What causes neck pain?
Neck pain can result from an acute injury or a gradual deterioration of the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, or nerves in your neck. Some of the more common causes of musculoskeletal neck pain include:
- Muscle strains
- Herniated discs
- Whiplash injuries
- Osteoarthritis
- Cervical stenosis
- Compressed nerves
- Bone spurs
- Osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Muscle tension that results from stress can cause surprisingly severe neck pain. Sports injuries and auto accidents are also frequent causes of acute neck pain.
How is neck pain diagnosed?
Dr. Piska can tell a lot from performing a physical exam, looking at your neck, and measuring your range of motion. She combines her observations with information from your medical history and your description of the symptoms you’re experiencing to form a preliminary diagnosis.
The next step is to confirm the diagnosis, rule out any other causes, and assess the extent of the injury or deterioration. To achieve this, you may need to undergo diagnostic imaging tests such as X-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI scan. Dr. Piska can also assess the nerve function in your neck using nerve conduction velocity tests and electromyography (EMG).
What treatments are there for neck pain?
Rest, over-the-counter painkillers, massage, and gentle exercise can often resolve minor muscle twinges and tension. If your neck pain is severe or doesn’t go away with these self-help approaches, you should see Dr. Piska without delay.
The treatment plan Dr. Piska creates for you could include any of a range of treatments depending on what’s causing your neck pain and other factors like your age and general health.
Potential treatments for your neck pain include:
- Physical therapy
- Epidural injections
- Facet joint injections
- Trigger point injections
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
These conservative options are often very successful in resolving neck pain. However, if your condition doesn’t improve with these treatments, Dr. Piska also provides minimally invasive outpatient surgeries.
What minimally invasive procedures can help with neck pain?
If your neck pain is due to osteoporotic compression fractures, balloon kyphoplasty could help. In this procedure, Dr. Piska inserts a medical balloon into the affected vertebra and inflates it before injecting the bone cement, to open the vertebra up again.
Coolief water-cooled radiofrequency ablation is an effective option for nerve pain and chronic pain that doesn’t respond to other treatments. Coolief works by damaging the nerves responsible for your neck pain to prevent them from signaling to your brain.
Another option is Freedom spinal cord stimulation. This involves having a spinal cord stimulator implanted in your body that you control using a remote device.
Find out more about the range of treatments available for your neck pain. Call Advanced Pain Specialists or book an appointment online today.
