Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Spine pain is one of the most common types of pain the average person has to deal with, and when the issue develops in the upper region of the spine, your discomfort is felt in your neck. That’s exactly what happens with the condition known as cervicalgia, which is a type of pain that is housed in the neck and does not radiate to other areas, like your arms. Below, we take a closer look at why cervicalgia develops, the symptoms it brings and how it is best treated.

Causes and Symptoms of Cervicalgia

Cervicalgia is a medical term for what we what describe as simple and isolated neck pain. The discomfort can be caused by a number of actions or inactions, including having poor posture for long periods, having a jarring head motion resulting in whiplash, repetitive stress or as a result of other conditions, like osteoporosis and arthritis. Spinal curvature disorders, especially kyphosis which can affect your shoulder posture, can also lead to the onset of cervicalgia.

Symptoms of the condition include:

• Sharp, dull or pulsing pain in the neck
• Inhibited range of motion
• Neck stiffness or tenderness
• Neck spasms
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness

Diagnosis and Treatment

Although cervicalgia isn’t considered all that serious of a condition, you’re still going to want to actively manage your discomfort. You can try some home remedies, or you can seek out an evaluation by a neck specialist. If you head into Dr. Sinicropi’s office, he’ll start with a physical exam of the neck region while asking about your symptoms and possible causes of pain. From there, he’ll do some light physical tests to see if range of motion is affected before developing a treatment plan. He may give you some stretching or physical therapy exercises if he believes it’s a muscle issue, but if a larger condition like arthritis may be at play, then imaging tests can help pinpoint the issue and coordinate a treatment plan.

Treatment will depend on the root cause of your cervicalgia, but the majority of people dealing with a soft tissue issue will find pain relief with a combination of rest, over-the-counter pain medications, physical therapy, posture awareness. targeted stretching routines and range of motion exercises. These are also helpful treatment options for arthritis or osteoporosis, but so too is a healthy diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Dr. Sinicropi can walk you through an individualized treatment plan based on your specific case of cervicalgia.

So if you or someone you know is dealing with regular neck pain, don’t just try to push past the discomfort. Left untreated, it can snowball into a larger problem, so actively treat the condition. For help with this process, or to talk to a specialist about your back or neck pain, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.

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