The neck is considered as the pathway where signal that comes from the brain passes to the spinal cord. Pain in the neck that radiates to the shoulders, arms, hands and fingers are caused by irritation to the nerve pathways while pain on areas below the neck and into the legs are caused by spinal cord irritation. Neck pain usually got better in days or week but pain that persist for months needs further investigation due to medical issues that might need to be addressed.
Symptoms of neck pain can include difficulty in movement, tenderness, numbness and tingling sensations that radiates to the shoulders, arms, hands and fingers which includes weakness and difficulty in maintaining grip, holding and lifting objects. On the other hand, others might present with more serious symptoms such as impaired balance and coordination, difficulty in ambulation as well as bowel and bladder control issues.
Your physiotherapist can help you in maintaining correct posture, strengthening and stretching exercises, use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, heat, ice, traction and short term immobilization such as soft collars to help ease and relieve pain and prevent recurrence. Physiotherapist can teach you self-stretching exercises that can be done at home and do ergonomic modification in workplace and home.
