How To Tell If Your Neck Pain Is Serious Or Not

Sometimes we experience the occasional neck pain that eventually goes away on its own. But, there is also that nagging and persistent neck pain which could indicate something more serious.

As such, we’re here to go through the possible reasons on your neck pain to determine whether it’s a mild one or when is it time to visit a physiotherapy in Singapore to get it checked by a professional.

Is It a Soft Tissue Injury?

Soft tissue injury is the most common cause of neck pain, as a result of trauma caused by situations such as lifting something too heavy where the neck becomes overexerted and strained. It can also be caused by something as simple as sleeping awkward positions and waking up with pain in the neck.

Exercises can be done to strengthen the neck and shoulder, and release tightened structures in the neck to help manage a soft tissue injury.

Is It Whiplash?

This type of neck injury is caused by a sudden, rapid and forceful back-and-forth movement of your neck. Like, for example, getting rear-ended while driving your car, or a sports accident. The pain can present in different ways such as dizziness, headaches or overall stiffness in the neck or shoulders.

You can also use ice packs to reduce the swelling and pain, followed by warm wet towels or warm baths to apply moist heat. Depending on the extent of the injury and the individual, recovery period varies from a week or a few months. It is also best managed by consuming anti-inflammatory medication and avoiding any rigorous physical activity temporarily.

But if it gets worse or you start experiencing other symptoms like severe pain, neck instability, and tingling, weakness or numbness that radiates into the shoulder and arm, it is important to call the doctor right away.

Is It Work-Related?

Work-related back and neck pain is common but should still be addressed. Sitting down for prolonged periods of time at your work station without good posture can lead to a huge discomfort. Redesign your work space to support a well-aligned posture, from the kind of chair you sit on, the position of the monitor screen and the way you sit.

As a good rule of thumb, try to walk around and stretch for a few minutes after every hour of working in front of your desk.

If you are having persistent neck pain and isn’t showing signs of going away soon, visit a physiotherapy clinic that offers physiotherapy in Singapore. Your condition will be properly looked at and you will be advised on the proper course of treatment to help in your recovery.