Neck pain is common. It can result from an injury, hard work, or something as simple as an unbalanced posture or sleeping in an awkward position. Virtually everyone suffers from neck pain from time to time.
Pinched nerves and strained muscles commonly cause neck pain. These causes have little in common beyond the creation of discomfort. Knowing their differences is important because effective pain treatment requires accurate identification.
Our doctors at Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center specialize in diagnosing and treating neck pain, though in some cases, you can treat muscle strain and pinched nerve conditions at home. When self-care fails to bring relief, we’re standing by to help.
Meanwhile, we’ve prepared this primer to help you distinguish between these neck pain conditions.
The neck pain that results from muscle strain feels different from that caused by a pinched nerve. The primary reason is that muscles have sensory nerves that report muscle conditions to the brain as a normal part of their function, while pinched nerves represent an abnormal direct compression or irritation of sensory nerve tissue.
Muscle activity is a necessary part of moving around and accomplishing tasks. Hard work or play pushes muscle response toward its limits, while rest permits your body to repair the damage caused by exertion.
That’s potentially a daily system, particularly if your job is physical or you regularly engage in strength-building exercises. However, you can strain muscles through awkward movements or unusual exertions.
Because your neck supports and balances your head, extreme movements can easily cause neck pain. The result is usually a dull, aching type of pain. While it can be severe, it typically responds to rest and conservative treatment, improving daily as your body repairs the muscle tissue responsible for the pain.
Sudden, sharp, and often severe pain from a compressed or irritated nerve distinctly differs from aching muscle pain. At its worst, pinched nerve pain feels electrical. Pain arrives with a zap. Less severe pinched nerve sensations include tingling and numbness, with or without pain, and symptoms may appear somewhere along a nerve’s path, downstream from the point of compression.
Instead of normal daily activities, pinched nerves typically result from some form of injury or irregularity. In the neck, a common cause of pinched nerves (medically called radiculopathy) is disc herniation.
The cushioning discs between cervical (neck) vertebrae rupture, allowing the softer inner filling to escape. Though it doesn’t also affect nerve tissue, disc herniation can press against nerve roots, resulting in characteristic sharp, electrical pain and other symptoms.
Other causes of pinched nerves include spinal stenosis and vertebrae compression fractures, though pain results from similar abnormal contact with nerve tissue.
Rest is virtually your only homecare option for pinched nerve conditions, and these are more likely to need medical treatment than muscle strain injuries.
When neck pain interferes with your daily life and you see no improvement after a week, contact us at Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center in Scottsdale or Tucson. We’ll examine, diagnose, and treat your condition regardless of its cause. Schedule your appointment now.
