There are no shortcuts to curing stiff neck. Stretching, gentle heat, and pain relievers are often the best ways to quickly reduce neck stiffness. If the neck can benefit from being immobilized for a certain period of time, we use a soft collar to achieve this. We usually use soft collars for injuries, such as whiplash, but the device can also provide support after neck surgery or to relieve pressure on the cervical spine when you have a degenerative disorder, such as cervical spondylosis.
Another great tool in the neck pain arsenal is physical therapy (PT). Through physical therapy, we can strengthen the connective tissues supporting the neck, which can alleviate pressure on the cervical spine. In addition, physical therapy is also designed to help you preserve your neck's range of motion. These injections usually include a combination of a local anaesthetic and a steroid.
The anesthetic works almost immediately to reduce pain, while the steroid works longer to treat inflammation. If you have soft tissue damage in your neck, you may benefit from regenerative medicine, which includes platelet-rich plasma and stem cell therapies. Our goal with regenerative medicine is to take advantage of the human body's natural healing resources and redirect them to areas that could use an increase in healing agents. Again, we typically only recommend surgery if we've exhausted all other options to remedy neck pain.
Physical therapy is one of the most effective non-surgical treatments for musculoskeletal pain. It includes exercises and other techniques to gradually increase muscle strength, improve mobility, restore function and reduce pain. Fanaee recommends physical therapy. Your therapist works with you to develop a treatment plan customized to your needs.
It may include exercises to improve strength and flexibility, as well as manual therapy techniques, such as massage or joint mobilization. Physical therapy is a safe and effective way to address the underlying causes of neck pain. By strengthening muscles and increasing flexibility, physical therapy can make a significant difference in the level of pain over time. Some neck pain may be due to inflammation of the discs in the spine and surrounding nerves and joints.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) relieve pain by reduce inflammation. NSAIDs include ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, all of which are available without a prescription. Doctors at New York University at Langone may recommend medications as the first treatment option for neck pain, although they don't address the cause of the pain or prevent it from getting worse. Certain medications provide excellent first-line treatments for neck pain, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Aurora Health Care spine specialists provide comprehensive treatment for neck pain to help you feel better and participate in the activities you enjoy. Steroids are usually taken for 7 to 10 days, at which point the doctor re-evaluates the symptoms before recommending further treatment.
