COMMON NECK INJURIES

Wry Neck

What is Wry Neck? An acute wry neck is also known as a torticollis.  It presents as a sudden and severe onset of one sided neck pain.  It is characterised by the neck being ‘stuck’ in a position and very restricted range of movement.

What Causes Wry Neck?

In most cases, the causes are unknown.  Anything from quick, shark movement, to a sports or nervous system injury can cause a wry neck.  Sometimes previous neck injuries can leave you sucepetible to developing an actue torticollis.

Symptoms:

– limited or abnormal movement of the neck

– severe pain on one side of the neck or in the middle of the neck

– headaches

– pain may radiate down your arm

Disc Bulges in the Neck

A damaged disc may bulge, pushing backwards into the spinal canal.  The disc usually bulges toward one side of the canal which is why people with a bulging disc are likely to have pain and tingling on just one side of the body.

Having poor posture and lifting weights with improper form are examples of what can cause long term trauma.

Symptoms:

– pain in the neck shoulders and back

– pain when moving

– numbness or tingling

– a reduced range of motion

Cervicogenic Headache

A cervicogenic headache (CGH) presents as unilateral pain that starts in the neck and is referred from bony structures or soft tissues of the neck. It is a common chronic and recurrent headache that usually starts after neck movement. It usually accompanies a reduced range of motion (ROM) of the neck.

Headaches happen for lots of reasons. It can be hard to know what kind you have and what’s causing it. But if it’s related to a problem in your neck, there’s a good chance it’s a cervicogenic headache.

Symptoms:

• Pain on one side of your head or face
• Steady pain that doesn’t throb
• Head pain when you cough, sneeze, or take a deep breath
• An attack of pain that can last for hours or days
• Stiff neck — you can’t move your neck normally
• Pain that stays in one spot, like the back, front, or side of your head or your eye

Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip.

Whiplash is commonly caused by rear-end car accidents. But whiplash can also result from sports accidents, physical abuse and other types of traumas, such as a fall. Whiplash may be called a neck sprain or strain, but these terms also include other types of neck injuries.

Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms of whiplash usually develop within days of the injury, and may include:

– Neck pain and stiffness
– Worsening of pain with neck movement
– Loss of range of motion in the neck
– Headaches, most often starting at the base of the skull
– Tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back or arms
– Tingling or numbness in the arms
– Fatigue
– Dizziness