Chronic Neck Pain

Chronic pain is defined as experiencing neck pain for more than three months. This type of pain lasts longer, has debilitating psychological as well as psychological effects, and takes a long time to heal. The risk of acute neck pain becoming chronic usually increases with age and it is often more persistent in people with a slipped disc or who have a history of injury. Psychological stress is another factor that makes chronic pain more lasting and debilitating. Some people with chronic neck pain avoid participating in physical activities for fear of injuries and making things worse.

However, there’s no harm in doing physical activity and light exercise if there are no warning signs of more serious problems. On the contrary, doctors recommend staying active and doing light physical exercise to reduce the severity and duration of the neck pain.

How long your chronic neck pain will stay also depends on the underlying cause and relative factors. For instance, neck pain due to whiplash will last depending on factors like the intensity and the force of the impact. Psychologically traumatized people are more susceptible to developing chronic neck pain following a whiplash injury.

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of the neck pain in the early stages is the key to managing it well and getting on with life. Call your primary care provider or consult a trained chiropractor when you’re experiencing a neck that is either severe or linger longer than 3 weeks.

Studies and clinical trials have shown that the sooner you get your condition diagnosed and get a specific treatment, the shorter the duration of neck pain in terms of your healing outcomes.