Neck pain, also known as “Cervicalgia” in the medical community, can produce serious pain and discomfort to patients. Sometimes, this pain can continue to radiate outwards into the head, arms, and body. The intensity and length of the pain depend on the source of the cervicalgia. This condition can result from several different problems in the spine. Neck pain affects nearly 30% of American adults. Of those with cervicalgia, nearly 50% suffer from chronic neck pain. Research estimates almost 20% to 70% of adults will experience cervicalgia that interferes with their daily activities during their lifetime. Women (5.7%) become more susceptible to neck pain than men (3.9%).

What are the symptoms of cervicalgia?

Cervicalgia can cause a sharp, stabbing pain or a dull, persistent pain around the neck depending on the size and severity of the injury. Common symptoms include stiffness, spasms, and muscle pain. Cervicalgia can also impair neck movement and radiate pain, tingling, and numbness into the arms.

Other symptoms include:

• Muscle weakness in the neck
• Nausea, headache, and dizziness
• Burning or aching sensation in the neck
• Tenderness in the shoulder
• Tightness in the upper back
• Hearing difficulties
• Loss of bowel or bladder control

What causes cervicalgia?

The neck is often at risk for injuries and conditions that cause pain and restrict motion. Neck pain causes include:

• Muscle strains
• Worn joints
• Nerve compression–Herniated discs, bone spurs, and other conditions can cause nerve compression.
• Whiplash- Often caused by auto accidents, this injury occurs when the head jerks backward and then forward, straining the soft tissues of the neck.
• Diseases-Certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis, or cancer, can cause neck pain.

What are the treatments for cervicalgia?

Some at-home treatments can be enough for treating minor cervicalgia. These include:

• Ice
• Heat
• OTC pain medications like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and acetaminophen

If at-home treatments do not help alleviate your neck pain, it may be time to see a pain management specialist. They may suggest conservative tretaments first, those include:

• Your doctor may prescribe NSAIDS or muscle relaxers
• Physical Therapy
• Electric nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Soft Neck Collar for support
• Steroid injection

If these treatments do not help, surgery is an option, though it is rare for neck pain.

If you or a loved one is suffering from cervicalgia, know that pain relief is just a few clicks away. Contact Nextgen Wellness Group today, and let us help you take the first steps in healing.

Epidural Steroid Injections

Steroidal medication injected into a painful joint space can help soothe pain in arthritic joints. Injecting corticosteroids into an arthritic joint will not provide permanent relief on its own,  it can dramatically reduce inflammation and pain. The effects can last anywhere between 1 week to 1 year. Injections for joint pain are usually one of the steps taken before resorting to surgery. In some patients, steroid injections can reduce pain to the point where patients are able to participate in Physical Therapy, which in turn can strengthen the surrounding muscles and eliminate the need for further treatment. There are treatments available, non-surgical, and not steroid injection, that are regenerative and solutions to keep you away from surgery. schedule an appointment and ask our providers how we can help.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists diagnose and treat patients with medical problems or injuries that limit their ability to take part in their daily lives. Patients will usually see a physical therapist after a referral by their primary physician. Physical therapists work with patients who have experienced an injury or disease that has affected their movement and range of motion.

At Nextgen Pain & Injury Clinic, our team of licensed physical therapists and rehabilitation experts will focus on your total health and wellness. Regardless of the cause or source of your pain, we will develop a treatment plan with your unique issues in mind.

Our treatment philosophy emphasizes evidence-based manual and therapeutic exercise techniques that are tailored toward efficiently returning patients, athletes, and employees to their pre-injury status. We treat orthopedic and sports injuries, provide spinal rehabilitation, post-surgical rehabilitation, and industrial rehabilitation. Personalized physical therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions.

• Chronic and acute medical problems
• Knee pain
• Back pain
• Leg Pain
• Ankle pain
• Sports injuries
• Musculoskeletal injuries
• Chronic medical problems
• Neurological conditions such as spinal cord injuries