Once you develop neck pain, you have a 50-50 chance that it will turn into a chronic condition. With treatment from Risa Ravitz, MD, at Modern Migraine MD, you can better the odds and get effective pain relief. As a board-certified neurologist, Dr. Ravitz provides comprehensive care for neck pain and offers prompt in-person or telemedicine appointments. If you need neck pain relief, book an appointment online or call the office in Toms River, New Jersey, Aventura, Florida, or the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City today. Telemedicine appointments are availabile in multiple states.
When neck pain develops due to injury, the top causes include athletic activities and whiplash injuries, often due to a car accident.
Your neck is such a vulnerable structure that any type of injury can easily cause nerve damage. For that reason, it's important to get a prompt neurological evaluation at Modern Migraine MD.
Beyond injuries, neck pain often occurs due to neck strain and natural degeneration in the spinal tissues. Degeneration leads to painful neck conditions such as:
These conditions frequently cause neurological problems by pinching the nerves running through your neck.
Whether your pain is dull, sharp, mild, or severe, chances are you have a stiff neck and limited head movement. Problems in your neck often cause headaches and dizziness.
When you have a spinal condition compressing the nerves, you may also develop nerve-related symptoms such as pain and tingling that travel through your arms. If you have severe nerve damage, your arm may get numb, or the muscle could weaken.
In most cases, neck pain heals with conservative care. Modern Migraine MD may recommend gentle stretching exercises, avoiding movements and activities that stress your neck, and anti-inflammatory medications.
Though you may need a soft cervical collar to help stabilize your neck while it heals, wearing a collar too long has the opposite effect. The support makes your muscles weaken, and your recovery slows down.
Dr. Ravitz may also talk with you about a variety of holistic or alternative therapies that can strengthen your neck and improve mobility. For example, you may want to consider massage, yoga, acupuncture, or spinal manipulation.
If your pain doesn't improve, the next step in your treatment might include physical therapy, steroid injections, and pain management techniques such as nerve blocks or radiofrequency ablation.
And if you complete all the possible conservative treatments and still have neck pain, Dr. Ravitz talks with you about options for minimally invasive surgery to repair the underlying problem. For example, you may get the pain relief you need when a surgeon removes a bone spur or repairs a herniated disc.
If you need prompt care for neck pain, call Modern Migraine MD or book an appointment online today.