In the branch of medicine known as pain management, the focus is placed on reducing the patient’s pain and making their overall quality of life better. There are many treatments available and, often, more than one treatment option is implemented. If you are suffering from neck pain in West Orange, NJ, you can get relief.

Causes of Neck Pain and Treatment Options

Just because something is common does not mean you have to put up with it. Neck pain is a very common ailment and can range from discomfort to debilitating. The causes are wide-ranging, so it is crucial that your pain management is accurately planned. That way, you can get the right care plan for your issues. Here are some common causes of neck pain.

Muscle Strain

When you suffer from a muscle strain in the neck, generally called whiplash, it is caused by trauma. This happens when your head is quickly jerked forward or back, such as when your car hits something in a wreck. This rapid movement damages your neck’s tendons and muscles, creating pain, stiffness, headaches, and a reduction in your range of motion.

Pain management options include rest, icing the area, pain medications, and wearing a neck brace. The brace will restrain the motion in your neck while the muscles have a chance to heal.

Herniated Disc

This condition occurs when the soft, cushiony substance between your spinal vertebrae gets displaced. When this happens, it can cause excessive pressure on the nerves near the spine. This creates pain in the neck and upper back area. A herniated disc can also spread the pain and cause a numb or weak feeling in the back, arms, and legs.

A herniated disc can be serious. Among the treatments used are:

  • Rest
  • Stretching
  • Medication
  • Physical Therapy
  • Surgery

Spinal Stenosis

Those suffering from neck pain due to spinal stenosis have a condition where there is a narrowing of the spaces occupied by the spinal nerves. This can create an excess of pressure on the spinal nerves, resulting in pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the neck. These feelings may be apparent in the hands, feet, arms, or legs of the sufferer.

Options for pain management treatment of spinal stenosis include medications, physical therapy, and surgery, depending on the severity.

Cervical Radiculopathy

In this condition, changes due to surrounding structures in the spinal portion of your neck mash the nerve root. This compression causes damage to the nerve. It can cause pain, tingling, weakness, and numbness that, while manifested in the upper portion of your spine, can send these symptoms down your arms, as well.

Treatment choices for cervical radiculopathy include medications to reduce pain and inflammation, physical therapy, and surgery.

Chronic pain

Everyone suffers from pain on occasion. But some pain doesn’t go away quickly. Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than six months. It can be caused by many reasons, some of the most common being:

  • Nerve Pain
  • RSD
  • Neuropathic Pain
  • Nerve Pain
  • Myofascial Pain Syndrome
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Physical Rehabilitation

Physical rehabilitation can help your body regain its strength, range of movement, and endurance, in addition to relieving pain through proper pain management. It is a necessary part of the healing process and should not be overlooked. Physical therapy is often used in conjunction with other treatment options, helping patients return to their normal lives more quickly.