Neck Pain
Chronic neck pain impacts 30 to 50 percent of American adults yearly. It significantly hampers your quality of life by restricting comfortable head movements. Stemming from deformities, abnormalities, diseases, or injuries, pain in the neck can also extend to the arms and legs. If left untreated, neck pain adversely affects your wellbeing. If you’re seeking effective neck pain relief, contact Gottlieb Spine for top-notch neck pain treatment.
What Causes Neck Pain?
Neck Pain Explained
What Causes Neck Pain?
Neck pain occurs in the cervical spine, which extends from the
base of your skull down to your upper torso. Your neck is highly flexible while supporting the
weight of your head, thus making it susceptible to injury and other painful conditions. In your
neck, you have the uppermost vertebrae, ligaments, tendons, and muscles that facilitate various
head movements. Neck pain can develop due to sudden or gradual structural changes in your upper
spine.
The more severe causes of neck or upper back pain involve injuries and degenerative medical conditions. These causes frequently necessitate a doctor’s intervention for a complete recovery. Common causes of neck pain include:
- Herniated discs in the upper back can put pressure on structures in the surrounding area
- Neck injury, which is often the result from direct trauma to the neck
- Pinched nerve in the neck can cause various levels of pain, and can even extend through the arm down to the hands
- Arthritis in neck - either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis - is often a result of wear and tear and age
- Cervical spondylolisthesis causes pain when a vertebrae slips forward and out of place
- Myelopathy occurs when the spinal cord becomes compressed by the bone spurs, typically from general wear and tear.
- Degenerative disc disease causes pain when the cushioning of the spine wears away and the bones rub together
How is Neck Pain Diagnosed?
When your neck pain does not go away on its own, it’s important to visit a neck pain treatment center. Our spine specialists can diagnose and treat your specific condition through a physical examination, imaging tests, blood tests, and if needed, electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction studies.
Whether you’re dealing with occasional or chronic neck pain, you may have wondered how to get rid of neck pain. Our spine specialists can use diagnostic tools to develop an individualized program and surgical plan if necessary to provide neck pain relief with minimal disruption to your daily life and routine.
How Do I Relieve My Neck Pain?
Neck pain can be a real pain in the neck, but there are several things you can try to provide relief. Before we get into how to treat neck pain, it’s important to know if the cause of your pain is something easily fixable. For example, the cause of your neck pain may not be classified as a medical condition, but rather poor posture or even sleeping in an uncomfortable sleeping position. Dr. Gottlieb always recommends the least invasive form of treatment first, which may include conservative techniques including:
- Rest
- Smoking cessation, if required
- Therapeutic massage
- Exercises for your neck and shoulders
- Alternating ice and heat
- Anti-inflammatory medicine
- Physical theraoy
- Chiropractic alignment
- Weight loss, if necessary
- Posture improvement
When Should I See a Doctor For Neck Pain?
If your neck pain does not respond to at-home conservative
treatment or if it becomes more severe, there may be a problem with your spine. Spine conditions may also be accompanied by symptoms like
shooting pain, numbness, or loss of strength. If you suspect the cause of your neck pain is a
spine problem, you should see a doctor.
When scheduling an appointment for neck pain, you can start with your general practitioner or
family doctor. Depending on your spine condition and its severity, you may need to see a spine
specialist. A spine surgeon like Dr. Gottlieb will be able to expertly diagnose your condition
and guide you towards neck pain relief.
Dr. Gottlieb is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon with years of experience in
diagnosing all types of chronic neck pain. In our state-of-the-art neck pain treatment center,
he is able to make a definitive diagnosis so your treatment can begin.
How is Neck Pain Treated?
IDr. Gottlieb typically recommends trying minimally-invasive pain management treatments first, such as:
- Muscle relaxants
- Cervical neck brace
- Topical steroids
- Injections
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
If pain management techniques fail to prove neck pain relief, it may be time to consider neck surgery. Spine surgery is the most effective option for serious spine conditions, as it’s the only treatment option that gets to the root cause of the problem, rather than just treating the symptoms.
Will I Need Surgery For My Neck Pain?
Surgery is not necessary to relieve neck pain. In fact, there are many non-surgical treatments that can help alleviate pain and restore functionality in the neck. But if you’ve tried various treatments and still haven’t found the neck pain relief you need, surgery might be considered. While surgery is not a decision to be taken lightly, it can be an effective way to not only treat neck pain, but also prevent future issues from developing. Dr. Gottlieb can help you decide if surgery is the right choice for you, based on the severity of your neck pain and the underlying cause. It’s important to explore all possible avenues for how to treat neck pain, including surgery, to find the best possible solution for you.
What Does a Spine Surgeon Do For Neck Pain?
As a spine surgeon, Dr. Gottlieb’s goal is to provide patients with the best possible care and treatment for the neck pain they are experiencing. We perform several surgical procedures at our neck pain treatment center. Whenever possible, Dr. Gottlieb and his team use minimally-invasive surgical techniques to perform your procedure, which result in less pain and quicker recovery times. These neck pain treatments include:
- Cervical disc replacement surgery to replace a worn out or damaged disc in the cervical spine
- Neck surgery
- Corpectomy to address neck decompression
- Laminectomy, which relieves any pressure on the spinal cord
- Foraminotomy to widen the spinal canal and allow nerves to pass
- Decompression surgery, which includes several procedures that aim to take the pressure off of neural points in your spine
- Discectomy or microdiscectomy to remove herniated disc material. A discectomy is an open procedure that requires a larger incision, while a microdiscectomy is done minimally-invasively and relies on a a magnifying endoscope to visualize the surgical area
- Spinal fusion, that will prevent pain at the joint level by attaching two or more vertebrae together to permanently stop movement between them
To find relief from neck pain and understand its cause, it is crucial to seek the expertise of a spine surgeon. Dr. Gottlieb and his team are dedicated to providing the best neck pain treatment to help patients receive an optimal level of health. Learn how to relieve neck pain by scheduling a consultation today.
Seek the Expertise of a Spine Surgeon
To find relief from neck pain and understand its cause, it is crucial to seek the expertise of a spine surgeon. Dr. Gottlieb and his team are dedicated to providing with the best neck pain treatment to help patients receive an optimal level of health. Learn how to relieve neck pain by scheduling a consultation today.
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