Causes and Treatment Methods for Neck Pain

Straining of your muscles due to bad posture or prolonged bending of the neck may result in pain. In most cases, neck pain is not a significant health concern and may be treated within a few days. However, when your pain is severe, you may need to visit your specialist at McNulty Spine for Las Vegas neck pain treatment to alleviate your pain.

What causes neck pain?

Pain and stiffness in your neck may occur due to different reasons that include:

•         Poor positioning of your neck while sleeping
•         Bad posture
•         Accidents that may cause fracturing and displacement of the neck muscles and ligaments from normal positioning
•         Meningitis. This fatal disease affects your brain and spinal cord. You may experience severe headaches, fever, and stiffness in your neck.
•         Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens your bones and may cause neck pain
•         Fibromyalgia causes inflammation of the muscles in your body
•         Rheumatoid arthritis may result in bone spurs and swelling of your joints, including in your neck area
•         As you age, you may develop spondylosis which may cause neck pain
•         Trauma from injury may cause your disk to protrude, a condition known as a herniated cervical disk
•         Narrowing of your spinal column due to arthritis may cause pain in your neck
•         Spinal cancer, tumor, and abscesses may also result in neck pain

Diagnosis and treatment for neck pain

At McNulty Spine, your doctor will diagnose you before recommending treatment. During diagnosis, your specialist reviews your medical history.

Your doctor may use imaging tests to determine the cause of your neck pain. Various types of imaging tests include:

•         A Computerized Tomography scan
•         Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
•         X-ray
•         Electromyography
•         Lumbar puncture

For treatment, your doctor may prescribe strong pain killers such as tricyclic antidepressants and muscle relaxants.

If you have an infection that is causing pain in your neck, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics for you.

There are different therapies that your doctor may recommend, including:

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Your specialist will use electrodes to deliver electrical impulses on your neck to relieve pain.

Physical therapy where your physician may demonstrate neck exercises to relax your muscles.

Traction. This treatment method involves using pulleys and an air bladder to stretch your neck slowly.

Your doctor may recommend that you support your neck using a soft collar to reduce pressure in your neck.

If prescribed medicines and therapy fail to reduce pain, your doctor may use a steroid injection or numbing medications such as lidocaine to provide relief.

Your doctor may suggest a surgical procedure if you have complications such as a protruding cervical disk.

Your doctor will send you home with several tips that you can use to prevent neck pain after your treatment. For example:

•         Maintain good posture
•         Regularly change your position when sitting or standing
•         Place your head on a soft pillow when sleeping
•         Exercise your neck by stretching side to side or up and down

Neck pain may indicate you have an underlying medical condition. Reserve a session with your specialist at McNulty Spine for a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of neck pain.