Even if you sleep on an organic pillow and invest in an organic mattress, persistent neck pain can cause poor sleep, concentration loss and anxiety as well as lowering our ability to function normally. So for individuals who are trying to live an active and healthy life, problems such as these can be seriously debilitating and trying to solve them can be confusing when you think you are doing everything right.
Canary Wharf Monday lunch time, and all the runners are out, top execs in their running gear doing the running circuit, burning calories and fighting stress at lunchtime.
Not just a pass time of the executives, running is for everyone, so whether your training for a marathon or just trying to keep fit, the road can be a very peaceful and therapeutic place to wind down.
Even very fit people can suffer from pains though, and some symptoms can be confusing, a recent story came to light about a college student in New York who was suffering from neck pain without being able to find the cause.
"she would get a cramp in the back of her neck followed by pain and numbness in her right arm. EKG and stress tests ruled out any heart conditions. She continues to have these symptoms every time she runs a little more than a mile. We have had physical therapy, chiropractic care, foot orthotics, ultrasounds, all come back inconclusive"
The Doctor reviewing the case suggested that "cramping, pain and/or numbness and tingling down one arm and sometimes decreased strength usually comes from a pinched nerve coming from the neck or brachial plexus in the axilla"
So the usual tests were unlikely to help, what the Doctor suggested was the following tests that may help identify which nerve was being trapped
*Cervical x-rays with flexion and extension views looking for instability.
* Cervical MRI to look for a herniated disc in the neck.
* Axillary MRI to look at the brachial plexus nerves and see if they are being impinged.
* A simple chest x-ray to see if there is something impinging the nerves.
* EMG: an electro study looking at nerve conductions to see if there is an abnormality in a nerve and which one and where it is being impinged.
* Blood work to look for inflammation of a nerve and electrolyte and Vitamin D abnormalities.
* Upper extremity ultrasound and Doppler to check blood flow.
Now don't expect to get all these tests on the NHS, but its well worth being informed about other possible causes of your neck pain if you're a runner. Happy Running!!
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/running-doc-questions-find-neck-pain-running-article-1.1054633#ixzz1qyuTq6d8
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