All You Should Know About Neck Pain

Your neck is responsible for supporting the entire weight of your head. Despite this essential duty, it is also quite exposed to injuries that can often result in neck pain. If you are suffering from neck pain, this article explains all you should know about it as well as how a Las Vegas neck pain specialist can help alleviate your discomfort.

Causes of Neck Pain

Most neck pain complaints occur due to excessive straining on your neck muscles but can be caused by other factors like osteoarthritis and poor neck postures. The following are the leading causes of neck pain:

• Osteoarthritis – This is a health condition that causes the cartilage between your bones to deteriorate with age, resulting in the formation of body spurs that cause a lot of pain to your neck joints.
• Diseases such as meningitis, cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis can probably cause neck pains.
• Nerve compression – The presence of bone spurs in your neck bone can compress the nerves on your spinal cord, causing neck pains.

• Muscle strains – Spending too much time hunched over your electronic gadgets or just simply gritting your teeth can strain your neck muscles, causing neck pain.
• Injuries – Whiplash injuries that generally occur when your head is repeatedly jerked forward and backward during rear-end car collisions could strain the soft tissues on your neck, causing neck pain.

Signs and Symptoms of Neck Pain

Seek medical attention at any reliable health center if you experience any of the following signs and symptoms:

• Severe tightness and spasms on the neck muscles
• Continuous pain when you position your neck in certain positions, for example, when reading.
• Severe headaches
• Reduced ability to move your head

When Should You Consult Your Doctor?

You can treat minor neck pains with just simple home treatments but, if you experience severe neck pains that result from major accidents such as a fall, you should call your doctor, especially if your neck pain:

• Persists for several days
• Is severe
• Spreads to other parts of your body, i.e., arms
• Is accompanied by numbness, weakness, or tingling

How is Neck Pain Treated?

Depending on the extent of your neck injury, Dr. McNulty of the Las Vegas Neurosurgical Institute in Las Vegas recommends the following reliable treatment options to address your neck pain, that include:

• Cervical disc replacement
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Physical therapy
• Cervical fusion reconstruction
• Spinal injections
• Nerve block injections

Prevention Measures Against Neck Pain

To help you protect yourself from neck pains below, are some basic tips that could help you:

• Frequently take breaks: If you tend to work for long hours on your computer, you should take breaks to stretch your neck and shoulders.
• Maintain a good posture: Always make sure your ears are directly over your shoulders when sitting or standing.
• You should accordingly adjust your desk and chair to keep your knees at a slightly lower level than your hips.
• Avoid placing your phone between your shoulder and ear as you talk, and use a speakerphone or a headset instead.
• Avoid smoking as this could increase the chances of you having neck pains.

Conclusion

If you happen to have any neck problems, consult Dr. Patrick McNulty, MD, FABOS, FABSS, an award-winning orthopedic surgeon and a double board-certified spine specialist at the Las Vegas neurosurgical Institute in Las Vegas. You can also make an appointment online or contact McNulty Spine to receive expert treatment and diagnosis for your neck pains today.