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.
Pain is described as being acute or chronic. In the acute type, the symptoms have lasted for less than two weeks. The most common causes in this case include trauma and infections. The pain will be termed as being chronic if it has existed for more than two weeks. Causes of the chronic type include persistent infections (such as osteomyelitis and tuberculosis), trauma, degenerative conditions and fibromyalgia among others.
Most of the cases seen in hospitals relate to injuries affecting soft tissues in the shoulders, the cervical region or both. Whiplash injury is often seen in the case of motor vehicle accidents. In this injury the back of the neck and the shoulders are injured due to sudden deceleration. Admission to the hospital is often necessary. The majority of the other causes are due to simple strains of muscles and ligaments.
The immediate management should include resting the injured area to avoid aggravating the symptoms and to allow for healing to start taking place. Home remedies that can be used include cold packs, warm compressions, analgesics and massage therapy. The warm compressions work by improving blood flow to the injured area which expedites the healing process. The cold compressions, on the other hand, reduce the inflammation and numb the discomfort.
Symptoms that fail to respond to home remedies such as cold compressions and analgesics should be reevaluated by the doctor. One of the things that the doctor will do is to take a history and perform a physical with the aim of establishing the exact cause of your condition. Various investigations may be required to help in making this diagnosis. These include radiographic images such as the CT scan and the MRI.
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.
The nerve supply of the shoulder is the same as that of some abdominal structures. Whenever these structures are irritated or injured, symptoms are referred to the shoulders. This is frequently seen in cases of gall bladder disease. However, these cases are rather rare and establishing such a cause usually takes quite long.
Pain is described as being acute or chronic. In the acute type, the symptoms have lasted for less than two weeks. The most common causes in this case include trauma and infections. The pain will be termed as being chronic if it has existed for more than two weeks. Causes of the chronic type include persistent infections (such as osteomyelitis and tuberculosis), trauma, degenerative conditions and fibromyalgia among others.
Most of the cases seen in hospitals relate to injuries affecting soft tissues in the shoulders, the cervical region or both. Whiplash injury is often seen in the case of motor vehicle accidents. In this injury the back of the neck and the shoulders are injured due to sudden deceleration. Admission to the hospital is often necessary. The majority of the other causes are due to simple strains of muscles and ligaments.
The immediate management should include resting the injured area to avoid aggravating the symptoms and to allow for healing to start taking place. Home remedies that can be used include cold packs, warm compressions, analgesics and massage therapy. The warm compressions work by improving blood flow to the injured area which expedites the healing process. The cold compressions, on the other hand, reduce the inflammation and numb the discomfort.
Symptoms that fail to respond to home remedies such as cold compressions and analgesics should be reevaluated by the doctor. One of the things that the doctor will do is to take a history and perform a physical with the aim of establishing the exact cause of your condition. Various investigations may be required to help in making this diagnosis. These include radiographic images such as the CT scan and the MRI.
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.
The nerve supply of the shoulder is the same as that of some abdominal structures. Whenever these structures are irritated or injured, symptoms are referred to the shoulders. This is frequently seen in cases of gall bladder disease. However, these cases are rather rare and establishing such a cause usually takes quite long.
About the Author:
When you are searching for the facts about neck and shoulder pain Edmonton residents should go to the web pages online here today. More details can be seen at http://citycentrehealth.com now.