Neck Pain Treatment in Castle Rock
What Causes Neck Pain?
Neck pain is one of the most common pain complaints and can come from many different structures. Effective treatment depends on identifying which structure is the source. The most common causes of neck pain treated in a pain management setting include:
Cervical facet arthritis: Arthritis of the small joints along the back of the cervical spine. Causes aching neck pain and stiffness that is worse with looking up, turning the head, and prolonged positions. This is the most common cause of chronic neck pain in adults over 40. More on the facet arthritis page.
Cervical disc herniation: When disc material pushes out and compresses a nerve root in the neck, it causes pain that radiates into the shoulder, arm, or hand (cervical radiculopathy). More on the disc herniation page and the radiculopathy page.
Cervical spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck can compress the spinal cord or nerve roots, causing arm pain, numbness, weakness, or in severe cases, difficulty with balance and coordination. More on the spinal stenosis page.
Whiplash: Neck injury from a rapid back-and-forth motion, most commonly from a car accident. Whiplash can damage the facet joints, discs, muscles, and ligaments. More on the whiplash page.
Cervicogenic headaches: Headaches that originate from the upper cervical spine (typically the C2-C3 facet joints or the greater occipital nerve). The pain starts in the neck and radiates into the back of the head, temple, or behind the eye.
Muscle strain: Acute muscle injuries from poor posture, sleeping position, or overuse. These typically resolve within days to weeks with rest, stretching, and anti-inflammatory medications.
Symptoms That Require Urgent Evaluation
Most neck pain does not require emergency care. However, seek immediate evaluation if you experience progressive weakness in one or both arms, difficulty with balance or coordination, new difficulty walking, loss of bowel or bladder control, neck pain with fever, or severe pain after trauma (fall, car accident). These may indicate spinal cord compression or other serious conditions.
How is Neck Pain Evaluated?
Dr. Carrera's team evaluates neck pain through a detailed history, physical and neurological examination, and review of imaging. The exam helps distinguish between pain from the facet joints, discs, nerves, or muscles. An MRI is often the most useful imaging study for neck pain. The team correlates imaging findings with your symptoms to determine the pain generator before recommending treatment.
How is Neck Pain Treated?
Treatment depends on the cause:
Facet-mediated neck pain: Facet joint injections, medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for longer-lasting relief. RFA of cervical facet joints provides 6 to 18 months of relief per treatment.
Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve): Transforaminal or interlaminar epidural injections to reduce inflammation around the compressed nerve.
Whiplash: A combination of medications, physical therapy, and facet treatments depending on which structures were injured. See the whiplash page.
Cervicogenic headaches: Occipital nerve blocks, C2-C3 facet injections, or RFA depending on the source.
Medications: NSAIDs (meloxicam), muscle relaxants (for acute spasm), and nerve-calming medications (gabapentin, pregabalin) for radiculopathy.
Physical therapy: Postural correction, cervical stabilization exercises, and stretching are important for nearly all types of neck pain.
Schedule an Evaluation
If your neck pain has lasted more than a few weeks, is radiating into your arm, or is limiting your ability to work or sleep, Dr. Carrera's team can evaluate the source and recommend targeted treatment.