Chronic Neck Pain Management: Nonsurgical Solutions that May Help

Neck pain, medically termed cervicalgia, is pain in or around the cervical spine, the first seven vertebrae from the base of your skull. Neck pain is common, affecting 10%-20% of adults. It’s more common in women, and you’re more likely to develop it as you get older.

Chronic neck pain is pain that lasts three months or longer, and it can interfere with your daily activities and reduce your quality of life if it goes untreated. However, most cases aren’t serious and respond to conservative (nonsurgical) treatments.

At Iseveretional Pain Center in Legacy Office Park, Norman, Oklahoma, interventional pain medicine physician Dr. James Stephens offers effective neck pain treatments that resolve the underlying cause and restore proper musculoskeletal functioning. If you’re dealing with chronic neck pain, here’s what you need to know about your nonsurgical solutions.

What causes neck pain?

Chronic neck pain has many potential causes, including:

Physical strain

If you regularly engage in repetitive or strenuous activities, such as serving a tennis ball or shooting a basketball, your neck muscles can become stiff and painful.

Neck muscles can become strained, too, with poor posture, weak abdominal muscles, and heavier-than-healthy body weight, as they affect your spine’s alignment.

And an increasingly common cause of physical stress is what’s known as “tech neck,” the act of tilting your head downward for long periods to look at your phone or a computer screen.

Mental stress

Some people, when stressed, unconsciously tighten their neck muscles. Doing this too forcefully or too often can lead to chronic pain and stiffness.

Aging

As you age, a lifetime’s worth of wear-and-tear can cause the cartilage in your neck joints to degenerate. In response, the body may create small bone spurs that affect the joint’s motion and lead to the chronic pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis. Spurs can also press on sensitive nerve roots, leading to pain that radiates down the back and arm.

The spine can also narrow over time, a condition called stenosis; the narrowed space compromises nerves and nerve roots, leading to pain.

In addition, the cushiony intervertebral discs can dehydrate and/or herniate, allowing the vertebrae to rub against each other and the herniated material to press on sensitive nerves.

Injury

Trauma and other injuries can damage muscles, ligaments, discs, joints, and nerve roots in your spinal cord, causing neck pain. Whiplash from car accidents is a common injury that causes neck pain.

Nonsurgical solutions that help with chronic neck pain

Surgery is rarely warranted for neck pain, even when it’s chronic. Here are several effective nonsurgical solutions you can try.

Pain meds and muscle relaxers

Medicines, including over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can ease neck pain and inflammation. If you need something stronger, prescription muscle relaxers can help your neck muscles heal. Both are common first-line treatments for neck pain.

Proper ergonomics

Make sure when you’re looking at a screen that you’re sitting straight, with your feet flat on the floor and aligned with your hips. Your screen should be at eye level so you don’t have to tilt your head forward or downward.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy employs targeted exercises and movements that strengthen the muscles and tendons in your neck, decreasing pain and improving range of motion.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit

A TENS unit is an OTC device that applies a low-level electrical current through the skin near the affected nerves to disrupt the pain signal, causing discomfort. Always check with Dr. Stephens before using a TENS unit to make sure this treatment is right for you.

Steroid injections

The doctor injects an anesthetic mixed with a steroid near the affected nerve roots, reducing inflammation and pain.

Alternative therapies

Alternative therapies can also be effective. Acupuncture reduces inflammation and pain, massage loosens tightened or knotted muscles, and osteopathy or chiropractic can help align your spine — all work to decrease pain levels.

If you’re experiencing neck pain and are looking for nonsurgical solutions, Interventional Pain Center can help. To learn more or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Stephens, call the office at 405-759-8407 or use our online booking tool today.