Our Services / Neck Pain

What is neck pain?

Neck pain is a feeling of discomfort that affects your cervical spine or surrounding tissues. The pain could be mild, severe, or long-lasting. See Dr. Kumar if you have debilitating neck pain that negatively affects your life.

What are the symptoms of neck pain?

If you have damaged tissues in your neck, you might experience some of the following symptoms:

• Sharp pain
• Muscle soreness
• Tenderness
• Dull aching
• Stiffness
• Reduced range of motion
• Swelling 
• Bruising 
• Redness
• Warmth
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Burning pain
• Radiating discomfort
• Muscle weakness
• Headaches 

Dr. Kumar works to find the root cause of neck pain to create the most appropriate treatment. He treats the underlying problem to avoid simply masking your discomfort.

What are the risk factors for neck pain?

Causes and risk factors commonly associated with neck pain include:

• Muscle strains
• Overuse
• Worn-down joints
• Arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Narrowed spinal canal
• Pinched nerves
• Herniated discs
• Bulging discs
• Bone spurs
• Cancer
• Meningitis
• Injuries
• Scoliosis
• Whiplash
• Stress
• Muscle tension
• Older age

You might experience a neck injury because of a car accident, work injury, sports-related injury, age-related wear-and-tear, falling down, improper lifting techniques, or poor posture.

How does my provider diagnose the cause of neck pain?

To determine the cause of neck pain and help you find relief, Dr. Kumar reviews your symptoms and medical history. He checks your vital signs and complete a physical exam to assess neck joint structure, function, and range of motion. Dr. Kumar could also suggest blood tests, MRIs, X-rays, CT scans, or nerve testing.

How is neck pain treated?

Common neck pain treatments include:

Home remedies
Steps you can take at home to reduce neck pain include wearing a brace, using ice or heat packs, resting your neck, massage, and using good posture. Sleep in a comfortable position, don’t smoke, and avoid carrying heavy bags over your shoulder.

Medications
Taking certain medicines can reduce swelling, neck discomfort, or the underlying cause of neck pain.

Physical therapy
Strengthening neck tissues with physical therapy exercises and stretching your neck can speed up healing and reduce neck pain. It also diminishes your risk of future neck problems. 

Injections
Steroid and other injections can diminish pain and inflammation and speed up healing.

Electrical nerve stimulation
Electrical nerve stimulation emits electrical energy into nerves to reduce pain signals.

Radiofrequency ablation
Radiofrequency ablation uses heat energy to destroy nerves that carry pain signals to your brain, thereby reducing neck discomfort. 

Surgery
Dr. Kumar sometimes recommends neck surgery to reduce spinal cord compression, nerve problems, or other underlying causes of neck pain.

To learn more about neck pain treatments available at Spine & Pain Specialists of the Carolinas, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.