Neck Pain Specialist

What is neck pain?

Your neck supports the weight of your head (about 10 pounds) and provides it with a wide range of movement. Your cervical spine consists of the seven uppermost bones (vertebrae), which are also the smallest and most fragile in your spine. 

Ligaments hold these bones together, and small, rubbery discs provide cushioning between each vertebra. Muscles allow your neck to move and turn in various directions, while tiny joints on the side of each vertebra (cervical facet joints) provide stability and direct motion. Neck pain can result from injury or illness in any one of these structures. 

Depending on the underlying cause of your neck pain, you may also experience pain in your shoulder, head, or arm. 

What causes neck pain?

Dr. Benny treats a variety of neck pain causes at The Spine and Sports Center, including:

Muscle strains

Overuse and poor posture can strain the muscles in your neck. Common activities, like hunching over a computer or smartphone, reading in bed, and clenching your jaw, can all lead to neck pain.

Joint degeneration

Osteoarthritis is a painful condition that occurs when the cartilage that cushions your joints wears down (degenerates) over time. This condition can affect any joint in your body, including the cervical spine.

Nerve compression

Nerves branch off from your spinal cord and run throughout your body. Herniated discs and bone spurs in your cervical spine can put pressure on a nearby nerve and cause pain.  

Injuries

Sudden trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident, can lead to neck pain. Whiplash is a common neck injury that most often occurs when you’ve been rear-ended in a car crash. 

How is neck pain diagnosed and treated?

First, Dr. Benny carefully reviews your medical history and asks you to describe your symptoms. He performs a physical exam and may take tests, such as an X-ray. He may also perform facet joint injections to help diagnose your condition. This involves injecting an anesthetic directly into a facet joint.

If the diagnostic facet joint injection relieves your pain, Dr. Benny may give you a therapeutic steroid injection to provide lasting relief or may perform a radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to prevent the nerve from sending pain signals from the facet joints for longer-lasting relief.

He also performs Epidural steroid injections and selective nerve root blocks in the neck for pain from the herniated discs, stenosis and the nerve pain associated with those conditions.

To find relief from neck pain, call The Spine and Sports Center or book an appointment online today.