Why do I have neck pain?
Neck pain can result from poor posture, stress, the effects of aging, overuse, or acute trauma. Your neck — the cervical spine — has less protection than the other sections of your spine, making it more vulnerable to injury.
The Pain Management Specialists team sees patients with a wide range of neck problems, including:
- Herniated cervical discs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Cervical spinal stenosis
- Facet joint syndrome
- Osteoarthritis
- Whiplash
- Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerves)
- Post-surgical pain
As well as pain in your neck, you might have other symptoms like numbness, tingling, or "pins and needles" sensations that affect your arms and hands. This indicates nerve compression in your neck.
What treatments are available for neck pain?
Some of the most useful treatments for neck pain are also the most conservative. For example, the Pain Management Specialists team recommends physical therapy as a key form of treatment for most causes of neck pain. They work with selected chiropractors and physical therapists to deliver exercise-based physical therapies to enhance pain relief and restore physical function.
Other treatments the Pain Management Specialists team uses most often for neck pain include:
Medication
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be useful in reducing inflammation and neck pain. You might benefit from other types of medication, depending on the cause of your neck pain, but strong drugs like opioids are not recommended for more than a few days.
Epidural Steroid injections
Cortisone injections into the epidural space around your spinal cord can reduce inflammation when oral and topical treatments aren't working. Nerve blocks that contain a local anesthetic can also provide temporary pain relief. The team uses fluoroscopy (a form of moving X-ray) to deliver epidural injections with optimal accuracy.
What treatment options are available if my neck pain persists?
If, despite these treatments, you're still suffering from disabling neck pain, Pain Management Specialists has some advanced options available, including:
Radiofrequency ablation
Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to damage tiny nerves in your spine that are responsible for carrying the pain signals to your brain. The reduction in pain can last for up to 12 months, depending on how long it takes your nerves to regrow.
Spinal cord stimulation
Implantable spinal cord stimulator devices disrupt the pain signals going from your spinal cord to your brain using electrical energy as a sort of “jamming signal.” Using the latest technologies, Pain Management Specialists have been remarkably successful in treating neck and arm pain caused by nerve damage and prior surgery.
The Pain Management Specialists team uses the most advanced forms of spinal cord stimulation, including the Nevro® Senza™ HF10® high-frequency spinal cord stimulator and the Medtronic Intellis spinal cord stimulator.
If you have moderate to severe neck pain, or your neck pain isn't improving using self-care methods, Pain Management Specialists has the answers. Call the office today or book an appointment online.
