What Is The Best Neck Pain Treatment 2019?
Between 20 – 70% of adults in the U.S. will experience neck pain that interferes with their daily lives. This pain can either be chronic neck pain, or neck pain that comes and goes in waves. It may range from pain that radiates from the neck to the shoulder as a result of a pinched nerve, or a stiff neck that just won’t go away. Neck pain can cause a lot of discomfort, and it’s important to know what’s causing the pain and the best way to treat neck pain. That’s why it is recommended to seek medical advice from a Board Certified pain doctor.
First, we’ll take a look at the reasons why you should consider conservative treatment options to treat neck pain. Then, we’ll look at the best ways to treat neck pain that avoids unnecessary surgeries and narcotics.
Neck Pain Treatment 2019 | Is Surgery Necessary?
One of the first questions that people ask in regards to targeting pain is ‘does this require surgery?’. The short answer is: no. Nowadays, many orthopedic surgeons hastily suggest surgery to treat a range of pain conditions. However, unnecessary surgeries can carry many complications and risks. These include:
- Blood clots
- Long recovery periods
- Problems with anesthesia (including allergic reactions and complications)
- Wound site infections
In addition to the above complications and risks, undergoing and recovering from surgical procedures requires long-term pain medication and NSAIDs. Recently, research is beginning to shed light on the negative health consequences associated with taking long-term narcotics and other drugs. It is no secret that the U.S. is currently facing an opioid epidemic, and yet many doctors continue to offer surgery and narcotics as the only way to treat neck pain.
The good news is that there are many successful, conservative treatment options available to treat neck pain and that facilitate a fast recovery period. These procedures are minimally invasive and maximally effective. Board Certified pain doctors are leaders in the field of pain medicine and have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in assessing and treating different pain conditions. It is the goal of pain doctors to help you get back to your daily lifestyle as soon as possible and with minimal health complications. Let’s take a look at some of the best conservative neck pain treatments.
The Top 3 Neck Pain Treatments
Now that we’ve discussed why it’s important to visit a Board Certified pain doctor, let’s take a look at the latest conservative neck pain treatment options. The following procedures draw upon the latest techniques in regenerative medicine whilst combining the body’s own ability to heal.
Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection
This treatment option is an excellent way to feel the benefits of instant pain relief. During this procedure, your pain doctor locates the epidural space where the irritated and/ or pinched nerve is causing the pain. Next, they will inject a steroid into the epidural space of your spine to directly target this area of pain. This will help to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling and will provide effective neck pain relief.
Cervical Facet Block Injection
This procedure is a very fast and minimally invasive way to target neck pain. It is most commonly used in patients that have arthritis. First, your pain doctor will select the facet joints in your cervical spine to directly target the area of pain and inflammation. Next, they will inject a small amount of local anesthetic and a steroid medicine. This ensures that you are comfortable and that your pain is significantly reduced. After this, your pain doctor will use a fluoroscopic device to guide them as they numb and inject the area of pain. One or two cervical facet block injections are most commonly used to maximize pain relief.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections are used to target sensitive areas in the body. These sensitive areas are usually located in muscles and connective tissue and can be painful if they are touched or used a lot of the time. Usually, these sensitive areas can create knots which occur when the muscles contract too much and are unable to relax. Trigger point injections are therefore a great way to deactivate these trigger points that are causing aching and pain.
During this procedure, your pain doctor will insert a small needle into the trigger point. This facilitates the release of a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid drug. It is a highly effective neck pain treatment because it has no side effects or risks and can provide long-term pain relief.
Why Should I Visit A Pain Doctor?
As we have seen, there are many effective neck pain treatments 2019 that avoid the need for unnecessary surgery and long-term narcotics. It’s important to seek medical advice from a Board Certified pain doctor who can accurately assess, diagnose and treat a range of pain conditions.
Pain doctors are leaders in pain medicine and have an abundance of knowledge, skill and expertise in treating different types of functional pain. It’s important to understand why you’re struggling with neck pain and how best it can be treated. Neck pain can be due to a range of medical conditions and causes, ranging from cervical spondylosis to an injury or pinched nerve. That’s why it’s important to seek medical advice from a pain doctor who will be able to assess your pain and provide exceptional treatment options.
Pain doctors begin by taking a verbal medical history from their patients and may even order scans (like X-Rays and ultrasounds) to gain a picture of the problem area. In addition to these images, they may order blood tests to rule out underlying causes or other health conditions. Next, pain doctors establish a treatment plan by selecting the best non-invasive way to treat neck pain. They can also recommend the best physical therapists to provide you with ways to gently stretch the area of pain. Pain doctors are also known to prescribe muscle relaxants and advice to ensure you make a fast and healthy recovery.
If you’re suffering with neck pain, consider seeking medical advice from a Board Certified pain doctor. At the VIP Medical Group, our team of Ivy League and Board Certified pain doctors are the leading experts in treating pain through conservative medical procedures. They are based in state-of-the-art facilities with access to the latest techniques in regenerative medicine and are on-hand to listen to your concerns and get you back to full health as soon as possible.