Neck Pain Treatment: Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Neck pain can also be termed as ‘neck osteoarthritis’, ‘cervical disc disease’ and ‘cervical spondylosis’. Neck pain can arise due to a variety of reasons. Generally, a pain on the neck is caused due to constant exposure by an kind of weight on the vertebral column of the spine. It can start at any age but mostly occurs in men and women after 40.

The neck is responsible for the motion of your skill and shoulders. If the neck is exposed to any abnormalities, pressure, injury or inflammation, it can cause stiffness of the neck. Most neck pains and stiffness occur due to incorrect maintenance of posture or over use. Hence, many people often complain of neck pain and stiffness.

In most cases, neck pain can be relieved in a matter of days and is thus not considered to be of a great deal. But sometimes, constant pain in the neck can indicate a serious injury to the spine that needs to be surgically tended to.

Neck pain mostly affects 75% of people in the working sector, due to exposure to the same posture for long hours. It can also occur due to a wrong position during sleep, or a muscle pull due to exercising.

The neck is a very sensitive area which is prone to any and every kind of injury due to a dall, hit or crash. The neck, being highly susceptible to damage, also poses as a threat since it brings the spinal cord to a risk as well. Any serious injury or fracture to the neck can definitely affect the spinal cord.

Since neck pains are generally common and mostly do not indicate signs of threat, it can be treated with the help of ointments or sprays that would relieve the sprain in a few days and heal the neck.

If the neck pan prolongs for days with no signs of recovery, a doctor needs to be consulted. The doctor would need a background check of the patient’s medical history. This would be followed by a physical examination which would include checking for pain, motion in the neck, reflexes, nerve and muscle function in the neck, arms and legs.

If the doctor feels the injury is serious, tests can be conducted which would include an X-ray to get an idea of how badly the neck has been affected. CT scans can be followed as well. This can also be done via an MRI, EMG or myelogram.

Resting plays a crucial role in relieving any kind of pain. In cases of mild neck pain, treatment can be done at home by taking ample amount of rest and staying away from straining activities for a couple of days.

Physical therapy can also be done to heal the neck. This consists of a hot and cold therapy, exercises that would help stretch the neck and shoulders and open up the muscles, massage therapy, etc.

Surgery might be required in extreme cases of neck pain, where the pain arises due to a fracture or severe injury. This may include the removal or replacement of the bone, or disc tissues of the spinal cord.

Neck pain treatments do not generally have many side effects but the most common ones could include headaches and numbness on the day of the treatment.

Mostly, neck pains get treated in a couple of days. However for extreme cases, it may take upto 3 or 4 weeks to completely heal.

In India, the price range for the treatment of neck pain varies. For mild cases, it would not cost more than Rs. 1,000. For severe cases, it might go up to Rs, 50, 000.

No, the results of the treatment are not permanent