Neck Pain

What causes neck pain?

Athletic activities often cause neck pain, ranging from a mild strain to a severe injury. Though most people associate whiplash injuries with car accidents, you can also develop whiplash from high-impact sports or falls.

You can easily strain your neck muscles or sprain the ligaments during everyday activities. For example, tech neck — spending too much time with your head bent while looking at your electronic devices — is one of today’s top causes of neck pain.

Degenerative conditions such as herniated discs, facet joint arthritis, bone spurs, and slipped discs narrow the spinal canal and cause neck pain when they pinch nerves.

What symptoms appear along with neck pain?

When you have neck pain, chances are you will also experience one or more of these symptoms:

• Neck stiffness
• Limited mobility
• Pain radiating down your shoulders and arms
• Tingling or numbness in your arms or hands
• Swelling and bruising
• Tenderness to the touch

Pinched nerves cause symptoms such as pain and tingling, radiating down your arms. In a severe neck injury, muscle weakness may develop in your arms or legs.

How do medical specialists diagnose the cause of my neck pain?

If your neck pain developed due to a recent traumatic injury, your provider performs a neurological exam to rule out a concussion.

Depending on the results of your physical and neurological exam, you may need further diagnostic testing. The team offers on-site tests performed at the time of your visit, including digital X-rays, MRIs, diagnostic ultrasound, electromyography (EMG), and nerve conduction testing. 

How do medical specialists treat my neck pain?

The team at Goodlife Physical Medicine includes specialists in many different fields of medicine, so you can be confident that you will receive the best treatment for your neck pain. 

Though you receive customized treatment, most patients begin with conservative therapies. You may need to temporarily immobilize your neck, take anti-inflammatory medications, or modify your activities to reduce the stress on your neck.

Your provider may recommend physical therapy or teach you exercises to perform at home that gently strengthen or stretch your neck.

Other possible treatments for neck pain include: 

• Chiropractic care
• Cold laser therapy
• Trigger point injections
• Epidural steroid injection
• Massage therapy
• Regenerative medicine
• Pain management
• Dekompressor® discectomy
• Percutaneous disc nucleoplasty

The team at Goodlife Physical Medicine places a high priority on relieving your pain without using addictive medications. They specialize in many interventional procedures that provide effective pain management by going to the source and stopping nerves from sending pain messages to your brain. 

If you need relief from neck pain, call Goodlife Physical Medicine or schedule an appointment online today.