Neck Pain Specialist

What causes neck pain?

Neck pain can develop from a chronic degenerative condition like arthritis or osteoporosis. It could also happen suddenly if your neck suffers a trauma — sports injuries, auto or work accidents, and falls are common causes of neck trauma. Simple muscle tension from chronic stress is also a common cause of neck pain.

Another type of neck pain is overuse or repetitive strain, where you frequently make the same movements with your neck. This leads to tissue irritation and inflammation. Poor posture and sleeping with your neck in a crooked position can cause irritation, as can actions you might repeat regularly at work or when playing sports.

Specific conditions that typically cause neck pain include:

• Herniated discs
• Whiplash injuries
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Bone spurs
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease

Conditions like fibromyalgia that cause widespread body pain can affect the neck too.

What other symptoms might I get with neck pain?

In addition to pain, your neck might feel stiff, and you could have problems moving your head. The pain could also spread up into your skull, causing a headache. Other symptoms include numbness, weakness, tingling, prickling, and burning sensations.

These symptoms are usually due to cervical radiculopathy. This is where nerves in your neck (cervical spine) come under pressure from a bulging disc or other spinal abnormality. The symptoms can extend down your arms and even to your hands, following the path of the affected nerves.

To diagnose your neck pain, Capital Pain Consultants conducts a physical exam, finds out about your symptoms and how the pain started, and looks at your medical history. They might need you to have X-rays, a CT scan, or other diagnostic tests to confirm what’s causing your neck pain.

How is neck pain treated?

The treatment needed to relieve neck pain might vary depending on the cause of the pain and its severity. Capital Pain Consultants starts with conservative therapies, only turning to more advanced interventions if you’re not improving. Your treatment plan could include:

• Activity modification
• Pain medications
• Anti-inflammatories
• Ice and heat therapy
• Muscle relaxants
• Use of a neck brace
• Physical therapy
• Epidural steroid injections
• Facet joint injections
• Nerve blocks
• Radiofrequency ablation

Most kinds of neck pain respond well to one or more of these treatments. If you aren’t seeing any improvement after following your treatment program for several months, Capital Pain Consultants offers advanced interventions like spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal pain pump implantation.

To find the cause of your neck pain and get much-needed relief, call Capital Pain Consultants today or book an appointment online.