Causes of Neck Pain when Looking Down

General neck pain is a common symptom of many conditions and injuries. But what if your neck pain only presents when you look down at the ground? In this article, we are going to discuss the potential reasons why you may be experiencing neck pain when you look down. We’ll also offer some tips for treating this type of pain.

Possible Causes

So what could be causing pain in the neck when you look down? Here are a few potential conditions and injuries that could be the culprits:

• Soft Tissue or Muscle Strain. If your neck pain is sharp and only occurs when you move your head, it could be a soft tissue injury in the neck. Whiplash is the most common soft tissue injury in the neck.
• Bulging or Herniated Discs in the Cervical Spine. When discs bulge out of place they can impinge on the nerves and surrounding elements of the spine and cause pain.

Available Treatment Options

Before tackling treatment options for this type of pain, it’s absolutely essential that you figure out exactly what’s causing the pain. A physician can perform a physical exam, combined with a thorough medical history, and any necessary diagnostic imaging tests (MRI, CT, X-ray) to determine a diagnosis. Treatment will then depend on the diagnosis. If the pain is the result of whiplash or a muscle strain, treatment will likely be conservative in nature, with bracing, rest, and pain medication. Herniated discs in the neck will need to be treated more proactively and may require injections, or surgery.

Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of MN has been helping patients in the state of Minnesota manage their pain for over two decades. Our pain management doctors offer a full range of treatment options from injections, to regenerative medicine, to prescription painkillers. If you are experiencing pain when you look down, contact our Edina clinic today to set up your appointment with a skilled Minnesota pain physician, get your pain diagnosed, and find your way back to a pain-free life.