Neck pain is a common symptom that many people tend to overlook, thinking it is normal and not serious. However, in reality, neck pain is one of the signs of office syndrome. If it develops into chronic neck pain, the cervical spine may compress the nerves, potentially leading to a condition that cannot be fully cured. Therefore, when neck pain occurs, it is important to pay attention and continuously monitor the symptoms. If the situation worsens, you should consult a doctor immediately.
What causes chronic neck pain?
Chronic neck pain can result from various causes as follows:
- Overuse of muscles
This is one of the main causes commonly found in modern lifestyles, such as sitting in front of a computer screen for long periods without breaks. This leads to overuse of neck muscles, causing pain, soreness, and fatigue. If the behavior continues with repetitive heavy work without rest, it can eventually lead to chronic neck pain.
- Accidents
Accidents can affect many parts of the body and may damage ligaments, muscles, or cervical joints, causing pain that can become severe and chronic. Therefore, living cautiously to avoid accidents is very important.
- Degeneration from use
The cervical spine has joints connecting each vertebra, which contain cartilage. The more we use them, the more the cartilage gradually wears down over time, similar to car tires that wear out after prolonged use. When the cervical spine degenerates to a certain point, it can cause pain, and the more severe the degeneration, the more intense the pain. Additionally, when degeneration occurs, the body may produce new bone that can compress nerves, leading to chronic pain or radiating pain and numbness down to the hands, legs, or soles of the feet.
- Cervical disc degeneration
Cervical disc degeneration can be divided into two types: one where the degeneration causes the bone to move and compress the nerves, causing pain, and another where there is no nerve compression, but the degenerated disc releases substances that cause inflammation around the area, including nerve inflammation, eventually leading to chronic neck pain.
- Muscle inflammation
Chronic neck pain from muscle inflammation can involve inflammation of a single muscle or multiple muscles. When inflammation occurs, the pain is not limited to the neck area but can radiate to surrounding areas, such as the temples, neck, hips, and even down to the legs.
How long must the pain last to be considered chronic neck pain?
Many people may wonder how to know if their neck pain is chronic. The answer is that the pain must last for more than 12 weeks or 3 months. This is counted from the “first episode” until it resolves and recurs again, or from the date of an accident followed by pain that improves but then recurs at the same spot. If the total duration exceeds 12 weeks, it is called “chronic neck pain”.
How dangerous is chronic neck pain if left untreated?
Chronic neck pain significantly affects the ability to live daily life, reducing work efficiency, limiting freedom, and decreasing happiness due to constant pain. If left untreated for a long time, there is a risk that the bones will compress the nerves. Once nerve compression occurs, recovery takes a long time or may never return to normal. Additionally, severe chronic neck pain can cause accumulated stress leading to depression. Therefore, if you start to feel persistent neck pain, you should promptly consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Signs that indicate your neck pain is dangerous include:
- Pain at night or pain severe enough to wake you up or cause insomnia
- Weight loss due to severe pain causing stress and depression
- Weakness in arms or legs, slower hand movements, or numbness
- Abnormal walking posture or unsteady gait due to nerve compression by the cervical spine
How to treat chronic neck pain?
The most important step in treating chronic neck pain is to identify the true cause of the pain, whether it is due to muscle inflammation, cervical spine issues, or cervical disc degeneration, or other factors. Once diagnosed accurately, treatment can be tailored to the diagnosis and severity of the condition. Treatment options include medication, physical therapy, behavioral modification, injections, and surgery, which can be combined as needed.
Why does chronic neck pain persist despite treatment?
In patients with chronic neck pain who do not improve, the cause may not be solely muscle-related but could involve degenerated discs, cervical joint degeneration, or nerve compression in the cervical spine. Different treatments are required depending on the cause. If surgery is not desired, precise identification of the problem area through X-rays, MRI, or other imaging is necessary to determine if the issue is inflammation, disc degeneration, joint degeneration, or nerve compression. Then, injections can be administered to the affected area to improve symptoms. The injected medication typically contains a local anesthetic combined with an anti-inflammatory drug, usually a diluted steroid with minimal side effects but long-lasting effects. Physical therapy is also used alongside to prevent recurrence.
How likely is chronic neck pain to recur?
If treated properly, with muscle strengthening exercises and avoidance of behaviors that cause inflammation in the same area, chronic neck pain may not recur. However, if the patient is overweight, continues heavy work involving frequent bending and looking up and down, and does not take care of themselves or exercise, the chance of recurrence increases according to lifestyle habits. In cases where nerve compression has already occurred, most nerve compressions affect only part of the nerve and cause swelling and inflammation in the area. This swelling can be reduced with injections, which decreases nerve compression and improves symptoms. The extent of improvement depends on MRI results and ongoing monitoring, but improvement is certain.
Neck pain may seem ordinary but can hide serious and dangerous problems if it becomes chronic. Although there are treatments available, the outcome depends on the severity of the condition and strict adherence to self-care and behavioral adjustments as advised by the doctor. Many patients mistakenly think they are cured and then experience recurrence, sometimes worse than before. Therefore, the best prevention is to avoid developing chronic neck pain in the first place by being cautious, adjusting lifestyle habits to maintain proper posture, and seeking medical attention promptly if warning signs or persistent pain occur, before the pain accumulates and destroys your quality of life.
