When you feel a lot of pain in your neck, it can be a symbol of cervical pain. This injury or breakdown occurs due to wear and tear, stress, smoking, or aging. So, you should meet your doctor so he will be diagnosing all the symptoms.
The physical examination will include:
- Checking the range of motion in your neck
- He will later check for reflexes and muscle strength to understand the pressure on spinal nerves or spinal cord
- He will notice the way of your walk to understand how your spinal compression is affecting your gait.
The second stage of testing includes an imaging test. It will help the doctor in getting detailed information so that he can recommend diagnosis and treatment. It includes:
- Neck x-ray-
This x-ray helps in finding out all the abnormalities which include bone spurs that point to cervical spondylosis. It also helps in diagnosing other causes of neck pain and stiffness like tumors, infections, or fractures.
- CT Scan-
This scan is done to see the detailed image, especially of bones.
- MRI-
Another important test is MRI which helps in pinpointing the area where the pain is pinching.
- Myelography-
In this test, a dye is injected into the spinal canal so that a detailed x-ray or CT imaging can be seen.
Nerve function tests-
These tests are done to check whether nerve signals are traveling properly to your muscles or not. These tests include-
- Electromyography-
Through this test, electric activity is tested which transmits messages to your muscles while they are contracting and at rest.
- Nerve conduction study-
While conducting this test, electrodes are attached to your skin above the nerve which is creating the problem and then a mild shock is given through the nerve to measure the speed and strength of the signal given by the nerve.
Treatment
The major target of this treatment is to relieve the pain and maintain usual activities and prevent spinal cords and nerves from permanent injuries. However, the treatment depends completely on the seriousness of the signs and symptoms. Cervical Conditions Orange County makes sure to provide you with the best treatment.
Medicines
When taking over the counter pain killers doesn’t help, the doctor will prescribe you the following medicines-
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-
NSAIDs are available easily in the market but when you have severe pain, you might need the stronger formulas which will be given only when prescribed by the doctor in case of cervical pain.
- Corticosteroids-
This medicine can be taken as an oral formula but if the pain of the patient is severe, the doctor might prescribe to take an injection.
- Muscles relaxants-
These medicines help in relieving spasms in the neck.
- Anti-seizure medications-
These medicines which include gabapentin and pregabalin help in decreasing the pain of damaged nerves.
- Antidepressants-
These medicines help in easing neck pain, especially from cervical spondylosis.
Therapy
Another way to cure cervical spondylosis is through therapy. The therapist at Cervical Conditions Newport Beach will help in stretching and strengthening your muscles neck and shoulder. Traction can help many people and provide more space within the spine when nerve roots are being pinched.
Surgery
If all the above-mentioned treatment fails or other neurological symptoms which include weakness in your arms and legs get severe, the surgery is needed so that more can be treated for your spinal cord and nerve roots. This surgery mainly involves-
- removing a herniated disk or bone spurs
- removing part of a vertebra
- fusing a segment of the neck using bone graft and hardware
Home remedies-
To prevent pain, you can use the following home remedies-
- Regular exercise-
Exercise and maintaining daily activities including walking help in recovering the pain and people who do all these activities are less likely to experience neck and low back pain.
- Painkiller
Some painkillers are easily available in the market which helps in easing the pain related to cervical spondylosis.
- Heat or ice-
Using heat or ice packs help in easing the pain related to neck muscles.
- Soft neck brace-
These braces are specifically designed so that your neck muscles can rest but they should be worn only for a short duration as they weaken the neck muscles in long run.
Appointment
Orthopaedists at Cervical spine diseases Newport Beach which are specialized in spine disorders or physical therapists are required for the treatment so you should book appointments with them as per your requirements.
Things to discuss with your doctor
- symptoms of pain
- medicines and other medical conditions
- personal information affecting your pain
- family history
- your queries
- reasons for your pain
- tests that are needed to be done
- available treatment options
Expectations from your doctor
The doctor will try to understand your condition. So, for that, he will ask you various questions. Therefore, you need to prepare yourself for answering those questions. He may question like-
- Place where neck is hurting
- similar pain history
- changes in bladder or bowel control
- weakness or tingling in hands, arms, legs, or feet
- difficulty in physical activities
- measures you have tried and their results
- occupation, recreational activities, and hobbies
- whiplash or any other neck injury
Cervical spine disease Orange County is a part of a renowned organization that helps in treating spine disorders by providing you with the most advanced care. Neurosurgeon Newport Beach has a specialized team of orthopedics and surgeons along with advanced machines to diagnose the cervical better therefore if you are having any problems, book an appointment with us today and feel free to take all the consultation needed.
