Neck Pain

The cervical vertebrae in your neck have very little support, unlike the rest of your spine, which makes neck pain a common problem. If your neck pain persists or worsens, visit the Balcones Pain Consultants team at their offices in Austin, Cedar Park, or Marble Falls, Texas. The experienced pain doctors offer a range of effective interventions for neck pain, including epidural steroid injections and radiofrequency ablation. For effective relief of neck pain without surgery, call Balcones Pain Consultants today or schedule an appointment online.

What is neck pain?

The neck (cervical spine) is a complex network of bones, joints, muscles, and nerves, any of which could suffer damage or deterioration that results in neck pain.

You might get pain in the neck itself, but it often originates farther down your back. Neck pain can also radiate to your shoulders and down your arms, or you might get a headache from muscle tension in your neck.

Pain in your neck may be sore and tender, dull and achy, or sharp and stabbing, and can make turning your head difficult.

What causes neck pain?

Neck pain may be acute or chronic. Acute neck pain typically results from an injury like whiplash, where the muscles and connective tissues overstretch or tear. Injuries like these, which often happen in auto accidents or on the sports field, can also misalign the neck bones (cervical vertebrae).

Neck pain often arises from degenerative or wear-and-tear conditions that typically start causing problems in mid to later life. These conditions include:

• Facet joint arthritis
• Osteoporosis (which weakens the bones and causes compression fractures)
• Bone spurs
• Thickened ligaments
• Degenerative disc disease
• Disc herniation
• Nerve compression (cervical radiculopathy)

Scoliosis (abnormal spinal curvature), herniated discs, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer can also lead to neck pain.

Overuse or repetitive strain often causes tissue irritation, inflammation, and persistent or recurring neck pain. Overuse occurs if you move your neck the same way repeatedly, usually at work or when playing sports.

You can also get neck pain from poor posture, lifting with a poor technique, and sleeping with your head at an unnatural angle.

What symptoms might accompany neck pain?

In addition to neck pain, you might be stiff and have difficulties moving your head. Grinding sensations and crunching noises (crepitus) are common with neck pain. Nerve compression often makes neck pain spread into the arms.

To determine what’s causing your neck pain, your Balcones Pain Consultants provider performs a physical exam and orders X-rays or a CT or MRI scan. Other diagnostic tests help isolate the nerves affected by radiculopathy, including electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests.

How is neck pain treated?

The treatments your Balcones Pain Consultants provider suggests for your neck pain might include:

• Rest
• Activity modification
• Ice and heat packs
• Muscle relaxant medications
• Manual manipulation
• Anti-inflammatories
• Physical therapy
• Biologics like platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
• Epidural steroid injections
• Facet joint injections
• Nerve blocks

Radiofrequency ablation and spinal cord stimulation are also available for treatment-resistant neck pain.

Find a solution for your neck pain by calling Balcones Pain Consultants today or book an appointment online.