Why Does My Left Side of Neck Hurts?

You may have experienced soreness in the left side of your neck after sleeping in an unusual position. While that’s the most common cause of this type of neck pain, many underlying factors can also lead to it. These include muscle strain, pinched nerves, whiplash, acute torticollis, and more. 

In most situations, the left side of your neck stops hurting on its own, but in other cases, you might need over-the-counter pain relief medications. Resting the neck also works wonders in relieving the discomfort. 

However, if your neck pain persists for several days, you will need a professional healthcare provider’s help. Depending on the cause, your treatment plan will vary from physical therapy to surgery. Alternatively, you can go for orthobiologic treatments: cell-based and PRP therapies. 

Causes of Pain in the Left Side of the Neck

Your left side of neck hurts due to the following reasons:

Inflammation

Inflammation arises when the immune system responds to an infection or injury. An inflamed muscle or tissue in the neck can lead to stiffness, swelling, pain, and soreness.

Muscle Strain

Stressing your neck muscles by sitting or sleeping in an odd position for extended hours eventually leads to pain on either side. The strain also occurs due to overstretching or tears in the tendons and muscles, preventing them from relaxing completely.

Pinched Nerves

When the nerves in the neck are compressed or squeezed, it leads to severe irritation, known as pinched nerves. If the nerves from the left side of the spinal cord are pinched, you may also feel numbness in the left shoulder along with the left side of the neck. 

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when you move your head back and forth with force, especially during physically demanding activities and sports. It can also occur by an injury, sudden trauma, or vehicle accident. 

Besides neck pain, whiplash can also cause severe injuries, stiffness, and headaches. 

Acute Torticollis

Acute torticollis happens when your neck muscles contract out of nowhere, twisting your head to one side. This leads to severe pain on either side of your neck. Sleeping in an odd position, maintaining a poor posture, and exposing your neck to extremely cold temperatures can aggravate this condition.

Cervical Fracture

A fracture in any of the seven cervical vertebrae bones can also lead to pain in the left side of the neck. It is also known as a broken neck, primarily occurring from serious falls, trauma, accidents, or injuries. 

Cervical Disc Degeneration

Cervical disc degeneration refers to damage to the flexible discs of the cervical spine that absorb shocks and protect bones. These discs have a tough, fluid-filled nucleus structure on the outside called the annulus fibrosus. 

Over time, the cervical discs become less flexible, and the annulus fibrosus degenerates, making the nucleus put pressure on the nerve root or the spinal cord. As a result, the left side of your neck may hurt.

Meningitis

This is yet another less common cause of pain in the left side of the neck. Meningitis results primarily from a virus, but fungi, bacteria, and parasites can also lead to it. The common symptoms of meningitis are pain, headaches, and stiffness in the neck. 

If left untreated, meningitis can lead to seizures and swelling in the brain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joint lining, causing pain, numbness, and stiffness in different areas, including the neck. Depending on the affected joint, RA can cause pain in the neck’s middle, right, or left side.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia isn’t exactly a direct factor behind pain in the left side of the neck because its causes are unknown. The condition affects every person differently, so you may feel pain in the neck or any other part of the body. 

Spinal Stenosis

Your left side of the neck can also hurt due to spinal stenosis, which refers to a spinal canal narrowing that pinches the nerves coming from the spinal cord. It’s primarily caused by osteoarthritis, occurring in the cervical vertebrae and going down the lower back.

Treatment for Neck Pain on the Left Side

The best treatment for pain in your neck’s left side depends on the cause and severity of your condition. Some can be easily treated via conventional at-home methods. However, you might have to undergo surgery or orthobiologic treatments in severe cases. 

At-Home Remedies

• For minor pain, apply a heating pad for 20 minutes or take hot baths in the first couple of days. You can then use ice packs for 20 minutes multiple times daily. 
• Practice slow stretching and massage.
• Sleep with a supportive neck pillow.
• Take anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen (Advil).
• Maintain a good posture when sitting, sleeping, and walking.
• Avoid lifting heavy objects that put too much pressure on one shoulder.

Physical Therapy

Your doctor will recommend you to a physical therapist to relieve the pain. The professional will help you learn different exercises, posture changes, and adjustments to ease the discomfort and prevent future issues. 

Corticosteroid Injections

The doctor may also use corticosteroid injections to relieve neck pain caused by muscle strain, pinched nerve, or cervical fracture or degeneration. 

Surgery

Surgery can be your last resort if your spinal cord or nerves are compressed, or there is a fracture in your cervical region. You may also have to wear a neck brace to stabilize your cervical vertebrae and promote healing. 

Orthobiologic Methods

If you’re unwilling to treat your neck pain through surgery, you can go for non-invasive, less painful orthobiologic methods based on regenerative medicine. At CELLAXYS, we perform two orthobiologic treatments: cell-based therapies and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. 

• Cell-based Therapies. In this process, the doctor extracts the patient’s own cells, processes them, and reinjects them into the injury site. Depending on your condition, the cells can be harvested from the adipose (fat) tissues called Minimally Manipulated Adipose Tissue Transplant (MMAT) or bone marrow called Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMAC). Both procedures take about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete.

• PRP. This process involves taking the patient’s blood sample, isolating platelets, and reinjecting them in the injury site. Platelets are the healing components of our body that produce 10 critical growth factors, attract healing cells from the blood, and create a web-like scaffolding called fibrin. A high number of platelets in the injury site means quick healing. PRP takes about 45 minutes to complete. 

Cell-based therapies and PRP are outpatient procedures that allow the patient to go home the same day. People who have undergone orthobiologic treatments at CELLAXYS report quick healing and neck pain relief.