When a Pain in the Neck Signals a Need for Immediate Care

Most of us will experience neck pain at some point during our lives. Often, it occurs because of something you did like spending extending time behind the wheel, hunched over a computer, or reading in bed propped up by several pillows. The result is often muscle strain. While it may hurt, the pain is usually short term and symptoms will subside in brief period of time, usually a few days to a week.

Sometimes neck pain can also be caused by whiplash, which can occur from automotive accidents or even thrill rides. Whiplash, which occurs when the head is jerked one way and then the other suddenly, can stretch the soft tissues of the neck beyond their natural limits. Typically, strain and whiplash don’t require medical treatment unless chronic pain develops.

But there are certain types of neck or head pain that do require you to seek priority medical care. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see a doctor at once if:

• You have severe pain from an injury. If you’ve suffered any type of head or neck trauma, including a blow to your head. Severe pain over a bone may indicate a fracture or an injury to a ligament.
• Shooting pain. Pain that radiates down your arm, and may be accompanied by numbness of tingling in fingers, could indicate nerve irritation.
• Loss of strength. Weakness in an arm or leg or having a “wooden” leg or resorting to shuffling to move around may indicate a possible neurological problem.

Other types of neck pain may not require immediate medical intervention, but become the source of chronic pain. These can include worn joints and disk disorders. Both of these are often affects of age. Neck joints experience wear and tear with age and can cause osteoarthritis in your neck. The cushioning disks between your vertebrae can become stiff and dried out, narrowing the spaces in your spinal column where nerves come out. Other disorder is when the disks in your neck herniated, meaning the inner cartilage material protrudes through the disk’s tough cartilage covering. Bone spurs can also cause pain by pressing on your nerves.

If your neck ailment is considered temporary, all that may be necessary to alleviate the pain is to stop doing what you did to cause the pain in the first place, take over-the-counter pain medication, apply either ice or cold therapy, and then rest. Check with your doctor before taking any medications or using a particular therapy method to make sure your treatment plan is right for you.

If your neck pain is chronic, you don’t have to live with it. We’d love to provide you with a thorough evaluation and see whether our innovative minimally invasive surgeries can provide you with a long-term solution to a pain-free lifestyle.

Tags: Medical Questions, Medical Tips, Neck Pain