Neck Pain

Neck issues are a familiar problem, ranging from waking up with stiffness to severe pain that stops you from moving your head. If you have neck pain, visit Gorman Medical, PC’s office in Colorado Springs or Cripple Creek, Colorado, for an expert diagnosis. The experienced team offers comprehensive treatment, including advanced biologicals and spinal injections. Call your nearest Gorman Medical, PC office to arrange an appointment or schedule a neck pain evaluation by completing the online booking form today.

What causes neck pain?

Acute neck pain might be due to a sudden injury that damages the connective tissues and/or muscles. Whiplash is among the most common neck injuries, typically occurring during auto accidents or when playing sports.

Chronic neck pain could be caused by age-related deterioration. Common problems include degenerative disc disease (where the spongy discs between your vertebrae harden and flatten) and osteoarthritis in the facet joints linking your vertebrae.

Some causes of chronic neck pain can lead to acute problems. For example, you might suffer a compression fracture in your vertebrae because of osteoporosis, or a herniated disc because of degenerative disc disease.

In many cases, neck pain spreads into the shoulders and arms. This is usually due to cervical radiculopathy — compressed nerves in the neck vertebrae.

How is neck pain diagnosed?

To diagnose neck pain, your Gorman Medical, PC provider meets with you to discuss your symptoms, review your medical history and lifestyle, and perform a physical examination.

They may follow up this initial exam with diagnostic imaging such as X-rays, an MRI, or a CT scan. The images these technologies produce provide more detail of what’s happening inside your spine and how extensive the damage is.

If they suspect nerve damage, your provider might order electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests to determine which nerves are affected and how badly. If it’s proving hard to locate your pain’s exact source, your provider might also perform a nerve block — injecting your spine with a local anesthetic to determine where your pain originates.

After they confirm your diagnosis, your provider develops a treatment plan for you personalized to your unique requirements. If there’s any delay between your consultation and receiving the test results, your provider prescribes symptomatic treatment to manage your neck pain.

What treatment might I need for neck pain?

The specific neck pain treatment you require depends on the condition’s cause and severity. Potential treatments the Gorman Medical, PC team offers include:

• Chiropractic manipulation
• Physical therapy
• Dry needling
• Acupuncture
• Therapeutic nerve blocks
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
• Infusion therapy for arthritis
• Epidural steroid injections
• Spinal facet injections
• Radiofrequency ablation

The team also offers medication management. They use non-narcotic pain medicines and opioid drugs at safe dosages.

Call the Gorman Medical, PC team or book an appointment online today for a prompt neck pain diagnosis and effective treatment.