Neck arthritis or neck pain is the outcome of joint pain situations due to rheumatoid conditions, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and others. The aging process or injury or both together wears down the cartilage in the joint that creates such a situation.

Stiffness and pain in the region of neck are the common symptoms of neck arthritis. These symptoms at times become severe in standing posture than when lying down. The reason is the spine coming under the effect of gravity. Some times after sleeping at night the situation deteriorates. The compressed nerves come under more pressure as neck muscles are in relaxed state and do not support them. This results in severe pain and inflammation.

The signs that accompany neck pain in patients are tingling, numbness, and burning, electric pains in forearm, arm and hand as a whole. The headache on the back side of the neck is another sign of neck pain.

Neck arthritis is not reduced on doing nothing. Actually statistics have shown sedentary people suffer more than active ones. Few activities that will reduce neck pain are neck exercises, posture exercises, massage therapy and last resort medicines.

Posture exercises will bring back range of motion. Neck exercises are helpful in reducing stiffness and pain. Exercise bands and exercise ball are needed to work posture exercises. For neck exercises help of therapist is to be taken. Massage therapy enhances the circulation, flexibility and mobility. Also pain is relieved when undergoing relaxation.

The neck pain reduction can be effectively done with alternative techniques such as acupuncture and homeopathy. In a situation when pain becomes intolerable, pain killers can be used to ease the pain. The use of pain killers should be the last option as they may produce side effect.

The joint pain condition discussed is the result of wearing down of cartilage. The other type of condition is painful joints due to pain without physical wear and tear of body joints. Such a situation medically is called Arthralgia. This condition arises with little or no identified causes. Loss of lubrication in joints or injury to the joints may cause painful joints. There is a slight variation in symptoms of Arthralgia as compared to Arthritis.

The common causes of painful joints are different forms of arthritis. The other causes are fracture or accidental injury, diseases like fever, flu, hepatitis, chicken pox, and rubella that are infectious.

The reason causing joint pains in the body can be any but light exercises under the supervision of physical therapist can produce remarkable change in the body?s state. This includes neck arthritis also. Controlling the joint pains is not beyond your control.