Neck Pain Treatment
There are many different kinds of treatment available for you to overcome neck pain. It includes: applying an ice pack to the injured area to relieve pain, doing exercise or having physical therapy to make your neck flexible, and changing activities and body mechanics to avoid reinjuring yourself. The specific treatment may be determined by the causes of your neck pain. So it is very important for you whether your pain is caused by activities, an injury, or another medical condition. Home treatment has been found to be the most effective way.
Because repeated or prolonged movements to the neck’s muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, or joints are usually the major cause of neck pain, nonsurgical treatment is usually effective. Most cases of neck pain caused by activities resolve within 4 to 6 weeks.
Acute neck pain
For sudden (acute) neck pain:
Ice pack is an ideal option. Get in a comfortable position and place an ice pack on the sore for 48 to 72 hours. Your pain, muscle spasm, or swelling will be relieved greatly. If the affected area is near the shoulder or upper back, put ice on the back of the neck. In addition, ice massage is also found to be beneficial. Massage the sore with ice for 7 to 10 minutes, your pain will be relieved. Ice frozen in a paper cup proves to be very effective. Beware lest it cause harm to your skin(frostbite).
Neck Pain Home Remedies
Neck Pain and Injuries
Whiplash Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Home and Medical Treatment for Whiplash
Neck Exercises for Neck Pain Relief
Neck Pain Treatment Options
How is the Neck Pain Diagnosed?
Neck Pain Symptoms and Signs
Surgery for Neck Pain Relief
Medications for Neck Pain Relief
Neck Pain Prevention and Relief
Physical Therapy for Neck Pain Treatment
Home Remedies for Neck Pain
Effective Neck Pain Treatment Options
Causes of Neck Pain
Use heat with caution as this can increase swelling. Avoid things, such as hot showers, hot tubs, hot packs, or alcoholic beverages, for the first 48 hours after an injury. After 48 to 72 hours, if swelling has gone done, you can use heat. Use a warm pack or heating pad set on low. Alternate use of heat and cold treatment is recommended by some experts.
Resume your normal daily activities as soon as possible. Normal activities are of great help to the elimination of some symptoms after a neck-strain injury. It had been proved to be more effective than resting in bed and using neck immobilization.
Gently massage or rub the affected area to lessen pain and speed up blood circulation. Stop massaging the injured area if the pain increases. Nonprescription creams or gels, such as Bengay, may help to alleviate your pain.
Take analgesics. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) may be helpful in alleviating your pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin (such as Bayer), ibuprofen (such as Advil), or naproxen sodium (such as Aleve), is helpful in relieving pain and reducing inflammation. Be careful not to use aspirin if you are below 20 years old or you are at the risk of Reye syndrome.
For severe pain or muscle spasm, your doctor also may prescribe:
Muscle relaxants, which is used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain when neck pain begins. They consists of diazepam (such as Valium), cyclobenzaprine (such as Flexeril), and carisoprodol (such as Soma).
Narcotic analgesics, which is able to provide relief of severe neck pain in the short term. They consist of codeine, acetaminophen and hydrocodone (such as Vicodin, Lortab), aspirin and oxycodone (such as Percodan), and acetaminophen and oxycodone (such as Percocet).
The treatment that proves to be effective to you may bring a completely different result to someone else with neck pain. Some treatments are under more research than other. However, many treatments for neck pain have studied insufficiently even though they are frequently used. According to a review of studies, there is possibility that exercise and manual therapy, used either separately or together, is beneficial in the treatment of simple neck pain.
It may be suggested by your doctor that you wear a cervical collar to support your neck. Cervical collars may provide relief of your neck pain, be it shouldn’t be worn for long periods of time, usually a day or two. Look at a picture of a cervical collar.
Chronic neck pain
The treatment used for acute pain may apply to the treatment of long-lasting (chronic) neck pain, but there is no need for you to worry about swelling. Your doctor may give you prescription for other medicines, such as antidepressants. These include doxepin (such as Sinequan) and amitriptyline.
You can assist in healing and avoid further injury by:
Physical therapy. For home treatment, heat and massage may help. A physical therapist can instruct you exercises to do at home. These can increase the flexibility of your neck and prevent stiffness.
Do not take any activities that may be resulting in your neck pain, such as working on computer for long or working overhead.
Keep good health habits. If you are under great pressure, try to relax yourself at work and home. Quit smoking. Smoking will exert a negative effect on your treatment. It results in slow healing and insufficient blood supply and slow issue repair. Exercise regularly, including aerobic exercise such as walking. If you want to know more, please consult the topics Stress Management, Quitting Smoking, and Fitness.
Applying manual therapy. A skillful practitioner may use slow twisting, pulling, or pushing movements. Using slow, measured movements is known as “mobilization.” Avoiding fierce movements is known as “manipulation.” Consult your doctor before trying manual therapy.
Neck Pain Surgery
Few neck pain suffers depend on surgery to relieve their pain. surgery plays an leading part in treating neck pain resulted from pressure on the nerve roots or spinal cord, a severe injury in which one has broken a neck bone(vertebra), a tumor, infection, or a spinal condition such as narrowing of the spinal canal (cervical spinal stenosis) or arthritis of the neck (cervical spondylosis). Surgical options include:
Discectomy (with or without fusion). If you want to know more, please consult the Surgery section of the topic Herniated Disc.
Cervical spinal fusion, in which selected bones in the neck are put (fused) together through surgery.
Spinal decompression, in which pressure is reduced on the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots by removing part of a bone or disc.
What to Think About
An overview of studies reports that:
Exercise has been found to be more efficacious in relieving pain than medicine for muscle pain or spasm, stress management, or no exercise.
Whether medicines, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), ice and heat, soft cervical collars, or special pillows are efficacious for neck pain hasn’t been decided.
According to a small study, women with chronic neck pain persisted in neck endurance and strengthening exercises for 1 year had less pain and disability than people with chronic neck pain did not carry on the exercises.
Doing neck movement to keep it work well and speed up healing. Generally speaking, people are not recommended to wear cervical collars. But it can speed up healing after a surgery or for a day or two after a neck sprain.
Treatment may not exert remarkable influence on people who suffer chronic pain syndrome and its related problems, such as depression or drug dependence. Counseling as well as medical treatment may speed up recovery.