Neck pain, claim personal injury compensation

Neck pain is a very common condition which tends to affect women more than men. Most people will experience neck pain at some point in their life. The neck is part of the spine, and neck pain is very similar to lower back pain but in a different part of the body. Neck pain is rarely caused by a serious illness and will often disappear within a week.

Neck pain can range from mild discomfort to a severe burning pain. A common cause is muscular strain or tension. This may occur after sleeping in an awkward position or after unaccustomed exercise. Accidents occurring during manual handling work such as lifting, pushing or carrying may also cause neck pain. In most cases the pain will disappear after rest, massage or taking mild pain killers such as paracetamol.

Very occasionally neck pain may be caused by a problem in the discs between the neck bones or vertebrae. The pain tends to be a burning feeling and is associated with symptoms such as tingling or numbness in the arms.

What are the signs?

• Pain in the neck area and stiff, sore neck muscles in the shoulders
  
  
• Headaches and migraines
  
  
• Numbness or 'pins and needles' in the shoulders, arms and hands
  
  
• Sudden and intense pain can cause abnormal neck posture, forcing the head to turn to one side. This condition is known as torticollis.

What causes neck pain?

The neck supports the weight of your head, and is very vulnerable. Many things can trigger neck pain, including:

• Car accidents involving whiplash
  
  
• Muscle tension caused by stress and fatigue
  
  
• Trauma or injury
  
  
• Postural problems from prolonged use of a computer keyboard
  
  
• Falling asleep in an awkward position

Most cases of neck pain disappear without treatment or with the help of mild pain killers. If the pain lasts for a few days or more, your doctor may prescribe other pain killers, or suggest physical therapy such as physiotherapy, chiropractic or osteopathy. It is important to keep mobile and try to continue your normal daily activity even when you are sore.

Most cases of neck pain are due to soft tissue (muscles and ligament) strain and will settle with time. There is usually no need for investigations such as x-rays or scans

If the neck pain has lasted for longer than three months, it is called 'chronic neck pain'. Chronic neck pain may require more investigation and specialist treatment.

What can I do?
People with weak neck muscles are more likely to suffer neck pain. Inactivity weakens muscles and makes the soft tissues more prone to strain. An exercise programme can help to strengthen the neck. Your occupational health worker can give you advice.

If you have neck pain, try to stay as active as possible and keep up your normal everyday activities. If you are given a neck-collar, try not to use this for more than one or two days. Holding the neck immobile for a prolonged period, either with a collar or by your own effort, will cause more pain and disability. Neck pain will often disappear within a few weeks.

Neck pain caused by a whiplash injury in a car accident is usually a sign of damage to the soft tissue. It is important to continue with normal daily activities as much as possible as this has been shown to reduce the length of time you will feel pain.

If your neck pain has lasted for longer than a week, it is a good idea to consult your occupational health worker, or GP.

How do I claim compensation for my injury?
If the road traffic accident that you have had was not your fault and you have a suffered neck pain, you should consider making a claim. Everyone is entitled to choose their own solicitor to act for them. If your insurance company puts you in touch with their recommended solicitor, you do not have to use them. You are free to instruct YouClaim to help you claim. With YouClaim there's no risk - our service is completely free and you'll get 100% of your compensation, guaranteed . Give us a call on 0800 10 757 95 or complete the form opposite and we will call you back to discuss your claim.

If you would like to see how much compensation you would receive for your injury, click here to go to our compensation calculator page.