When to Seek Medical Care for Neck Pain

Neck pain can be disabling. You may be losing sleep; when you try to turn over at night, the pain wakes you up.You just can’t get comfortable. You never realized how often you turn your head during the day until you feel pain every time you try to do it. 

Neck pain has a myriad of causes. Of course, if you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident, you may have experienced whiplash. But there are many other causes of neck pain, from a herniated disc to rheumatoid arthritis to cervical spinal stenosis and more. The professional staff at Apollo Pain Management in Sun City Center, Florida, treats many cases of neck pain with various etiologies. 

You may have tried home remedies for your neck pain. Icing the area can help. Applying a heating pad for muscles you may have strained during a workout can help relieve discomfort, as can over-the-counter pain relievers. Stretching the muscles by trying to turn gently from side to side may help also. If you haven’t used ergonomic posture when sitting at the computer all day, you may have neck strain; gently massaging your neck with your fingers can help. 

When to see a specialist for neck pain 

Following are conditions that require a visit to a specialist. 

Pain down your arms and legs as well as your neck

If your neck pain includes pain that moves down your arms and legs, seek medical treatment right away. The injury is likely putting pressure on the nerves in your spinal cord. You may have a herniated disc, bone spur, or other musculoskeletal injury.  

Headache, numbness, tingling

This is another circumstance in which you should seek treatment from a specialist right away. You may have a pinched nerve, which means a nerve in your neck is being compressed. A pinched nerve can result in a throbbing headache and or numbness in the shoulder or arm as well as neck pain.

Pain persists or worsens after self-care

If your neck pain doesn’t get better after a week or gets worse, it’s time to make an appointment with a specialist to find out what’s going on. You may have developed a condition that requires medical treatment. Seeking treatment from a specialist saves time and energy. The staff at Apollo Pain Management is trained to diagnose and treat your neck pain. 

Neck pain that requires an emergency room visit 

Some neck pain demands a visit to the emergency room. 

Traumatic injury or fall

If you’ve been in a serious motor vehicle accident or have an accident such as a fall and have neck pain with it, go to your nearest emergency room. 

Muscle weakness 

These symptoms can be that of a stroke. It’s better to err on the side of caution if you have muscle weakness with neck pain. 

High fever

If you have neck pain accompanied by a high fever, you could have meningitis, which requires immediate care in a hospital. It’s contagious, so you don’t want to endanger your loved ones.  

Ask your primary care physician to coordinate an appointment for you with Apollo Pain Management. We’re your pain management partner. Modern medicine can do much to relieve your severe or persistent pain.