If you are experiencing neck pain, you may be wondering what to do about it. The good news is that many treatments can help alleviate your discomfort. The first step in finding relief is identifying the cause of your neck pain and understanding how it’s affecting your body. A Shrewsbury neck pain specialist can help you with this. For example, if the source of your complaint is muscle strain, then exercises might provide relief, while an injury related to disc herniation will require surgery. Look for a top-class center for neck pain in Shrewsbury, NJ.
- Cervical Stenosis
If you have stenosis, the openings in your spine are narrowing. It means that there is less room for the nerves to pass through. When these nerves are compressed, it causes pain and limits what you can do because the limited mobility of this condition usually leads to weakness. Common conditions that trigger cervical stenosis include arthritis, bone spurs, and herniated discs.
- Cervical Spondylosis
If you have cervical spondylosis, you have cervical spine degeneration. This condition is most common in people over the age of 50. The spinal canal of those who suffer from this condition becomes narrow. It leads to compression on your spinal cord and the nerves that pass through your neck.
Some common symptoms include pain and stiffness in the neck, muscle spasms, weakness, and loss of balance. It is important to note that this condition has no definitive treatment; it can only be managed to reduce pain.
- Cervical Radiculopathy
If you have pain radiating from your neck to your arms, you may have cervical radiculopathy. This is more likely if the pain is intermittent and more severe when moving into certain positions or at night. The cause of this condition is nerve root injury that results in inflammation of your nerves. Some common reasons for this are herniated discs, spinal stenosis, bone spurs, and tumors.
- Cervical Myelopathy
If you are experiencing neck pain accompanied by problems with your bowel or bladder function, you may have cervical myelopathy. When the spinal cord is compressed at your neck level, it can cause these symptoms to occur. If this condition occurs, it is likely due to a tumor, a herniated disc, or stenosis. A doctor should evaluate this condition immediately to determine the best course of treatment.
- Muscle Strain
The most common cause of neck pain is muscle strain. It can occur from sleeping in an awkward position, making sudden movements with your head, or having poor posture. The good news is that this type of neck pain is usually temporary and treatable with over-the-counter medications, ice, and heat.
- Facet Joint Syndrome
A facet joint is between each vertebral body in your spine. These joints are responsible for the forward and backward motions of your neck. It can cause sharp, stabbing pain behind your shoulder blades that might radiate down to your arms, chest, back, or abdomen when they are injured. The most common causes for this type of injury include a herniated disc, osteoarthritis, or a fracture.
Neck pain is a common problem that many different factors can cause. It’s essential to identify the cause of your neck pain to know what type of treatment will work best for it. Visiting a specialist for assistance is vital when having any neck pain.
