Has Your Job Become A Pain In Your Neck?
When it comes to professions, like painters, electricians, construction workers, and other repetitive overhead work, some can literally cause a pain in your neck. Pain that is located in your neck, shoulders, and upper back can make it very difficult to effectively do your job day after day, especially if you are continually raising your arms over your head and forcing your head to tilt backwards or side to side. If the type of work you do triggers neck pain, the pain medicine physicians at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Lincoln, Nebraska and in Omaha, Nebraska are here to help you.
Overhead Work Can Cause Neck Pain
Jobs like painting and electrical work are some of the most challenging tasks for your neck and arms. They involve doing overhead work with your arms, as well as looking up with your neck for long periods of time. When your arms are in a position working above your head, it’s hard for blood to flow to your arms, thus causing your muscles to become tired and sore. Add to that, with your head and neck looking up for the same amount of time, you are putting excess stress on your spinal discs and joints as well as the nerves in the back of your neck. This constant position may create a sensation of tingling or numbness in your hands which can also lead to chronic neck pain.
People working in jobs that require repetitive overhead work have a higher risk of developing arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the neck. Sanding and painting of ceilings, installing electrical wiring and light fixtures in ceilings, and installing framework can be taxing on the neck and upper shoulders/back areas of the body.
Symptoms of Neck Pain
No matter what type of work you are doing, neck pain is nothing to ignore. Work that impacts your neck muscles day after day may become impossible to do down the road if left untreated. It may be time for you to be evaluated by a pain medicine specialist to determine what steps you need to take to reduce further prolonged damage to your neck.
Some symptoms that may be an indication that you have chronic neck pain include:
• Headaches that are consistent or if the headaches are longer or more intense than previously
• Stiffness in the neck when you move the head back and forth or side to side
• Pain that is sharp and focused in one particular area of the neck
• Nerve root compression that causes problems with sensation or strength in the arm
• Numbness or weakness that affects the arm or hands
Treatments for Neck Pain
The physicians at Innovative Pain & Spine are experienced in treating chronic neck pain. Most often, they will use a combination of treatments including physical therapy and injections, such as epidural and radiofrequency ablation, to achieve the best outcome in reducing an individual’s neck pain.
Epidural Injections
An epidural steroid injection is performed to help reduce pain stemming from the spine and its associated nerves. These injections can be performed at different levels of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines. The injections may provide relief for weeks to months. In some cases, patients may need more than one injection to obtain maximal pain relief.
The procedure is done using x-ray guidance. A mixture of steroids and local anesthetic is applied in order to decrease inflammation of the irritated neck/spinal nerves. This procedure can take 5-10 minutes and will require someone to drive you home after appropriate monitoring.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that uses a needle-sized probe to create a heat lesion with a goal of interrupting the pain signals stemming from the facet joints of the spine. The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae. Between each vertebrae is a hinge-like joint called a facet joint. The facet joints link the vertebrae together. The joints are innervated by medial branch nerves. When a facet joint becomes arthritic, patients experience neck or back pain.
The procedure is performed by a pain medicine provider with the patient being under light sedation and typically takes 15-20 minutes. The effectiveness can last for 6-18 months. Sometimes, when the nerves regrow, the pain does not return. If it does, the procedure can be repeated.
Look to the Experts for Pain Relief
You don’t have to choose between your job and living with chronic neck pain. The doctors at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Omaha, Nebraska and in Lincoln, Nebraska can assess your neck pain and together you can determine the right course of treatment for you. Call 402-413-5010 to schedule an evaluation.