Is My Neck Pain Serious?

Neck pain might seem like an annoying, yet everyday problem. Since many of us work on computers and use cellphones to text on a regular basis, neck pain is very common–experts say that 75% of the population will experience neck pain at least once in their lifetime. The problem of neck pain related to texting is so serious, in fact, that there is a medical institute called the Text Neck Institute in Florida dedicated to relieving "text neck". The truth of the matter is that neck pain can be debilitating.

Your natural inclination might be to reach for pain medications when you experience neck pain. However, a recent study found that at-home exercises or visiting a chiropractor might be better, more effective solutions. A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine divided 272 neck pain sufferers into three groups of treatments: 1) medication, 2) chiropractic, 3) at-home exercises. After 12 weeks, the patients that had used chiropractic help or at-home exercises to relieve their neck pain were two times more likely to say their pain had gone away compared to those who had used medications.

There are times when you should seek medical attention, however. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that you seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing any of the following:

• severe neck pain stemming from a fall or car accident
• neck pain that extends into the arms or legs
• persistent and continuous neck pain
• tingling, weakness, headache or numbness from neck pain