Why does neck pain become persistent?

In some cases of persistent pain the cause of the pain (such as a facet joint or a disc) can be identified. How ever. it is important to realise that pain can sometimes continue even after the original cause (whiplash, facet or disc) has long since settled down. Pain may at first cause to avoid normal activities and movement. If your initial spell of neck pain lasts a long time, lack or activity can cause the neck muscles to become weak, and this reduces the ability of the cervical spine to take further knocks. You may also lose confidence in your ability to reksume your normal activities. This may affect your work, your social life and your personal relationships. Naturally, you may feel depressed and anxious in this situation and this could lead to further loss of confidence, frustration and anger, particularly if family members and the medical profession appear unhelpful or unsympathetic. If you are anxious or depressed as a result of the pain, you may not feel like exercising, so your muscles become weaker still, and so it goes on. This can happen to anyone, and the longer it continues the harder it will be for you to recover your movement and confidence. The sections that follow explain what can be done to prevent or break this cycle of pain.

Other symptoms

If you have long-lasting neck pain and stiffness, particularly if your sleep is disturbed, then you may feel excessively tired and this can cause depression.

Torticollis

Sometimes if you have neck pain you may also have muscle spasms that turn the head to one side. This is called torticollis. Although not very common, it is an unpleasant side-effect of neck pain. It usually lasts only a few hours or days, although rarely it may cuntinue for several weeks.

Dizziness and blackouts

These can sometimes happen when body changes in cervical apondylosis cause pinching of the the vertebral artery. You may feel dizzy when looking up, or you may occasionally have blackouts.

Torticollis.

Sometimes if you have neck pain you may also have muscle spasms that turn the head to one side. This is called torticollis. Although not very common, it is an unpleasant side-effect of neck pain. It useally lasts only a few hours or days, although rarely it may continue for several weeks.

Noisy Joints

You may hear or feel clicking or grating (called 'crepitus') as you move your head. This is caused by roughened bony surfaces moving against each other or by ligaments rubbing against bone. The noises are often laudest at the top of the neck. This is a common symptom and can be upsetting.

Stiffness

This is common. You may find it painful to move and your muscles feel tight. Stiffness is often worse after long periods of rest or after sitting in one position for a long time. You may also have muscles spasm or, in cervical spondylosis, you may lose movement because of the changes to the bones and discs.

Pain

You may feel in the middle of your neck or on one side or the other. The pain may travel to the shoulder and shoulder blade or to the upper chest. In tension headaches the pain often travels to the back of the head and sometimes to the side of the head and behind the eye or even into the ear. If a nerve root is pinched, then as well as the pain you may have numbness or tingling that can be felt down the arm right to the fingers.