Neck pain can come of a variety of different sources, some of which you may not initially think of. When experiencing neck pain, most people assume that their spine is the culprit resulting from how they slept or a weird position they work in. However, before you go around blaming body parts, here are a few things that could be causing neck pain.
Common Colds
While you may not think that a common cold could be causing neck pain, this is actually one of the most common reasons for it! When you experience a cold, your body begins to run its inflammatory processes, which include lymph nodes swelling. There are many lymph nodes present in the neck, which can result in having a stiff neck or discomfort.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease where the body feels pain for no apparent reason. One of the first places that many fibromyalgia patients have noticed this aching pain is in their necks. If there are no other symptoms for neck pain, you may want to talk to your doctor about more rare conditions such as fibromyalgia.
Arthritis
Both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis can result in neck pain. Osteoarthritis is arthritis in the actual bones of your neck, while rheumatoid is more located in the joints in the spine. The small facet joints in your neck are what allow you to turn and move your head in most directions. Should these joints become inflamed or develop arthritis, it will become very difficult to turn your head.
Pinched Nerves
While a pinched nerve is located in the spine, it is actually a nervous system disorder. Through trauma, repeated pressure, or other means, the sensitive nerves in your spine can sometimes become pinched between two vertebrae. This can cause immense, constant pain, as well as greatly limit the motion of that area.
In conclusion, there are many different things that could be causing you to experience neck pain. The neck is a very complex area of the body with many different organ systems running through it. You have the digestive system present with your throat, the respiratory system with your trachea, the nervous system with your spine, and so on. Luckily, there are many specialists out there who are experts at treating neck pain. A visit to your local doctor could result in you getting a referral to a specialist. Call your doctor to schedule an appointment today.