A pinched nerve neck pain can be caused by any of the following conditions: repetitive motions, overuse of the joint area, arthritis or an injury to the joint or muscle in the general neck region.  These conditions give rise to a lot of pain and sometimes resulting in a localized feeling of numbness like the feeling when a certain part of your body “falls asleep.” The manifestations of a pinched nerve neck pain may range from mild to debilitating pain, depending on the location of the affected area and the immediate cause of the pain.

A pinched nerve neck pain is the result of a damaged or injured nerve. This damage can occur for of a variety of reasons, including compression, constriction, or overstretching of the nerve. The condition may be a herniated disk where one of your cervical disks slips out of place and put pressure on a nerve in your neck.  Or, it can be because of a narrowing of the spinal space in your vertebrae that can squeeze the nerves in your neck. It can also be due to a degeneration of the disks in your spine because of ageing. The pinched nerve neck pain can be at the site of the neck itself or it may extend from your neck into your arms and even down to your hands. Usually, the pain itself may go away in three to six weeks. If the pain does not go away and you suspect that what you are experiencing in your neck area is coming from a pinched nerve, you should consult a medical practitioner. In some very rare instances, the pinched nerve neck pain maybe a symptom of a more serious condition such as peripheral neuropathy, i.e., damage to the nerves located outside the spinal cord and the brain. The attendant sensations of numbness, burning and prickling may thus become permanent if not addressed soon enough.

A doctor can usually pinpoint which nerve in the neck is pinched, depending on what portion of the patient’s arm or leg is affected. He may perform a physical examination that will involve moving your head and neck to ascertain what positions cause your pain. An x-ray, a CT (computed tomography) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging may likewise be ordered to obtain a better indication of what is happening in your neck area.  Depending on the nature of the injury, you may need to undergo a surgical procedure to fully repair the damage or to relieve pressure on the affected nerve. Generally, however, most doctors will just recommend a regimen of physical therapy, exercises and anti-pain medication to help ease the pain and eventually remedy the situation. One common treatment is to try to increase the distance between the disks in your neck region through the use of a weighted harness that you wear around your head for a given period of time during your waking hours.

While a pinched nerve neck pain may not be life threatening, it is best not to ignore it.  Under the best circumstances, the condition may resolve itself after a few weeks. However, when the pain persists, you should go and consult your doctor and seek his advice on how best to address the situation.

Filed under: Neck Pain Treatments

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