Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments of Neck and Shoulder Pain

Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments of Neck and Shoulder Pain

We all experience people that are a "pain in the neck" from time to time, but once in a while we experience a literal "pain the neck" and these are no fun. Neck and shoulder pain is something that can go from being intrusive to life and daily activities, to being completely debilitating and life changing if the neck pain symptoms or shoulder pain symptoms are not treated quickly and accurately.

Neck pain or shoulder pain should never be

ignored, 

especially if the pain is happening with no known cause. If you have injured yourself and experience this pain, then it's much easier to treat as you know the cause. But serious physical problems such as a heart attack or trauma can also cause neck or shoulder pain, and this is why neck or shoulder pain should be examined as soon as it starts to occur. But not all pain of this variety is treated equally, so knowing a little bit about the causes and symptoms can help you get closer to a diagnosis before you are able to see a medical profession about your problems.

Causes of Neck and Shoulder Pain

There are many different causes to neck and shoulder pain, and they range from pain caused by trauma or injury, to referred pain caused by gallbladder problems.

·Injury: Injury or physical trauma is the most common cause of many kinds of pain from the neck or shoulder. A broken collarbone or sports injury for example are very common forms of injury causing this kind of pain. But strain from lifting something the wrong way is another example.

Neck Pain Causing Headache: Sometimes additional problems arise from a neck and shoulder pain, making the cause difficult to diagnose sometimes. Neck pain causing headache is very common, especially in migraine sufferers. But it can often be difficult to determine which came first, the headache or the neck pain.

Arthritis: Arthritis is another cause of shoulder and neck pain, and a very common one. An arthritis caused pain will be treated much differently than say, neck pain leading to a headache, or a migraine caused neck pain. This is just another example of why knowing the cause is so critical for treatment.

Degenerative or disc problems: When surrounding tissue or matter such as spinal discs or shoulder tissue begins to degenerate in diseases such as degenerative arthritis or disc disease, neck and shoulder pain can result. A herniated disk can also be the cause of neck or shoulder pains.

Rotator Cuff Injury: Another very common cause of neck and shoulder pain is caused by a torn rotator cuff. If you are having problems moving your shoulder, you could have a torn rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is the area of tendons on your shoulder that support this limb, and when torn, makes

lifting difficult.

Heart problems: Perhaps the most serious cause of shoulder problems is when you are having a heart attack. This can cause neck or shoulder pain and is considered "referred pain."

Gallbladder problems: If your pain is isolated to the right side or shoulder and you have not suffered injury or heart problems, you may have a bad gall bladder that is sending referred pain to your shoulder.

Symptoms of Neck and Shoulder Pain

Symptoms of neck and shoulder pain are all varied, and will depend on the cause. As soon as you start noticing any kind of pain to your neck or shoulder, be sure to make a chart of your symptoms or

start journaling what you are experiencing. Sharp or crampy pains to numbness and tingling are all part of the pain family for neck or shoulder pain. Here are some of the most neck pain symptoms and shoulder pain symptoms.

Actual pain in the neck or shoulder. This can range from simple neck pain to pain in both the neck and shoulder. It may burn, stab, or just feel dull and stiff. Make notes at the first sign of pain. Neck pain causing headache is another thing to note.

Deformity or obvious njury: Because injury is the most common cause of neck pain, it can also cause an obvious deformity. If your shoulder looks like it is somewhere that it shouldn't be, and is lagging or drooping, this is an example of a deformity. Swelling of the neck or shoulder is also a common symptom of neck or shoulder pain. On occasion, a lump or mass may appear that is also a deformity or among possible neck pain symptoms. If the neck or shoulder area feels cool to touch, or extremities such as fingers feel cool to touch, this is also a symptom of neck pain that needs to be treated immediately as this could mean circulation has stopped.

General unwellness – A general sense of unwellness such as feeling dizzy, weak, numb, or faint is also a common symptom of neck or shoulder pain. This is particularly true if the cause of the pain is due to an internal organ problem, such as with heart attacks or deferred gallbladder or diaphragm pain.

Treatment of Neck and Shoulder Pain

If the neck pain symptoms or shoulder pain symptoms have a known cause, there are many ways you can treat the pain at home, through anti-inflammatories and the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Rest means, do not move the body part, or keep it as stabilized as possible. ICE the neck or shoulder as often as you can, and compress it with a wrap or some form of stabilizer. Keep your body elevated or sitting up for as much as possible to ensure maximum blood flow.

Treatment from your medical professional will usually be conducted after a variety of tests that include X-rays, ECG, lab work such as blood and urine, and possibly a CT scan or MRI depending on your pain. If your symptoms are serious, such as shortness of breath, more extensive testing will be required. Your doctor will likely provide pain management based on your symptoms until the tests reveal what is the cause of your neck and shoulder pain.

Complications and prognosis

If your neck and shoulder pain, or neck pain causing headaches is not severe and easily identified, your prognosis is good and you should expect to heal and see relief quickly. Full recovery is likely

if you follow treatment, and take care of your pain.

Depending on the cause of your neck and shoulder pain, if you have more serious problems than that arising from MRI or X-Ray scans, you may experience hospitalization or need extensive therapy. Once the cause is identified, a full recovery is likely depending on your overall health.

Prevention of Neck and Shoulder Pain

There are times when neck and shoulder pain can not be prevented. In the case of a heart attack or migraine for example, prevention is unlikely to help the pain because these attacks are sudden and difficult to prepare for.

Neck and shoulder pain that is caused by injury can be prevented by engaging in sports in a proper way, wearing proper protective equipment, and also in just knowing one's own personal limits. Trying to lift a huge bag of rice for example, when one is not able to do so is not a good way to prevent neck and shoulder pain.

But, at the end of the day, neck pain symptoms and shoulder pain symptoms need to be checked out when they first start. Whenthey do, and are properly treated, full recovery is expected for neck pain  and shoulder pain.