Understanding Neck Pain

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Neck pain can be caused by poor posture while working at a computer or sleeping on your stomach with your neck turned to one side.  Such habitual activities can cause or contribute to acute or chronic neck pain (i.e., strain). A forceful injury, such as whiplash, is considered a neck sprain. Both types of injury can cause muscle spasm, limited range of motion, and varying degrees of neck pain.

Other causes of neck pain include:

• Injury to the bones, joints, or ligaments
• Degenerative changes in the spine
• Herniated disc
• Vertebral compression fracture
• Narrowing of the spinal canal (i.e., spinal stenosis)
• Medical conditions such as arthritis, migraine headaches
• Infection (i.e., meningitis, mononucleosis)
• Disease (i.e., cancer)

Fortunately, most cases of neck strain and sprain can be successfully managed with nonoperative treatment. Persistent or recurrent neck pain may require diagnostic testing and more aggressive treatment.
 

Video: About Neck Pain
Click below to view a video from our library about this condition.

Symptoms

Mild to moderate pain, along with headache and stiffness, are common with neck strain and sprain. However, a stiff neck accompanied by high fever, nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light could indicate meningitis – a condition that requires immediate medical attention.

Radiculopathy, or “pinched nerve” refers to symptoms resulting from compression of a nerve root. Herniated disc and/or degenerative changes alter the spine's anatomy and affects the nerve roots that branch out from the spinal cord.  Spinal cord compression cause by trauma, infection or disease is called myelopathy.

Symptoms of radiculopathy include:

• Pain radiating into a shoulder or down an arm
• Numbness and/or tingling in the arms or hands
• Weakness with or without muscle atrophy

Symptoms of myelopathy include:

• Loss of motor coordination in the arms or hands
• Difficulty with fine motor movements (i.e., writing, fastening buttons)
• Difficulty grasping or holding on to objects
• Heaviness or weakness in an arm or hand
• Disturbances in gait (walking) or balance

Treatment

Nonoperative treatments:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling and pain
• Muscle relaxants to calm spasm
• Narcotic analgesics to alleviate pain
• Soft cervical collar (brace) for support
• Physical therapy
• Spinal injection therapy

Spine Surgery:

There are several surgical options to treat cervical problems.. Minimally invasive spine surgery minimizes damage to tissue and enables surgeons to operate with greater precision. For patients, the benefits of advanced surgical techniques include small incisions, quicker recoveries, and better surgical outcomes.