The neck and the shoulder are related both anatomically and functionally. There are a number of bones, ligaments, muscles and nerves that connect the two parts of the body. For this reasons pain originating from the neck region is at times referred to the shoulder. There are a number of things on neck and shoulder pain Edmonton residents need to know if struggling with this problem.
The pain may either be acute or chronic. The acute type is that which has been experienced for less than two weeks and is mostly the result of trauma or an infective process. The chronic type, on the other hand, is that which has been experienced for at least two weeks. The most common causes include trauma, prolonged infections (such as tuberculosis and osteomyelitis), fibromyalgia and degenerative conditions.
Soft tissue injury is by far the commonest reason for pain in the shoulders and the cervical region. In motor vehicle accidents, sudden deceleration results in what is known as whiplash injury that affects the back of the neck and the shoulder. It is a potentially life threatening injury that requires admission to hospital. Most of the other cases are mainly attributable to strains affecting the muscles and ligaments.
The first thing that you need to do is to rest the injured area. This will reduce further injury and initiate the healing process. Home remedies that you can consider include warm compressions, cold packs. Massage therapy and analgesic agents. Warm compressions improve blood flow which in turn helps with healing. Cold compressions reduce inflammation in the area and the perception of symptoms.
In the event that your symptoms are not relieved by home remedies, it is important that you consult with a doctor. The doctor will take your history and examine you with the aim of identifying the exact cause of your problem. Part of the history will seek to establish the pattern of symptoms as well as whether or not other areas of your body are affected as well. CT scans and MRI are often needed to assess the structures in both the neck and the shoulders.
One of the conditions that imaging studies help diagnose is degenerative arthritis in the cervical region. Degenerative changes in the cervical vertebra become increasingly common as we advance in age. The intervertebral disc space is progressively narrowed by bone spikes known as osteophytes. The nerves that leaving the spine through these spaces may be pinched and this causes pain both in the neck and the shoulders. This is known as cervical radiculopathy.
There are many other conditions that may be diagnosed. They include dislocated joints, collar bone fractures, bursitis and tumors among others. The good news is that many of them can be managed medically using drugs; only a few of them require surgical intervention. If you are at a high risk of sustaining these injuries, you will be well advised to wear protective gear all the time.
There is a close relationship between the nerve supply of the shoulders and that of some abdominal structures such as the diaphragm. Irritation or injury of to these structures is a cause of referred pain to the shoulder region. Such cases are, however, quite rare.
The pain may either be acute or chronic. The acute type is that which has been experienced for less than two weeks and is mostly the result of trauma or an infective process. The chronic type, on the other hand, is that which has been experienced for at least two weeks. The most common causes include trauma, prolonged infections (such as tuberculosis and osteomyelitis), fibromyalgia and degenerative conditions.
Soft tissue injury is by far the commonest reason for pain in the shoulders and the cervical region. In motor vehicle accidents, sudden deceleration results in what is known as whiplash injury that affects the back of the neck and the shoulder. It is a potentially life threatening injury that requires admission to hospital. Most of the other cases are mainly attributable to strains affecting the muscles and ligaments.
The first thing that you need to do is to rest the injured area. This will reduce further injury and initiate the healing process. Home remedies that you can consider include warm compressions, cold packs. Massage therapy and analgesic agents. Warm compressions improve blood flow which in turn helps with healing. Cold compressions reduce inflammation in the area and the perception of symptoms.
In the event that your symptoms are not relieved by home remedies, it is important that you consult with a doctor. The doctor will take your history and examine you with the aim of identifying the exact cause of your problem. Part of the history will seek to establish the pattern of symptoms as well as whether or not other areas of your body are affected as well. CT scans and MRI are often needed to assess the structures in both the neck and the shoulders.
One of the conditions that imaging studies help diagnose is degenerative arthritis in the cervical region. Degenerative changes in the cervical vertebra become increasingly common as we advance in age. The intervertebral disc space is progressively narrowed by bone spikes known as osteophytes. The nerves that leaving the spine through these spaces may be pinched and this causes pain both in the neck and the shoulders. This is known as cervical radiculopathy.
There are many other conditions that may be diagnosed. They include dislocated joints, collar bone fractures, bursitis and tumors among others. The good news is that many of them can be managed medically using drugs; only a few of them require surgical intervention. If you are at a high risk of sustaining these injuries, you will be well advised to wear protective gear all the time.
There is a close relationship between the nerve supply of the shoulders and that of some abdominal structures such as the diaphragm. Irritation or injury of to these structures is a cause of referred pain to the shoulder region. Such cases are, however, quite rare.
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