Neck Pain

Delmarva Spine & Pain

Board Certified Interventional Pain Management located in Ocean View, DE & Berlin, MD

Neck pain from injuries like whiplash or conditions such as herniated discs and arthritis can have a devastating impact on your functional abilities as well as cause intense discomfort. If you're suffering because of severe or chronic neck pain, Wadid Zaky, MD, at Delmarva Spine & Pain in Berlin, Maryland, and Ocean View, Delaware can help. Dr. Zaky can identify the cause of your condition and develop a treatment program that restores mobility and relieves your pain. To benefit from the most innovative therapies for neck pain, call Delmarva Spine & Pain today or book an appointment online.

Neck Pain Q&A

What could be causing my neck pain?

Neck pain is a common complaint because your neck doesn't have the same level of support as the rest of your spine, leaving it vulnerable to injury. Wear-and-tear in your neck, which consists of the cervical vertebrae and discs, is also a frequent cause of neck pain.

The most likely causes of your neck pain include:

Sports injuries
Whiplash
Degenerative disc disease
Herniated discs
Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerves)
Bone spurs
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Spinal stenosis
Cervical spondylosis
Osteoporosis

Acute neck pain is typically a result of an injury affecting the tendons and ligaments in your neck. These connective tissues can overstretch or tear if you put them under too much pressure, which is what happens when you suffer whiplash injuries in an auto accident.

With proper treatment, injuries like these should heal and resolve your pain.

Chronic neck pain continues for more than three months with no improvement. It could result from untreated acute injuries, but in many cases, it's due to degenerative diseases where structural changes occur in your cervical spine.

How do I get a diagnosis for my neck pain?

When you visit Delmarva Spine & Pain for your neck pain consultation, Dr. Zaky takes a look at your medical history and goes over your symptoms with you. He then performs a physical exam, feeling the vertebrae and soft tissues and testing your range of motion.

You might also need to perform specific movements to test your nerve responses and reflexes. At this stage, Dr. Zaky is likely to have a good idea of what's causing your neck pain. If he needs confirmation, tests can help provide valuable information about the extent of any damage.

These diagnostic tests include:

X-rays
Myelogram
CT scan
MRI scan
Bone scan
Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test
Electromyogram (EMG)

Once Dr. Zaky is confident of your diagnosis, he can develop a treatment program for your neck pain personalized to your specific needs.

What treatments can relieve my neck pain?

Neck pain that's due to soft tissue damage such as a muscle strain often heals with a period of activity modification and rest, application of heat and ice, plus gentle exercise. Anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen can reduce tissue inflammation and pain while your neck heals.

If your neck pain is more severe, lasts more than a few days, or is getting worse, Dr. Zaky might recommend treatments such as:

Prescription medication
Physical therapy
Heat therapy
Therapeutic ultrasound
Electrical stimulation therapy

If these approaches aren’t successful, Dr. Zaky also specializes in procedures like image-guided epidural steroid injections, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, and radiofrequency ablation.

For expert relief of your troubling neck pain, call Delmarva Spine & Pain today or book an appointment online.

What we offer