Most of us can recall one or more occasions when the day got off to a rough start because of a stiff neck. This can be explained by the fact that neck pain ranks among the most common types of pain you can get. Statistics vary on just how many people encounter neck pain, but recent evidence suggests that its lifetime prevalence is between 20–70% and that 10–20% of individuals are affected by it at any given time.
Dealing with neck pain can be troublesome and place a strain on everyday life. Typical movements like bending over to pick an item off the ground or twisting your torso when looking to the side might suddenly take more time and make you less mobile in the process. Being regularly bothered by pain and movement limitations will often lead one to wonder what’s causing the pain and what steps can be taken to address it.
The truth is that the specific cause of neck pain is usually difficult to pinpoint, and regardless of its cause, the most effective treatment is usually a comprehensive, individualized course of physical therapy. Nonetheless, there are a few signs that could be a “red flag” that warrants further investigation. To help you better understand what could be causing your neck pain and what to do next, here are the 7 most common causes of neck pain seen by physical therapists and some red flags to be aware of:
In our next post, we describe our top exercises to reduce your risk for neck pain.
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