Suffering from a pain in the neck? And no, we are not talking about your annoying relative or neighbor! Regardless of your specific neck pain causes, a pain in the neck can negatively impact on your whole day.  Pain in the neck area is a common condition and can result from a number of disorders and, sometimes, even diseases.

What are the real symptoms of neck pain?

Well, these commonly include a dull ache in the neck area. Sometimes, this ache will get worse when the head is turned, or the neck is moved. The pain can be accompanied by sharp shooting pains, a swishing sound in the head, dizziness, headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, and even numbness and tingling.

Typical Causes of Neck Pain

The most common neck pain causes include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • Strain (potentially a sports injury or as a result of a car accident or similar)
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Whiplash (also potentially from a car accident, falling incident or similar)
  • Pinched nerve
  • Herniated disc
  • Poor posture
  • Incorrect position of the head on the pillow when sleeping

However, these are not the only causes of chronic neck pain. In fact, headache and neck pain can also be caused by common infections such as a viral throat infection, lymph node swelling, and the like. More rare infections can also cause neck pain, and these include meningitis, tuberculosis, and osteomyelitis.

Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain

In order for neck pain to be diagnosed and treated, the neck must be examined in motion and in rest. The nervous system should be examined to ensure that nerves are not involved. Some tests that can be done for difficult cases where the cause of neck pain cannot be determined, and treatment is not obvious, include X-rays, bone scans, CT scans, MRI scans, and various nerve conduction tests.

The treatment for neck pain depends on the cause. In most instances, treatment options include:

  • Rest
  • Physical therapy including massage, ultrasound, and manipulation
  • Acupuncture
  • Application of heat or cold
  • Traction
  • Cortisone injections
  • Topical or local anesthetic
  • Topical pain relief patches
  • Soft collar traction
  • Surgery (in extreme cases)

Get Headache and Neck Pain Treatment at The Head & Neck Centers of Excellence

Tired of dealing with chronic neck pain? Been diagnosed with neck pain ICD 10? The Head & Neck Centers of Excellence can help with effective treatment and future prevention of neck pain.  Simply get in touch with us via email or telephone for more information and advice today.