Neck pain can be distracting and uncomfortable. It can affect your day-to-day activities and make even the most simple movements quite painful. While neck pain is often caused by muscle stiffness or even uncomfortable sleeping positions, it can also be caused by underlying medical issues.
Scoliosis is a condition that has been linked to neck pain. Scoliosis can cause significant neck pain in children, teens, and adults. While most cases of scoliosis are mild, depending on the individual, they could experience aches and pains all over their body, including in the neck area. If you believe you are experiencing neck pain due to scoliosis, it’s important to get in touch with a spine specialist from NJ Spine & Orthopedic as soon as possible.
What Is Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. While it is most often diagnosed in children and teenagers, anyone can be diagnosed. The vast majority of scoliosis cases are mild and don’t require surgical intervention. However, severe scoliosis can cause extreme pain, requiring braces, surgery, and regular physical therapy to treat. There are many symptoms associated with scoliosis, including:
- One side of the rib cage that juts out prominently
- A shoulder blade that appears uneven compared to the other
- An uneven waist or shoulders
If you think that you have scoliosis, it’s important to get in touch with an experienced spine specialist right away.
Can Scoliosis Affect Your Neck?
Scoliosis can develop anywhere along the spine, including in the lower back or at the base of the neck. Scoliosis can cause spinal rigidity, which can make it difficult or even painful to twist and turn your neck. Still, having a scoliosis diagnosis does not mean that you will necessarily experience neck pain. Every case of scoliosis is different, and many people with the condition never have neck pain at all.
A condition called “military neck” can sometimes occur in people with scoliosis. Military neck is caused by changes in posture due to overcompensation for a rigid spine. Notably, those with military neck tend to develop an abnormally straight neck that gives them the appearance of standing at attention, like in the military. While this can cause significant neck pain, it can also cause tension in the back and spine, leading to pain and chronic headaches.
Common Causes of Neck Pain
There are a lot of reasons you could develop neck pain. A few common causes include:
- Poor posture
- Sitting too long at a desk or hunched over a computer
- Straining your neck during sleep
- Pulling a muscle as a result of exercise
- Injury from a car crash or sudden trauma to the neck
- Health conditions like meningitis
- Spine deformities
- Congenital abnormalities
Neck pain is usually not isolated to the neck area. If you’re suffering from neck pain, you’re likely struggling with aches and pains in the surrounding areas as well, including your back, sides, or legs. Fortunately, neck pain isn’t something you have to deal with alone. There are many treatments for neck pain that can alleviate your pain and get you back to feeling normal, and NJ Spine & Orthopedic is here to help.
Contact NJ Spine & Orthopedic for Help Managing Your Neck Pain
Neck pain can be extremely frustrating and distracting. It can detract from your overall quality of life and lead to chronic headaches, making it hard to go about any of your day-to-day activities. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with neck pain due to scoliosis. When you consult with an experienced spine specialist and receive a plan for treatment, you’ll be empowered to deal with the pain and get back to doing what you enjoy.
At NJ Spine & Orthopedic, we take care of all manner of spine and neck concerns, including scoliosis. We can address the root cause of the issue and provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan. We understand how hard it can be to deal with neck pain, and pride ourselves on our compassionate approach to serving patients. Contact us online or call us at (866) 553-0612 to learn more about our services and how we can help.