If you suffer from neck pain, you are not alone. Neck pain ranks among the most commonly reported pain conditions, according to a survey by the National Institutes of Health. The spine is made up of 24 bones called vertebrae, and the first seven of those comprise the cervical spine, or neck. Though the neck may make up a small portion of the spine, it still remains vulnerable to pain and discomfort that can be caused by any number of reasons.
Types of neck pain
Neck pain is typically characterized in one of two ways: acute or chronic. Acute neck pain is caused by trauma or injury to the neck and often involves damage to the soft tissue or bone from sudden movement or impact that severely twists or overstretches the neck, such as whiplash from a car accident.
Chronic neck pain is pain that lasts for a long period of time and may occur as a result of orthopedic diseases or conditions such as:
- Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
- Spondylosis (cervical disc degeneration)
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Tumors
Neck pain may also be caused by problems in other parts of the spine, such as tightness or pinched nerve that radiates into the neck. In serious cases, neck pain may involve weakness, radiating pain or numbness in the arms or legs, in which case patients are encouraged to seek immediate care from a doctor who specializes in neck pain in Houston.
Treatments for neck pain
The source of your neck pain determines the recommended course of treatment to relieve that pain. Some patients respond well to non-surgical treatments such as physical therapy, while others may require more extensive treatment to get relief from neck pain, including spinal surgery.
Some of the most common spine surgery procedures used to treat neck pain include:
- Disc replacement
- Herniated disc surgery
- Spinal fusion
- Spinal decompression
- Reconstructive spinal surgery
If you are suffering from neck pain, contact the trusted neck pain doctor in Houston, Dr. Vivek Kushwaha. Dr. Kushwaha offers patients suffering from neck pain in Houston advanced diagnostics and surgical options to treat spinal conditions like neck pain so they can get back to living life. To pinpoint the cause of your neck pain, contact the experienced doctor who specializes in neck pain in Houston today.