Neck pain is a common medical complaint. In fact, between 20-70% of all adults will experience neck pain that limits their daily activities at some point in their lives. If you’re among those with this painful condition, you know how it can be all-consuming and disrupt your productivity.

In Birmingham, Alabama, Victor Mendoza, MD, and our team at Vulcan Pain Management offer comprehensive care for your chronic or acute neck pain. In this post, Dr. Mendoza outlines some of the common causes, symptoms, and treatments for your neck pain.

Common causes of neck pain

Many different factors contribute to neck pain. Some of the most common causes are:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Injuries
• Nerve compression
• Muscle strain
• Poor posture
• Herniated disc
• Pinched nerve
• Osteoarthritis

In some rare cases, neck pain is due to infections like meningitis or tuberculosis.

Neck pain symptoms

When your neck is aggravated, you may experience any or all of these symptoms, and they may be mild or severe:

• Muscle spasms
• Limited range of motion
• Headaches
• Aching
• Soreness
• Dizziness
• Stiff neck
• Throat pain
• Weakness in the arms
• Tenderness
• Tingling in your arms
• Muscle pain

Interestingly, when your neck is hurting, you may have some seemingly unrelated symptoms like ear pain or a gurgling “watery” sound in your ear.

Treatment options for neck pain

At Vulcan Pain Management, Dr. Mendoza works diligently to identify the cause of your neck pain. With that information, he prescribes a custom treatment plan that may include:

Heat and ice therapy

In addition to rest, alternating with heat and ice is helpful to decrease inflammation, increase blood flow, and minimize joint stiffness.

Physical therapy

Strengthening and stretching exercises to restore your range of motion and relieve your pain.

Massage therapy

Massaging helps release tension in the muscles that are contributing to your pain. Your massage therapist can identify trigger points and work to release them to extend your range of motion.

Neck bracing

Bracing supports the weight of your head while the soft tissues in your neck have a chance to heal.

Steroid injections

Steroid injections reduce the inflammation around your nerves and joints, which relieves pain while you are healing.

Medications

Pain relievers and muscle relaxers are a common strategy for relieving chronic or severe neck pain. 

Don’t suffer alone with neck problems. Get relief from your pain with compassionate care at Vulcan Pain Management. Call now or request an appointment online. We look forward to serving you soon.