Treatment Options if You Are Living with Neck Pain

If you’ve been living with neck pain and haven’t found a lasting solution, you came to the right place. Neck pain is one of those destabilizing problems that can make it difficult to work, sleep or rest, and even engage in fun activities.

What’s worse is that many people living with neck pain don’t even know the legitimate treatment options out there, and they somehow end up with the wrong or ineffective remedies. This article contains all the treatment options out there that anyone, including you, should consider to finally find that elusive relief from neck pain.

Physical therapy (PT)

Physical therapy is one of the most common treatment methods for neck pain. It involves therapeutic massage, ultrasound treatment and certain exercises that help in increasing the range of motion, strength, and flexibility in the neck and shoulder areas.

Your doctor may recommend starting your treatment with PT as a conservative approach depending on the root cause of your problem. They may also recommend physical therapy as a part of your rehabilitation following treatment for an injury or condition that caused the neck pain.

Short-term immobilization

Your doctor may also prescribe a soft collar to support your neck. This is great for pain relief as it helps in reducing the pressure on some of your neck structures. Just remember that this method should not be used beyond three hours at a time or beyond two weeks. Having it beyond this duration can lead to negative effects.

Self-care treatment

There are certain things you can do to improve your condition, such as applying some heat or cold to the affected area. These have been proven to have a positive effect on neck pain. If you’re experiencing a sprain or a strain, your doctor may ask you to apply some ice on the area for the first 24 – 48 hours to reduce the swelling, and after that, some heat wraps to loosen and relax the muscles. However, if your issue is associated with damage to the bones, discs, or joints, your doctor should recommend a different treatment.

Facet joint and epidural steroid injections

Facet joints are some kind of connectors located between the bones inside your spine. The facet joints in your cervical spine enable your neck to twist and bend and assists your head from going too far in any direction. The nerve roots that link your spinal cord with your head and other body parts go through the facet joints.

A professional doctor may inject your facet joints to control the pain and lower the inflammation. Doing so can also help you tolerate rehabilitation better after suffering an injury.

On the other hand, they may recommend an epidural steroid injection. This technique is mainly used to help in relieving the pain in the shoulders, arms and neck that is caused by a compression of the nerves located in the cervical spine. The epidural steroid injections target the epidural space around the spinal cord where the nerves are inflamed and irritated. The inflammation and pain is reduced by a steroid and anesthetic in the injection.

Spinal cord stimulation

If your doctor finds it fit to use a drug-free neck pain relieving method on you, they may consider the spinal cord stimulation technique. This method uses an electrical current to block the painful nerve signals. Although it may seem like a painful technique, it is actually comfortable. The method has undergone many improvements since its introduction in the 1960s to make it comfortable and effective.

Spine Surgeon

If your neck pain is not easing up, it is important to seek out a professional who can help you. A spine surgeon can inform you of the best neck pain treatment options for you or your family member. This might come down to getting surgery in order to get rid of the neck pain you are suffering with. A professional can walk you through the steps in order to make the best decision.

Chiropractic treatment

This is a popular alternative treatment for neck pain that is done on the spine.

This method involves an application of a controlled but abrupt force to the affected area.

This method has minimal risks, and it provides temporary pain relief.

Pain relievers

There are some over-the-counter medications that are very effective when it comes to the management of chronic neck pain. Some options your doctor may recommend include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil, Motrin, and naproxen. You may even respond better to acetaminophen depending on your body and the nature of your problem.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are quite a number of treatment options for neck pain. If you’re suffering from neck pain and haven’t explored these options, see a professional medical doctor to perform the most suitable one

The image source is Pexels.