Do You Have To Live With Severe Neck Pain?
If you can't work, sleep, or exercise properly because of severe neck pain, you may think there's nothing you can do to relieve it. Although neck pain can be discouraging for you, you don't have to accept or live with it. A pain management specialist can discover why your neck hurts so much in the first place. Learn more about severe neck pain and how you and a doctor can manage it below.
Where Did Your Neck Pain Originate?
Almost 75 percent of people around the world will develop or experience neck pain during their lifetime. But not all adults will seek or find treatment for their neck pain. Some adults will try to treat their pain at home with homemade and store-bought remedies. However, neck pain doesn't always begin in the neck, which makes it very difficult to self-diagnose and treat.
The pain in your neck can originate, or begin, in your spine, hips, or both. The bones and nerves in your neck, spine, and hip region interconnect. If the nerves become pinched, they can radiate or send pain throughout the upper body area. The pain can be worse in the smallest areas of the spine, including the neck muscles and bones.
While it may be possible for you to alleviate some of your pain at home, you want to reach out to a pain management doctor for assistance as well.
Why Types of Neck Pain Treatments Do You Need?
A doctor can diagnose the severe pain in your neck using a variety of techniques. A doctor may examine the tissues in your neck, spine, and hips with X-rays, CT scans, or both. If needed, a doctor may use nerve conduction studies to determine the cause or origin of your neck pain.
A physician may also physically check to see if you have pinched nerves in your upper body. If the nerves are trapped or pinched, you will have problems raising your arms, closing your fingers, shrugging your shoulders, or turning your head back and forth. The muscles in your body may also become spasmodic, twitchy, and weak.
If you have a trapped nerve anywhere in the upper body, a doctor will manage it with:
- steroid injections
- physical therapy
- non-invasive surgery
If there's another reason for your severe neck pain, a doctor will address it accordingly.
Learn more about the causes and treatments for severe neck pain by contacting a pain management specialist today.
