Back and Neck Pain Examined

Neck and Back Pain Explained
by Venus Enock

A strong and healthy spine is, quite literally, the backbone of a vital life. Still, many of us take our backs for granted. Most every movement we make, from the time we wake up to the moment we turn out the light, is somehow related to the neck and back. When neck and back pain strikes, it affects everything we do.

As we age, neck and back pain become more common occurrences. This condition affects not only our personal health, but also our social, emotional and economic well being. Even one episode of neck and back pain is enough to completely disrupt your daily tasks, employment, leisure activity and routines. Life comes to a standstill, bringing a flood of doctors’ reports and missed employment.

It’s no secret that neck and back pain makes life downright miserable, but there’s no reason to panic and rush into surgery. Alternative treatments are available, and you can take pain management steps to overcome your obstacles. Non-surgical measures can help alleviate your pain and reduce the likelihood of recurring episodes.

What Causes Neck and Back Pain?

Most occurrences of neck and back pain are brought on by strains or other injuries to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the spinal column. Pain can be caused by a sports injury or a sudden increase in unaccustomed physical activity, such as heavy lifting.

Sometimes, viral infections can bring about flu-like symptoms accompanied by muscular pain in the neck and back. This condition is known in medical circles as myalgia.

There is a natural degeneration of the spine that can be another cause of neck and back pain. The vertebrae, or individual bones making up your spine, are joined together by the intervertebral discs, joints, and ligaments. These components are combined to form the spine’s strong and flexible structure.

As you age through middle life and beyond, neck and back pain may occur as a result of the wear and tear of your intervertebral discs and other associated components of your spine. These degenerative changes are most often caused by movement. Over time, motion will cause the cervical (neck) and the lumbar (lower back) areas of the spine to break down.

Your ligaments and joints are biological structures that will try to heal and repair themselves. As a result, your spine may become deformed with bulging discs, buckling ligaments, and bone spurs. These changes may also create a pinching of the canals through which nerves pass, with painful results.

Treatments for Neck and Back Pain

While there is no definitive cure for every type of neck and back pain, many conditions are easily and effectively treatable. Most doctors prescribe pharmaceutical medications with pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties.

If you’d like to avoid medications, there are alternative treatments available. Passive physical therapy can be used in conjunction with active physical exercise. Hot and cold compresses can be applied to the painful area to alleviate the discomfort. Other options include the use of electric impulses to override the muscular spasms that cause neck and back pain.

While it can seem impossible to lead a normal, productive life with neck and back pain, surgery is not necessarily the answer. If you suffer from persistent neck and back pain, speak to your health care provider to find out more about the treatment options that can help you get your life back.

Contributor Venus Enock is a writer for a variety of web sites, on fitness program and muscle fitness themes. You can get a unique content version of this article.