Your neck has a difficult job. It is supporting and moving the head which is quite heavy as it is known to weigh 10% of your body weight.
The neck is a narrow and highly mobile part of the spinal column, and the head has to be balanced on the neck while moving or positioning during daily activities or sports.
Neck pain is usually the result of over-use, dis-use or mis-use, often aggravated by stress, poor postural alignment, a bad pillow or injury such as sports injury or whiplash.
Whiplash is the most common cause of neck injury. It is estimated there are more than 100,000 cases a year in Canada. Most occur in automobile accidents, but whiplash can also result from other injuries.
These can injure or strain the various structures of the cervical column, its discs, ligaments, fascia or muscles. Soft tissue injury can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the forces of the accelerated movement during impact and on the health of these structures prior to the incident. The soft tissue of the neck and upper back can be stretched or torn by the jerking motion, causing inflammation, pain and\or sensations of numbness in the neck and shoulders or possibly in the hands and fingers.
The key to successful recovery is to get early and effective treatment to deal with the symptoms, prevent re-injury, complications or prolonged dysfunction, deterioration and chronic pain. Scientific evidence indicates that early intervention results in faster recovery.
There is another important element, though: attitude. Talk to your physiotherapist about any concern you may have. She will help you deal with the Insurance Company and with your individual needs and facilitate the healing process while showing you the tools to empower you to control the pain and influence the recovery.
