Neck Pain Support Blog

Smaller Cervical Muscles may be Responsible for Pain into the Head

A lot of us know about some of the bigger neck muscles, like the trapezius or levator muscles. But the smaller muscles, like the posterior cervical muscles or cervical paraspinals, and the occipitals also play a major role in neck function. In fact, when these muscles are irritated or strained they are often responsible for pain referral into the back of the head and weakness or difficulty extending the head back.

The posterior cervical muscles include the splenius cervicis, splenius capitus, semispinalis cervicis, semispinals capitus, multifindi, and rotatores. All of these muscles function to extend and rotate the head.

To stretch these muscles, forward flexion works best. Simply touch your chin to your chest; you can also reach up with your hand and push the head gently into slightly more flexion. While in flexion, you can also turn the head to either side to stretch additional muscle fibers.

Additional Reading Resources:

• Why are the Muscles in the Back of my Neck Always so Tight?
• I cannot stress the Importance of Good Posture Enough
• Neck Exercises for A Stronger Neck
• 6 Ways to Improve Your Neck Posture
• Which Neck Pillow is Right for My Needs?

Picture Source: Patrick Ward, MS CSCS LMT

“Why Are The Muscles In The Back Of My Neck Always So Tight?”

The muscles in the back of the neck have to work all day to hold the head up.  Individuals with forward head posture tend to have more tightness of the posterior neck muscles.  Everyday, gravity is pushing down on us and if that head or neck’s center of gravity is shifted slightly forward, then there will be an imbalance.  Gravity pushes down and the neck spine isn’t able to support the head as easily. 

   

This will often happen as the work day goes on … Let’s say you work on the computer.  Over the time you spend constantly working, the head drifts slightly forward.  Let’s say you are in manufacturing and you are constantly working with your head down; it becomes difficult for the neck muscles.  As they fatigue during the day you may start to notice neck muscle pain. 

   

The best thing to do is switch up your routine.  If you find yourself working on the computer for hours, make sure to get up and move around periodically for example.  Also, make sure to keep hydrated.  Muscles fatigue easier when dehydrated.  Lastly, improving neck posture plays a big role.  Those of us with loss of lordosis in the neck need to correct it for maximum function of the neck muscles. 

Additional Reading Resources

• Neck Posture
• Choose the Best Neck Pillow for Comfort and Support
• The Dangers of Forward Head Carriage
• The Best Neck Exercise to Correct Forward Head Posture
• Why Is the C Curve So Important for Your Neck?

What’s Worse - Stenosis or a Herniated Disc?

This really depends, because there are levels of severity.  A mild herniation or mild stenosis may not mean a whole lot because there’s no pain.  On the other hand, if it’s large or happens to be in an area that creates immediate nerve pressure it can be a severe problem. 

   

This also will depend on how the stenosis occurs- if it’s purely degeneration in the form of spinal deterioration or spurs it can be very serious because surgery may be the only treatment option.

   

A herniated disc can create stenosis sometimes, but with a disc injury it can sometimes heal on its own, treatments like spinal decompression have been shown to improve discs and also herniations can shift. 

   

Whether you suffer from a herniated disc or stenosis, it can get worse also.  The best thing to do is prevent one from occurring.  Studies have shown that keeping the spine in its proper alignment will prevent disc injury and degeneration. 

   

A great way to improve or maintain cervical alignment is using a neck pillow.  This will help improve the natural neck curvature preventing neck problems. Also, using a cervical traction unit can help to restore the proper curve in the neck.

 

Additional Reading Resources:

• Which Neck Pillow is Right for My Needs?
• Neck Pain Resulting from C5, C6, C7 or C8 Cervical Radiculopathy
• Understanding Your Disc Problem with A Jelly Donut: Herniated Disc or Slipped Disc
• Neck Traction
• The Neck Pain Relief Kit

Whiplash Can Cause More than Just Neck Pain- in 20% of cases Brain Injury as well, Study Shows

At the Neck pain support blog- we have discussed many times the phenomenon of whiplash- the violent backward and forward motion of the neck during a motor vehicle accident that can cause neck pain, injury to the soft tissues and discs, and decrease in range of motion of the neck. A new study published in the july issue of the Journal Brain Injury shows that whiplash can also cause anatomical changes that can result in brain injury.

The study examined the MRI scans of 1200 neck pain patients and found that those patients suffering from whiplash were more likely to have anatomical changes to the brain resulting in brain injury, specifically, a herniation of the brain called Chiari malformation, in which the bottom part of the brain (the cerebellum) dips through an opening in the base of the skull after a whiplash injury. Preliminary findings showed that brain injury occurred in 23% of the whiplash cases studied.

Chiari Malformation can cause symptoms such as headaches, eye pain, dizziness, vertigo, facial pain, upper extremity (arm or hand) numbness and tingling and weakness (see chart below). It is advisable to have a thorugh examination if you have suffered a whiplash type of accident.  

Read more about this study here: New Study Finds Whiplash Caused Brain Injury in Over 20 Percent of Cases

Picture Source: Chiari Malformations Symptoms Chart- UW Medicine Department of Neurological Surgery Chiari Malformation Clinic

Additional Reading Resources:

• Physical and Mental Trauma associated with Whiplash: More than just Neck Pain...
• What to Do After a Motor Vehicle Whiplash Accident
• Can Whiplash Cause Shoulder Pain?
• Part 4: Reducing Whiplash injuries by 90% - just by changing one thing in your car
• How Does Whiplash Occur?

What Are My Neck Pain Symptoms Telling Me?

Neck Pain can be a mysterious thing-- along with it can come a mydriad of other symptoms that can leave you baffled, wondering what you actually have going on.

1. You are having neck pain with movement of your neck in a particular direction. This could mean you strained a muscle. When you move with a particular motion that that muscle does, or in a way that pulls on the muscle, you may experience pain.
   
   
2. You have general pains in the neck and lots of “cracking and popping” sounds. This could mean you have a malposition of one or more vertebrae, sometimes called a subluxation of the spine.
   
   
3. You have numbness and tingling in the arms or hands. If you are experiencing this your symptom may be due to a pinched nerve.
   
   
4. You are experiencing severe pain, loss of motion, and radiating pain often increased with “bearing down” (straining, sneezing, or activities that increase internal spinal pressure) you could be suffering from a disc injury.

Keep in mind that you can suffer a combination of any of the above and in fact, often times these conditions run hand-in-hand with one another.

Additional Reading Resources

• Neck exercises
• A Cervical Sprain or a Cervical Strain in the Neck?
• Reasons for Neck Pain and How to Correct them: The Top 10
• Which Neck Pillow is Right for My Needs
• Neck Pain resulting from a C5, C6, C7, or C8 Radiculopathy
• The Causes of Severe Neck Pain Resulting from a Cervical Radiculopathy

Regions of the Brain Involved in Pain Processing are Different for Fibromyalgia Patients, Study Shows

Jenifer Goodwin, healthday reporter recently showcased a new study showing that fibromyalgia patients have more "connectivity" between brain networks and regions of the brain involved in pain processing. The new study suggests why sufferers feel pain even when there is no obvious cause.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Michigan completed this study and published it in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Researchers had 18 women with fibromyalgia undergo six-minute fMRI brain scans, and compared their results to women without the condition.

The participants in the study were asked to rate the intensity of the pain they were feeling at the time of the test. Some people reported feeling little pain, while others reported feeling more intense pain.

Brain scans showed the connectivity, or neural activity, between certain brain networks and the insular cortex, a region of the brain involved in pain processing, was heightened in women with fibromyalgia compared to those without the condition.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that's characterized by

• widespread pain
• fatigue
• insomnia
• presence of multiple tender points

Having fibromyalgia can also cause psychological issues, including anxiety, depression and memory and concentration problems, sometimes called the "fibromyalgia fog."

Prior research has shown that people with fibromyalgia feel a given amount of pain more intensely than others, Napadow explained. In other words, studies have shown a typical person might rate a painful stimuli a "one" on a scale or one to 10, while a person with fibromyalgia might rate the pain a 5 or higher.

Continue Reading article here…

SOURCES: Vitaly Napadow, Ph.D, neuroscientist and assistant professor, radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Philip Mease, M.D., director, rheumatology research, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, and member, National Fibromyalgia Association medical advisory board; August 2010 Arthritis & Rheumatism

Additional Reading Resources

• Chronic Pain Can Be Treated Better with Collaberative Treatments, study shows
• Which Neck Pillow is Best For My Needs
• Exercises for the Neck
• Anatomy of the Neck
• Chronic Neck Pain

What is a Myofascial Trigger Point?

If you have been to the chiropractor, many times he or she may say that you have a “trigger point” in your neck, low back or a certain muscular area that is causing you pain. A trigger point is defined a tender point that is hyper irritable- deep within the muscle that is painful when you press on it. It may cause pain else where when you press and create other sensations in different places. These myofascial trigger points are a common cause of pain in the neck.

A trigger point develops when there is a localized shortening of piece of the muscle fiber, rather than returning to its normal size. This shortening of the muscle fiber can be felt as a “taut” or tight band and the muscle remains tightened. Often times, in the area of the trigger point there is a disruption in the blood supply causing less oxygen and energy to get to that area.

How does a trigger point develop? A trigger point can develop when there is trauma to that area of the muscle, a muscle strain, sustained tension, overwork, hormonal or nutritional changes and joint dysfunction.

How does one treat a painful trigger point? There are many treatments for trigger points. Trigger point therapy often involves compression of the tender area for a few seconds to minutes (also known as ischemic compression). Other treatments include: soft tissue mobilization, stretches, friction technique, massage, spray and stretch technique, using a tens unit and home exercises.

Additional Reading Resources

• Pain In the upper trapezius muscle
• Neck Muscles Most Responsible For Your Stiff Neck And Trigger Points: The Levator Scapulae & Trapezius
• How to Treat Tight and Stiff Muscles Using Biofreeze
• Home Massage and Trigger Point Therapy
• I woke up with a terrible pain in my neck when I move it. Must have fallen asleep in bad position. Help?