Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Common Causes of Neck Pain

You never know when you might have a new pain in the neck - you wake up from a nap or you move in a seemingly harmless way, and all of a sudden, you feel a twinge. Neck pain is, as implied by the expression, at least an annoyance if not an outright miserable experience. Especially as it relates to muscular issues (which account for a good number of neck pain cases), the pain can descend suddenly and stick around for an inordinate amount of time. This is particularly true if you don’t get the right kind of treatment. At Living Well Medical in NYC, we deal with neck injuries and pain of all types, so we’re familiar with most causes. Here we’ll be discussing a couple of them. Of course, if you have questions, we’re here to answer them.

Muscle injury/tension

Those of us who are very active or have jobs that require strenuous activity will perhaps be familiar with neck pain from a muscle injury. Repetitive motions can overtax muscle tissue causing pain and inflammation. With neck pain, it usually is indicated by difficulty with a certain range of motion.

Injuries of this type can typically be treated with manual therapies like physical therapy, Active Release Techniques, the Graston Technique, and/or chiropractic.

Herniated Spinal Discs

Neck pain because of a herniated disc is a much different affair than a muscle problem. Pain is of a different variety, shooting and burning, sometimes extending out into the arms and upper back. It tends to be much more severe, although that is a case by case thing.

In order to be sure you have a herniated disc, MRIs and nerve tests are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Spinal disc herniation often requires a more multidisciplinary approach to get the best results. One of the staples of treatment in our office is spinal decompression with the DRX9000, a cutting edge non-surgical technology specifically designed for the relief of pain related to herniated discs.

As a practice that focuses on pain relief, neck pain is one of the most common problems we see. If neck pain has been a problem for you and just won’t go away, give us a call. We have experience treating just about any kind of pain. Call us today at 212-645-8151 and come on in. We’re here to help.

- Dr. Shoshany, NYC Chiropractor

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