Neck Pain


Why do I have neck pain?

The cervical spine, or neck, is the thinnest part of the spine. Although the neck is flexible, its thinness makes it susceptible to injury.

Approximately one in three people in the United States suffer from neck pain, also known as cervicalgia. Acute neck pain is usually transient and resolves within a few hours or days, whereas chronic neck pain lasts for more than three months.

Your lifestyle can cause neck pain:

• Poor posture (e.g., hunching over your computer)

• Poor sleeping position

• Turning the neck too quickly

• Muscular tension in the neck, shoulders, and arms

• Weak muscles in your core, shoulder, spine, or neck

Other conditions can also cause neck pain:

• Spondylosis (arthritis of the spine)

• Fibromyalgia

• Migraines

• Bone spurs and degenerative disc disease

• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the neck’s spinal canal)

• Herniated disc

What are the risk factors for neck pain?

Various factors may increase your chances of neck pain. The natural aging process correlates with neck pain, and it seems more common amongst women than men.

Poor physical or psychological health are also high-risk factors, along with a history of neck injuries, spinal injuries, or back pain.

What are some common symptoms of neck pain?

Neck pain usually manifests as soreness or stiffness in the neck, but may also feel like numbness, tingling, or shooting shoulder pains radiating into one or both arms, also commonly referred to as neuropathy. Chronic neck pain even correlates with fatigue, depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, headaches and migraines.

What are the best ways to treat neck pain?

No two cases of neck pain are precisely alike. Effective treatment depends on accurately targeting the sources of your neck pain and alleviating each one. The team at the Integrative Pain Institute offers evidence-based therapies that relieve neck pain. These include:

• X-ray and MRI imaging to identify the cause of the neck pain

• Medications to alleviate the pain and neuropathy

• Injections to reduce the inflammation caused by canal stenosis, spine osteoarthritis, and herniated discs

• Physical therapy that strengthens the muscles that support or affect the neck.  Therapies include: Percussion therapy, massage therapy, laser therapy, ultrasound therapy, and decompressing the spine through traction

• Stem-cell injections and other regenerative therapies that repair damaged structures

• Protective equipment and devices to use at home such as a posture device and Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS unit) to block pain and stimulate endorphins

When your neck pain is persistent or debilitating causing fatigue, neuropathy, headaches and migraines, call the expert medical professionals at Integrative Pain or use the online form to book an appointment.

IWe service patients from all over the DFW area including North Dallas, Addison, Carrollton, Plano, Garland, Irving, Allen, Richardson, and University Park, Highland Park, Frisco and McKinney. 

https://www.integrativepaininstitute.com/blog/7-neck-pain-symptoms

https://www.integrativepaininstitute.com/blog/top-3-injuries-from-car-accidents

https://www.integrativepaininstitute.com/blog/5-classes-of-medications-to-relieve-pain

https://www.integrativepaininstitute.com/blog/benefits-of-physical-therapy

https://www.integrativepaininstitute.com/blog/fibromyalgia-pain-relief