Neck Pain

Neck pain severity ranges from mild discomfort to agony so severe you can’t move your head. Visit fellowship-trained neurosurgeon Praveen Reddy, MD, M.Ch, and the team at the Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, PLLC, which has five prominent locations in Spring, Kingwood, Conroe, Willis, The Woodlands, Texas, if your neck pain is severe or home remedies don’t help. The team uses cutting-edge technology to perform cervical spine surgery, resolving neck pain and lost function. Call the nearest Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, PLLC, office for expert neck pain evaluation and treatment, or request one using the online booking feature today.

What’s causing my neck pain?

Your neck pain could be due to various causes, including:

Injuries

Neck trauma (whiplash) is a common auto accident injury. It typically occurs when a rear-end collision snaps the head forward and back with significant force. Playing sports and falls can also cause acute neck injuries and pain. Overuse injuries take longer to develop. They result from repeated movements over long periods causing irritation and inflammation.

Spinal abnormalities

Spinal abnormalities include scoliosis (a spine that curves to the sides), kyphosis (a rounded or humped upper back), and lordosis (abnormal inward curvature in the lumbar (lower) spine.

Tumors

Cancerous and noncancerous growths can develop in the neck and head that might cause pain.

Age-related disorders

Common age-related disorders that often cause neck pain include osteoarthritis, herniated discs, and degenerative disc disease. Osteoarthritis affects the spine’s facet joints when the protective cartilage erodes over the years. Discs weakened by degenerative disc disease are more likely to bulge or herniate.

These problems cause spinal stenosis, making the spinal canal too narrow for the nerves exiting your spinal cord. That can result in cervical radiculopathy (nerve compression in the neck vertebrae).

What can I do if I have neck pain?

A mild muscle strain or discomfort from sleeping with your head at an odd angle should wear off in a day or two. Ice packs, hot compresses, and anti-inflammatory pain medication can also help.

For anything more severe or long-lasting, you should seek a professional diagnosis and treatment at the Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, PLLC. Treatments the team might recommend for neck pain include conservative approaches like physical therapy and posture correction. You may need to wear a soft neck collar for a short time.

If conservative treatments don’t relieve neck pain, cervical spine injections could help. These contain steroid medication (a powerful anti-inflammatory) and/or a local anesthetic. You might benefit from an epidural, facet joint, or other injection, depending on your condition.

Is surgery an option for neck pain?

Surgery might be appropriate for neck pain if no other treatments work or are suitable. The Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, PLLC, specializes in tissue-sparing minimally invasive techniques like endoscopic and robotic-assisted spine surgery.

Decompression widens the spinal canal. If you have a disc problem, microdiscectomy (partial disc removal) or discectomy (removing the entire disc) might be necessary. Afterward, you may need to undergo spinal fusion or artificial disc replacement to strengthen and stabilize the spine.

If you have a tumor, your surgeon removes as much of it as possible while avoiding spinal cord damage.

Call the Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, PLLC, for prompt and effective neck pain treatment, or book an appointment online today.