Most neck pain is due to degenerative changes that occur in the neck. The overall condition of the cervical spine usually determines how fast you recover from an injury, and whether your neck pain will become a chronic problem.
For chronic neck pain, there may not be a quick fix or a complete cure. For this reason, you should see a healthcare professional about neck pain right away to keep it from becoming chronic. Work with your health care team to address the problem causing pain in order to help slow down the degenerative process. The physician’s role in the treatment of neck pain is to find the main causes that need treatment right away. He or she will also try to keep your neck pain from becoming a chronic condition by teaching you how to slow down the degenerative process and prevent further injury.
Symptoms of neck pain
To get the best treatment for your neck, it’s important to recognize and understand the symptoms. With neck pain, you may have symptoms such as: Neck soreness on one or both sides, Burning pain, Tingling sensations, Stiffness, Pain around your shoulder blades, Pain, numbness, or weakness in your arm
Trouble swallowing, talking, writing, or walking, Headache, Dizziness, Nausea, Blurred vision, Fever, Night sweats, Tiredness, Unintentional weight loss…
You must treat your neck pain properly. Seek medical attention if your pain or related symptoms persists for more than a few days—and seek immediate attention if you have neck pain with any of the following emergency signs:
- High fever
- Sensitivity to light
- Irritability
- Severe tenderness with neck movement
- Numbness, weakness, and/or tingling
- You have recently sustained a head or neck injury.