1 in 3 people in the UK report Neck pain every year. The most common causes are due to:
Smart phones
Bad posture
Neck injuries
Mild pain or soreness in the neck is due to strain and might go away in a couple of days.
However, if your Neck pain worsens and stays after 5 days then you will need specialist advice from the Best Spine Surgeon in London.
Feel free to talk to me. I will be happy to answer all your questions and concerns.
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Neck pain or stiffness happens mostly because of muscle tension and strain, caused by our activities and behaviours such as:
The neck is particularly vulnerable to injury, especially in falls, car accidents, and sports, where the muscles and ligaments of the neck are forced to move outside of their normal range.
If the cervical vertebrae (neck bones) are fractured, the spinal cord may also be damaged. Neck injury due to sudden jerking of the head is commonly called whiplash.
This is the most common cause of Neck pain and Arm pain
The soft spongy stuff (called disc) between the bones of your neck become hard as days go by (when we get old)
This hard disc cracks and pinches the nerve coming out of the spinal cord causing a “pinched nerve” in the neck
As this nerve gives the sensation and power to your arm, hands and fingers, your arms and fingers feel numb and tingly
This is called also herniated disc, ruptured disc, slipped disc or prolapsed disc
Caused by high speed collisions and RTA (Road Traffic Accidents)
There is sudden severe pain. Any slight movement of your neck is extremely painful
If your bone is broken you will know it. It is not the pain that you feel after a minor sprain or stiff neck
You cannot hold your neck up
Any infection elsewhere like a chest infection or a urinary infection can cause the bacteria to attack the tissues around the neck
This is more common in patients whose immunity (body’s strength to fight infections) is reduced like in diabetes, kidney disease and cancer
The pain from infection is very severe with fever and rigors needing admission to hospital
As you age, the cervical discs can degenerate (wear and tear). This is also known as arthritis.
There are small joints in your neck called facet joints. These joints get overused and get inflamed like the knee or the hip joint. This leads to Facet joint arthritis also known as Facet joint Arthropathy
This is a serious condition that occurs when the spinal column in your neck narrows and blocks the spinal cord
The causes are due to long-term inflammation caused by arthritis, one or more slipped discs and fracturesÂ
This strangles the spinal cord in the neck causing severe pain in your neck and down the arms
Walking is difficult as the signal from the brain do not reach your legs
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An accurate diagnosis is important to determine the source & causes of your neck pain so that it can be effectively treated
An experienced spine consultant would know how to read the minute details and diagnose your condition precisely
I will use one or more of the following diagnostic procedures to pinpoint the cause of your neck pain caused by a possible pinched nerve in your neck
You will need magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to look at your neck muscles, soft tissues, ligaments, black disc, disc prolapse and spinal stenosis
This information along with your story will help me decide and recommend the best plan of action
MRI scan is the best investigation to get information on the soft tissues
THERE IS NO RISK OF RADIATION
X-Ray:
Standing X-rays from your front and the side will give me as a Consultant Spine Surgeon, a good assessment of your spinal alignment
This helps to assess some spinal curvature, scoliosis or fractures
Computerised Tomography (CT) is not needed routinely as it brings in the risk of significant radiation
But it is very useful to look at the extent of damage to your bones in your spine
It therefore gives valuable information of the structure and shape of the spine
Blood tests are not routinely needed in the investigation of neck pain
These are useful if the you have fever, infection or suspicion of inflammation
Also known as a DXA (or DEXA) test, is used to determine whether you have osteoporosis or if you are at risk of getting it
Electromyography (EMG) is used to reveal whether you have a compressed nerve, which may be caused by a herniated disc or spinal stenosis
Diagnosing the underlying cause of your neck pain at the right time is essential to start your ideal treatment plan!
As a Consultant Spine surgeon, I always begin with using a conservative approach for the management of neck pain, for long term relief.
The first line of neck pain treatment usually consists of non-surgical methods such as physical therapy and spinal injections.
My treatment is focussed on relieving the pain and keeping you as active as possible through physical therapy and practice.
As an experienced neck pain specialist in London, I understand the underlying causes for neck pain and the various ways it can affect you.
I will create a tailor-made multi-disciplinary neck pain treatment plan specifically for you.Â
My Neck pain treatment plan involving one or more of the following:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Muscle relaxants like diazepam are also prescribed in some cases to treat muscle spasms and ease nerve-damage pain.
I believe in treating most neck pain problems through non-surgical ways such as lifestyle correction, exercises, and physiotherapy.
This is part of my comprehensive neck pain treatment in London.
Spinal steroid injections are an effective way to offer instant pain relief for your neck pain.
Spinal steroid injections are administered into the outermost part of your spinal canal (not directly into the canal).
Under X-Ray guidance, I would precisely inject a local anaesthetic to treat pain and a steroid to ease inflammation and reduce swelling.
Spinal injections are safe and effective treatments for neck pain due to inflammation caused by arthritis of the facet joints
The spine injection options are:
These injections offer immediate relief from acute neck pain. As a Spine specialist, I take a multi-disciplinary approach for the management of neck pain.
I believe in treating and healing the causes of neck pain without surgery in most cases.
Patients may feel some pressure during the injection but mostly the procedure is painless.
Spinal Steroid injections are given into and around the facet joints in your neck to reduce the inflammation.
Spinal Steroid injections for neck pain treatment in London is done as an outpatient procedure, so you will not need to stay in hospital overnight.
The procedure takes about 15-30 minutes to complete
You will be given specific post-care instructions to recover faster
I recommend physiotherapy and will guide you with some mild exercises to get long term relief from your neck pain.
A Spinal steroid injection can reduce pain for up to three months. However, it is usually a crucial part of a holistic neck pain treatment programme.
The Spine steroid injection reduces the symptoms so that physiotherapy is more effective.
It is the combination of the Spine Steroid injection and physiotherapy that affords lasting relief from Neck pain.
When the neck pain travels down your arm to your fingers, it can be associated with a feeling of pins and needles, tingling and a loss of sensation at the tips of your fingers.
MRI scan will possibly show a prolapsed or a slipped disc trapping the spinal nerve supplying your fingers.
Sometimes there is a block (Cervical Stenosis) in the spinal canal due to disc prolapse or chronic arthritis.
Gradually, this will affect the way you walk.
MRI scan will show a blocked spinal canal trapping the spinal cord in the neck called Cervical Canal Stenosis.
Your bladder, bowel and sexual function can be compromised. This requires urgent surgical intervention.
Cervical Spine surgery may be recommended in a prolapsed disc or a stenosis to relieve the trapped spinal nerve and spinal cord.
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) is the most common procedure recommended in these situations.
I offer Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) procedures such as Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) for all my patients for Cervical Disc Prolapse and Cervical Stenosis.
As one of London’s best-reviewed spine surgeons, I have treated thousands of patients with severe neck pain successfully over the years.
I will design a comprehensive neck pain treatment plan personalised for the requirements of each of his patients, with a combination of medication, exercises, spine injection and surgery wherever required.
Mr Rajesh was excellent and I count myself very fortunate that he is my consultant surgeon. I could not have asked for a more courteous and professional experience. I could not fault anything. Mr Rajesh was very professional he explained everything in detail on all my visits. From initial consultation to post op Mr Rajesh took care of everything.
Thank you so much to Mr Rajesh for helping my father when he was an inpatient at the height of the pandemic. Mr Rajesh is an amazing surgeon and was very informative, thorough and professional. Luckily my father was not infected with Covid 19 despite being an inpatient for 6 weeks.
Dr Mangattil Rajesh is my hero he has helped me a great deal with my fractured back after a car accident. My recovery has improved significantly ever since he took on my case with regular consultations and real talk. He knows his stuff so I trust him with every decision we make together Lore Epsom.
Feel free to talk to me. I will be happy to answer all your questions and concerns.
Call the office for Appointment
I will answer all your Questions on WhatsApp
Email your Scans and Reports
Mild stretches will help loosen your tense neck muscles.
This helps release some pressure on the spine & the nerves, and also strengthens other surrounding muscles to help you move.
It is advisable to take each step gently as any stretches that cause excessive strain can damage your muscles.
As a Consultant Spine Surgeon, I recommend these 6 quick stretches as the best exercises for relief from neck pain in the comfort of your own home:
1) Forward Bend
2) Backward Bend
3) Side Bend
4) Side to Side Turn
5) Roll your Neck
6) Pull your Neck Back and Hold
Perform these stretches as per the instructions in the above image and you’ll feel instant relief from your neck pain.
These pain relief exercises helps relieve the tension in your neck and shoulder muscles.
Remember to breathe in and out slowly and deeply during these neck pain-relief exercises.
Also, stop whenever you feel any discomfort during the exercises.
As part of your comprehensive Neck pain treatment plan, I will guide you with more specialised physiotherapy and exercises to get complete relief from Neck pain.
If you experience minor neck pain or stiffness, as a London Neck pain specialist, I recommend you take these simple steps to relieve the neck pain:
If your neck pain persists or worsens, it is advisable to consult with a Consultant Spine Surgeon to identify and rectify if there are any deeper problems with your neck.
In that case, a spinal injection would be recommended as the first step to relieve the neck pain.
If you are experiencing neck pain it is important that you speak to a Neck pain specialist.
When you choose to visit spine surgeon for neck pain treatment in London, you can be rest assured that my professional team will ensure that you receive the best treatment available to relieve your neck pain completely.
General body aches and neck pain are also among the most frequently reported symptoms of COVID-19
The neck is one of the most common places people with COVID-19 report feeling pain. General body aches, muscle pain, or joint pain are common symptoms of COVID-19 and other viral infections.
It is thought that neck pain too is part of the ‘flu-like’ symptom that is commonly seen in COVID.
Neck pain often appears in the early stages of the disease, but it can also be a long-haul symptom that persists for weeks or months after infection.
Neck pain can have many possible causes. It’s impossible to know if your neck pain was caused by COVID-19 unless you also had a positive COVID-19 diagnostic test.
COVID-19 infection can stimulate the release of pro-inflammatory molecules called cytokines by the viral attack on your immune system.
Neck pain caused by COVID-19 is often described as a deep pain instead of a sharp or stabbing pain that may accompany a sudden muscular injury.
Pain caused by viral infections is also less likely to be eased by changing your posture than the pain caused by muscular injuries.
Some people with COVID-19 develop symptoms that last weeks or months after the original infection.
These persistent complications are called long-haul symptoms. Joint & back pain is one of the most common long haul symptoms of COVID-19.
Patients with any concern about their neck pain should not hesitate to seek evaluation.
It is always better to be reassured & start with pain relief measures that will stop the development of any long term pain/damage.
Have you started feeling persistent pain in neck after recovering from COVID-19?
Some neck problems can cause pain in other parts of your arm, depending on the nerves affected.
The main symptom of neck pain is an ache or pain anywhere in the neck, and sometimes all the way down to the arm and fingers.
Most neck pain often goes away without treatment, but if it occurs with any of the following features, you should consult a doctor without delay!
Most neck pain conditions can be treated effectively with medication, physical therapy and spinal injections.
Only in very few cases, neck pain treatment requires surgery, I consider Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) procedures with minimal tissue dissection for faster recovery and early return to normal life.
Feel free to talk to me. I will be happy to answer all your questions and concerns.
Call the office for Appointment
I will answer all your Questions on WhatsApp
Email your Scans and Reports
Most neck pain often goes away without treatment.
But if your neck pain persists for more than a few days and if it occurs with any of the following symptoms, you should consult a doctor without delay!
You can stop neck pain by:
Most neck pain conditions can be treated effectively with medication, physical therapy and spinal injections.
Only in very few cases, neck pain treatment requires surgery.
You can get immediate relief from neck pain by:
Spinal injections are generally safe procedures. They are also the most effective for instant relief from serious conditions of the spine. If complications occur, they are usually mild and self-limited. However, like with any treatment procedure, some of the common risks with epidural steroid injections are:
1) Infection:
This is rare but there is an increased risk in skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema.
The rate is less than 1 in 1000 injections.
2) Bleeding:
People who take medications to ‘thin their blood’ like warfarin, rivaroxaban or clopidogrel will be advised to stop these medications at least a week in advance of the procedure for safety.
3) Steroid facial flushing:
A temporary side effect with flushing of the face and chest, with warmth and an increase in temperature for several days.
Settles down very quickly.
4) Anxiety or vasovagal:
Caused due to the stress of the procedure and is not life-threatening.
1 in 100 patients do have such episodes and it settles very quickly.
5) Menstrual changes
6) Water retention
Neck pain injections have an immediate effect of pain relief from the local anaesthetic which wears off over a few hours.
The steroidal cortisone starts to work in about 3 to 7 days and it can last up to a few months.
More injections may be required for longer-lasting pain relief.
Most specialists would wait for at least six months before repeating the injection.
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