Your neck may feel sore, and that hurts more when you move your head. Neck pain is a prevailing complaint that is experienced by many. It can impair your routine activities and negatively impact your quality of life.
Specialists for neck pain Henderson offer expert diagnosis and customized treatments for the causes of neck pain, to provide relief. This can greatly improve the neck mobility and enhance your quality of life.
An introduction to neck pain
Neck pain is a type of discomfort that begins in your neck and eventually radiates down one or both arms. Also known as cervicalgia the pain can be acute (lasts a few weeks), chronic (lasts for more than 2 months), axial (pain confined to the neck), and radicular (pain that radiates to other parts).
There are a wide range of medical conditions and factors that can contribute to neck pain. These include:
- Poor posture
- Injury like whiplash
- Degenerative disc changes
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Cysts and tumors
- Osteoporosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Cancer of the spine
- Infections
- Stress
- Unhealthy sleep habits
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
Neck pain can vary in severity, and may be accompanied by the following signs and symptoms:
- Pain may radiate to your shoulders or arms
- Severe throbbing headaches
- Neck stiffness
- Muscle aches and weakness
- Paraesthesia
- Restricted neck mobility and flexibility
Neck pain diagnostic considerations
Detecting the cause of neck pain is crucial since it significantly guides your doctor in designing an appropriate treatment plan. This can be determined through symptom and medical history evaluation, physical examination, and diagnostic tests such as:
- X-rays
- MRI
- CT scan
- Bone scans
- Nerve conduction study
Treatment options for neck pain
Treatment options depend on the cause and severity of the pain. These include:
Conservative approach
- Rest: To relax your neck muscles and prevent pain aggravation
- Heat and cold packs: To relieve pain and swelling
- Prescription medications: To relieve pain
- Anti-inflammatory drugs: To reduce inflammation and swelling
- Physical therapy: To improve your neck muscle strength
- Maintaining a proper posture: To prevent muscle strain
Minimally invasive procedures
- Spinal injections
- Nerve block injections
- Radiofrequency ablation
Surgical intervention when other treatment options fail to provide relief
- Cervical disk replacements
- Cervical fusion reconstruction
Bottom line
Neck pain can be common, but you do not have to live with the pain all your life. Get to the bottom of the root cause that is contributing to your pain. Timely diagnosis can pave the way for an effective treatment that best suits your health needs.
