Neck pain

Neck Pain Treatment in Sadashiv Peth, Pune

The neck, or the cervical spine, is a network of bones, ligaments, and muscles, which provide support to the head and allow for its movement. Pain in the neck is a common complaint and more than 30% of the global population suffer from neck pain. Neck pain is not necessarily centralized in the neck. It can extend across the whole upper body, covering shoulders, arms and, chest. It may also lead to a headache. In most cases, neck pains are not a serious issue and can be relieved within the time of a few days. But in some cases, pain in the neck can pose to be a serious issue and give rise to a delicate situation. In such a case, a doctor should be consulted immediately.

Causes

Neck pain may be caused due to several reasons:

• Working in the same position and place for a prolonged period can strain the muscles and cause neck pain.
• The neck can be strained if one sleeps in the wrong posture.
• A jerk in the neck during exercise can lead to a serious injury and pain in the neck.
• Nerve compression where the herniated disks or bone spurs in the vertebrae of the neck puts pressure on the nerves branching out from the spinal cord can cause neck pain.
• Certain diseases, such as osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, spondylosis, spinal stenosis, rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis or, cancer, can cause neck pain.

Symptoms

Certain symptoms indicating neck pains are:

• Stiffness in neck
• Headaches
• Pain in arms
• Tingling sensation in hands or fingers
• Fever
• Throat pain
• Weakness in arms
• Muscle spasms
• Difficulty with the movement of the head

When to see a doctor?

One should consult a doctor if these symptoms persist for more than a week. Other symptoms which may indicate neck pain are:

• Lumps in the neck
• Trouble swallowing
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Pain across arms or legs
• Weakness and numbness
• Inability to move arms or legs

Request an appointment at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Swargate, Pune

Call 1860-500-2244 to book an appointment

Treatment

The treatment needed depends on the diagnosis performed by the doctor. The doctor may physically examine the affected area and ask for complete medical history. It is important to inform the doctor about the specific symptoms you went through and any over-the-counter medication is taken. The doctor may then recommend either of the following tests to be taken to have a clear picture of the situation, blood test, X-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, electromyography or, lumbar puncture.

Depending on the cause and severity of the situation, any of the following treatments may be recommended by the doctor:

• Heat or cold applications
• Soft-collar traction
• Physical therapy which may include massage or manipulation
• Pain relief patches
• Injections of cortisone or anesthetics
• Acupuncture to restore the body’s energy force
• capsaicin cream for a temporary reduction of pain
• Chiropractic care through cervical manipulation
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Traction using weights, pulleys or, air bladders
• Short-term immobilization with the help of soft collars
• Antibiotics in case of infection
• Discectomy, where the doctors remove either a part of the whole of the damaged disc through Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or Cervical disc replacement
• Foraminotomy
• Steroid injections

Home remedies

In case the situation about the neck pain is not severe, certain homes remedies can be implemented to relieve the pain:

• Try getting adequate sleep
• Stretch and do light exercises
• Apply ice for a few days initially and then follow that with a heating pad in later days
• Maintain a good posture while sitting or walking
• Avoid staying in the same position for a prolonged period
• Use a special pillow for the neck
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers
• Implement light neck exercises in your daily routine.