Neck Pain Specialist

What causes neck pain?

Auto accidents and sports injuries are two of the top causes of neck pain. But you can also end up with severe neck pain without suffering an injury.

Poor posture and daily wear-and-tear can strain the muscles supporting your neck. Neck strains also frequently occur when you spend too much time bending your head to look down at electronic devices.

Age-related changes take a toll on your vertebrae, discs, and ligaments, causing problems such as:

• Herniated discs
• Facet joint arthritis
• Spinal stenosis
• Bone spurs
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra)

You may also feel neck pain from problems that originate in your shoulders.

What symptoms accompany neck pain?

Your neck pain may feel like a dull ache or severe pain. No matter what type of pain you have, chances are you also have a stiff neck and limited head and neck movement. Many people also develop painful muscle knots, headaches, and dizziness.

Spine conditions such as herniated discs and spinal stenosis often push against the nerves. The pinched nerves cause pain and tingling that radiate down your arm and into your hand. If you have severe nerve damage, your arm may get numb or weak.

How is neck pain treated?

If you haven't already received the standard treatment for neck pain, your treatment may begin with anti-inflammatory medications, gentle stretching exercises, and activity modification to take the stress off your neck.

When you still have neck pain after conservative therapies, it's time to take the next step and get advanced treatments available on-site from the Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management team. They specialize in innovative interventional and regenerative treatments such as:

• Stem cell injections
• Trigger point injections
• Facet joint injections
• Medial branch nerve blocks
• Epidural steroid injections
• Stellate ganglion blocks
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Ketamine therapy

Interventional treatments precisely target specific nerves, using anesthetic medications, electrical stimulation, and heat to block nerve signals. When the nerves can't send the message to your brain, you get significant pain relief.

Ketamine is a medication that eases chronic neck pain through a different pathway. During a ketamine infusion, ketamine goes into your bloodstream, travels to your brain, and blocks nerve signals associated with pain.

You can get effective relief from neck pain at Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management. To get the help you need, call the nearest office or book an appointment online today.