What Causes Neck Pain?
Neck pain could be due to a misalignment of the bones in your neck (cervical spine). It could also arise from a degenerative condition like facet joint arthritis in the vertebrae, or osteoporosis, which weakens the bones.
Arthritis can lead to the development of bone spurs, and the ligaments in your neck could thicken, all of which have a narrowing effect (spinal stenosis).
These disorders typically cause chronic neck pain, while trauma like a sports injury, auto or work accident, or a fall are common causes of acute neck pain.
Whiplash is the most frequent cause of acute neck pain. Chronic conditions like degenerative disc disease and acute trauma can lead to disc herniation and nerve compression that causes neck pain.
Another cause of neck pain is overuse, which leads to tissue irritation and inflammation. Overuse can happen if you frequently move your neck in the same way, which could be due to actions you repeat regularly when at work or while playing sports.
Poor posture, sleeping with your head at an awkward angle, and muscle tension due to chronic stress are also common causes of neck pain.
What Symptoms Might I Experience in Addition to Neck Pain?
In addition to pain in your neck, you might have stiffness and difficulty moving your head. You could hear grinding or crunching noises called crepitus. The pain might spread upward and cause a headache.
Other common symptoms you might develop alongside neck pain include:
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Tingling
- Prickling
- Burning
- “Pins-and-needles” sensations
These symptoms result from cervical radiculopathy, where one or several nerves in your neck (cervical spine) become irritated or compressed. Any misalignment or protruding bone, disc, or ligament tissue into your spinal canal could cause radiculopathy.
The symptoms often extend into your shoulders and arms, following the route of the affected nerves.
To diagnose the cause of your neck pain, Pain Management of North Dallas, PA, performs a physical exam and looks at X-rays, a CT scan, or MRI image, or uses other diagnostic tests like electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests.
How Is Neck Pain Treated?
The treatments your provider at Pain Management of North Dallas, PA, recommends for your neck pain might include:
- Activity modification
- Ice and heat therapy
- Muscle relaxants
- Manual manipulation
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Physical therapy
- Regenerative medicine
- Epidural steroid injections
- Facet joint injections
- Nerve blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Spinal cord stimulation
Just as they do when treating back pain, the experts treat each different type of neck pain with the most appropriate kind of injection and create a treatment plan personalized to your needs.
To benefit from their expertise, call Pain Management of North Dallas, PA, today, or book an appointment online.
