Neck pain is estimated to impact 1 in 3 people every year. In most cases it will come and go quickly. However, for others it can last and be debilitating. Why is it that some folks suffer with lingering pain more than others? That is a great question and the Top 5 reasons neck pain lingers will be answered here.

1. Activity Avoidance. Many think that if a body part is painful (say the neck here) that they should do nothing, avoiding all activity which might hurt. Well, that mindset does not help anyone actually recover. The body is made for movement and if movement is avoided, then the neck will have a tendency to stiffen. This stiffness leads to more discomfort or pain that can become longer lasting. The person needs to find a way to move within tolerance. Any movement is better than no movement.
2. Self-medication. Yes, NSAIDs may help to reduce pain (in the short-term), but they do not solve the actual problem. In fact, the long-term use of NSAIDs has the potential to cause more bodily harm to the stomach/GI and Cardiac systems. A person will want to get to the root cause and not just put a band-aide over the problem.
3. Insisting on imaging of the spine. There are good reasons for imaging of a problem, but that also come with the potential for psychological distress. How so? You cannot UNSEE images of the body. Too often, people are told they have a degenerative spine with compressed or bulging discs. Well, these findings are quite common (as in over 50%) of people over the age of 40 and the majority do not have pain. Thus, imaging does not tell the whole story and getting fixated on images leads people towards injections and even surgery. Once again, the root cause is not addressed. And should surgery happen, the likelihood of further surgery goes up exponentially. Most importantly, during this time of seeking imaging, people are not engaging in the necessary steps to actually solve their neck pain.
4. Google and general advice. For some, the general advice of keep moving is fine. However, for many more specific advice is necessary. This is where a professional muscle and joint expert comes in handy. A person who can evaluate the issue and determine the exact cause and plan to solve the problem. It is well worth any time or money investment for the betterment of your health. After all, at what price does lingering neck pain exact on the sufferer?
5. Waiting to seek help. Often people think if they just wait long enough the pain will go away. It might…but what happens when it is still around 3, 4, or 6 months later? Data indicates the body recovers faster when addressed within the first 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, eliminating pain becomes a longer and annoying endeavor

There you have it. The TOP 5 reasons that neck pain lingers. If you or someone you know is suffering from neck pain and are done with it, it is time for action. Not sure what the next step should be? Click the following LINK to request a personalized consultation to learn more.