain to travel from the neck into the legs.
• Whiplash: When you are in a car accident and it causes your head to move violently in any direction, then it is called whiplash and is known to be the most common type of neck injury. It will damage the soft tissues in your neck, including ligaments, muscles, and nerves, which can lead to a variety of symptoms such as neck pain and stiffness, dizziness, headache, and numbing, tingling, or weakness in the neck and limbs.
• Sprains and strains: Sports-related injuries have the tendency to cause muscle strains and ligament sprains in the neck. This is an injury that results in neck pain aggravated by activity. Neck sprains and strains can be remedied by rest and anti-inflammatory medication.
• Repetitive strain: When you are maintaining an awkward position while working at a computer, reading in bed, or sleeping on an inadequate pillow, it can strain the muscles in your neck. Once this muscle strain goes on for a long time, neck pain will be inevitable.
• Nerve pinch injury: Another sports-related injury that can cause nerve pain is a nerve pinch injury, otherwise known as a "burner" or "stinger" injury. Having a pinched nerve in the neck can produce sharp, shooting sensations in the arms and neck. Fortunately, pinched nerve symptoms can go away on its own.
• Vertebral fracture: There are injuries that can create fracture on the vertebra in your neck. This type of neck injury requires a medical emergency since it can possibly damage the spinal cord, which can lead to paralysis or even death.
• Spinal cord damage: There are neck injuries that can result in spinal cord damage especially if it is severe enough to disrupt the vertebral bones that are supposed to protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord consists of essential nerve elements and such injuries can create partial or complete paralysis, and even death.

Prevention smarts

Neck injuries can create minor aches that goes away on its own, or they can cause life-changing consequences. You can reduce your risk of neck injury through the following:

• Always wear your car seat belt.
• Never drink and drive.
• When diving, always jump feet first to avoid hitting your head and neck on shallow ground.
• Practice caution by wearing a helmet when driving a motorcycle or all-terrain vehicle.
• When playing it sports, avoid colliding into another person with your head.

It may take a second to injure your neck, but it may take months or years for it to fully recover. Just pay attention to these neck injury prevention tips to make all the difference. Also, you can visit Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville, CA to learn more and get treated for your neck pain. Just call us at (707) 474-5688 to schedule an appointment today!