Neck Pain Injury Treatment
- Posted on: Apr 1 2014
Neck Pain is a very common complaint. Most people that you know have had neck pain at least once in their lifetime. Rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem. Seek medical care if you have neck pain for an extended period of time or if it is accompanied by numbness or loss of strength in your arms or hands or if you’re experiencing shooting pain into your shoulder or down your arm.
Neck pain can result from a variety of causes, including:
Muscle strains-Overuse, such as too many hours hunched over a steering wheel, often 
triggers muscle strains. Even such minor things as reading in bed or gritting your teeth can strain neck muscles.
Worn joints– Just like all the other joints in your body, your neck joints tend to undergo wear and tear with age, which can cause osteoarthritis in your neck.
Nerve compression-Herniated disks or bone spurs in the vertebrae of your neck can take up too much space and press on the nerves branching out from the spinal cord.
Diseases-Neck pain can sometimes be caused by diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis, or cancer.
Injuries from accidents-Whether it is an automobile accident, work related accident, construction accident, or simply a slip and fall, neck injury may occur. In any of these common types of accidents (particularly automobile accidents) the head may be “jerked”, stretching the soft tissue of the neck beyond their limits. Certain accidents may result in direct compression injuries (like a ceiling falling on your head), which can result in compression causing fracture and/or disc injury! If you are experiencing neck pain resulting from any trauma, you must go to your physician as soon as possible.
When you initially consult your family doctor about your neck pain, he or she may refer you to a specialist such as an orthopedist, or a neurologist. Give your doctor as many specifics as you can about the location and severity of your pain. Be sure to mention any head or neck movements that make your neck pain better or worse. Your doctor will take a careful history and then perform a thorough physical examination (comprehensive orthopedic and neurological evaluation). In some cases, your doctor may order imaging tests to get a better picture of what might be causing your neck pain. Examples include:
X-rays-X-rays can reveal areas in your neck where your nerves or spinal cord may be pinched by bone spurs or a bulging disk.
Computerized tomography (CT) scan-CT scans combine X-ray images taken from many different directions to produce detailed cross-sectional views of the internal structures of your neck.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-MRI’s utilize radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create especially detailed images of bone and soft tissue, including the spinal cord and the nerves coming from the spinal cord.
If your doctor suspects that your neck pain may be related to a pinched nerve, he or she may suggest electromyography (EMG). This test involves inserting very fine needles through your skin into a muscle to determine whether specific nerves are functioning properly.
Once a proper diagnosis of your neck pain is determined, the next step is to treat the condition. Treatment of neck pain will vary, depending on the diagnosis. Conservative treatment is typically the initial plan. Some of these treatments include the following:
Chiropractic-Gentle spinal manipulation is often extremely beneficial in reducing compression on the spine as well as maintaining and restoring ranges of motion in the cervical (neck) region.
Neck exercises and stretching– Exercises may improve pain by restoring muscle function, optimizing posture to prevent overload of muscle, and increasing the strength and endurance of your neck muscles.
Physical therapy-Can provide the patient with specific exercises to strengthen muscles, and stretches which will increase range of motion and diminish compression. Physical therapists can also utilize various forms of physiotherapy such as electric muscle stimulation to diminish muscle spasm.
Your doctor may prescribe stronger pain medication than what you can get over the counter. Muscle relaxants or tricyclic antidepressant medication used for pain may also be prescribed.
Once conservative treatments for neck pain have been exhausted with poor results, a more aggressive approach may be recommended by your doctor. Some examples are as follows:
Steroid injections-Your doctor may inject corticosteroid medications near the nerve roots, into the small facet joints in the bones of the cervical spine or into the muscles in your neck to help with pain. Numbing medications, such as lidocaine, also can be injected to relieve your neck pain.
Surgery-Surgery is sometimes indicated for neck pain. It may be an option for relieving nerve root or spinal cord compression.
Dr. Jeff J. Mollins has been successfully treating neck pain for over 25 years. He works closely with a network of referred medical specialists (orthopedists, neurologists, physiatrists, pain management, surgeons, etc.) No matter what type of neck problem you may have, Dr. Mollins is totally equipped to treat.
Dr. Mollins also specializes in patients injured in accidents. These accidents include automobile accidents (no-fault), work related accidents (workers compensation), construction accidents, as well as slip and falls. If your neck pain is due to an accident, Dr. Mollins and his group of referred specialists are experts in the diagnosis, treatment, and documentation of these injuries. Dr. Mollins (and all referred specialists) are also workers compensation certified so if you are injured on the job you can be treated at no cost.
If you are unfortunate to have neck pain, don’t hesitate to call Dr. Mollins as soon as possible.
Posted in: Blog, Neck Pain Treatment
