What are some treatment options for neck pain?

Treatment options for neck pain:

• apply moist heat twice daily to affected areas
• do neck, back, and shoulder exercises
• stretch daily
• lose weight
• reduce stress in the neck and shoulders if you feel muscle tension
• work on sleep quality
• talk to your doctor about medications to ease pain, if needed

Most neck pain will go away in days  with rest, gentle stretching, NSAIDs or Tylenol for pain . Cold therapy such as ice for acute spasm and strain can be useful and even alternated with heat. Massage is often helpful for persistent spasm. After these measures alone have failed, muscle relaxants and if necessary mild opioids can be administered if sleep interruption starts to develop. At this point further investigation is warranted.

For this  persistent pain more interventional techniques can be used. First, an  underlying cause should be determined after a  thorough  history and physical exam with review of diagnostic films. If persistent spasm is present then trigger point injections can be helpful. Causes such as inflammation of nerve roots or the  spinal cord or painful facet joints can be treated with epidural steroid injections or steroid facet joint injections respectively. For longer relief of this  facet joint mediated pain ,radiofrequency thermo-coagulation of the facet joints  tiny sensory nerves can offer  relief  for months up to a year.

 

 

Neck pain can be treated in a variety of ways. In this video, chiropractor and pain management specialist Steven Shoshany describes several approaches.