Treatment for neck pain

Neck pain may be common, but it doesn’t have to interfere with your life. If you have neck pain that doesn’t seem to go away, you may want to try medical or surgical treatment. There are many noninvasive and minimally invasive options that can bring relief.

At Advocate Health Care, our spine team provides comprehensive neck pain treatment. We work with you to find the treatment plan that best meets your needs, goals and preferences while effectively reducing neck pain.

Should I go to a doctor for neck pain?

If you have neck pain after a long day at the office, it typically goes away within a few days. But if neck pain persists for several weeks or longer, it’s time to see a spine specialist. You may need additional treatments to target the pain or treat an underlying condition.

You should always see a health care provider if neck pain develops after a traumatic injury, such as a sports injury or car accident. Seek immediate care if you have any red-flag symptoms along with neck pain, such as a fever or muscle weakness.

Therapy treatments for neck pain

Usually, neck pain treatment starts with nonsurgical options. Your provider may recommend trying these therapies for several weeks before considering further medical or surgical treatment.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient practice that involves placing small needles into specific points on your body. To treat neck pain, your acupuncturist may place these needles along your neck, back or other places.

Depending on the treatment method, you may lie on your stomach or back or sit in a slightly reclined position. Regular acupuncture can help reduce stress and relieve neck pain for many people.

Massage

A licensed massage therapist helps relieve tension and soreness by loosening tight neck muscles. Regular massages can help you relax, boost endorphins and decrease chronic stiffness. You may also sleep better, which can help with healing from or preventing neck pain.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy involves a set of prescribed exercises designed to improve strength, flexibility and range of motion. A physical therapist may also teach you how to move during your day-to-day activities to prevent future injury.

You usually practice physical therapy exercises during in-office visits and at home between appointments. Your health care provider may recommend physical therapy as a standalone treatment, or you may attend physical therapy while healing from neck surgery.

Medical and surgical treatments for neck pain

If noninvasive therapies don’t relieve your neck pain, your provider may recommend medical or surgical options. These treatments help decrease pain signals, reduce inflammation or treat underlying conditions causing neck pain.

Medication

Many people treat neck pain with over-the-counter pain medications. Common options include ibuprofen (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), acetaminophen or naproxen.

Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe pain medication. Because prescription painkillers can be addictive, health care providers don’t usually recommend them as a first-line treatment. Your doctor may only prescribe them on a short-term basis, such as during surgery recovery.

Injections

Your provider injects pain medication or a jelly-like lubricant into injured neck tissue to help relieve pain. Injections can delay the need for surgery or help you avoid it altogether. Types of injections include:

• Cervical epidural steroid injections can help relieve nerve root inflammation. Your provider injects a steroid medicine into the space between your spinal bones and spinal cord (epidural space).
• Facet joint injections can help relieve osteoarthritis inflammation around the joints that connect your spinal bones (facet joints). Your provider typically uses a combination of steroid medication and local anesthetic (numbing medication).
• Trigger point injections can help relax trigger points, areas of tight muscles that contribute to neck pain. Your provider typically injects a combination of local anesthetic and steroid medication.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a treatment that uses a small device to send electrical signals to specific nerve pathways. The TENS device attaches to your skin using small patches (electrodes) with adhesive backing. The electrodes are attached to wires that connect to the TENS device. The device then sends mild electrical impulses to your nerves to disrupt pain signals.

Spine surgery

If other treatment options don’t relieve neck pain, your spine team may recommend surgery. Advocate Health Care spine specialists use minimally invasive procedures as often as possible during neck surgery. Our spine surgeons use small incisions to lessen damage to surrounding tissues. This approach leads to faster recovery and minimal neck pain.

Neck surgery may include:

• Decompression: Your provider removes any structures in your neck that are pressing on nerves and surrounding tissue. They may remove a bone spur or herniated disc or create more space in your spinal column if it has narrowed.
• Fusion: Surgeons often combine decompression with spinal fusion. During a fusion procedure, your surgeon joins two or more of your spinal bones (vertebrae) to create stability in your spine. They may also remove a damaged or diseased disc in a procedure called a discectomy. Sometimes, your provider performs an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). During this procedure, the surgeon makes an incision in the front of the neck, removes a damaged disc and fuses your vertebrae.
• Artificial disc replacement: Your surgeon removes a diseased or damaged cervical disc and replaces it with an artificial one. A disc replacement may restore more typical range of motion than a spinal fusion.