Pain Management Helps Manage Neck Pain
Neck pain is one of the common problems that can happen at any age. There are several reasons of neck pain, including neck injuries via trauma, spinal problems and nerve compression, etc. In all of these conditions, pain is the cardinal symptom which bothers the individuals and keeps them away from work. They would not be able to take part in their daily activities enthusiastically and remain in distress and discomfort. The pain control in case of neck problems is much important in order to provide relief to the patients. There are various steps in the pain management of neck pain. Some of them are discussed as under:
Rest is the fundamental requirement in painful conditions. The muscles, bones and joints take time to heal, and the best healing happens when a patient is relaxed. Neck pain cannot be cured until the appropriate rest. If a person takes medicines without taking rest, he would not become able to attain early recovery. In order to provide the rest to the neck muscles, cervical collar is required to be worn by the patients. These collars could be obtained easily and don’t interrupt in the daily activities. The cervical collar becomes necessary if the neck spine is injured. However; they could also be worn without neck spine injury.
Painkillers possess central importance in the management of neck pain. Initially, over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen are prescribed. These painkillers don’t produce any significant side effects. If the pain doesn’t settle, then the high potency painkillers like Ibuprofen or diclofenic are prescribed. These painkillers belong to the class of drugs named Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs may produce certain side effects, like inflammation of stomach, nausea, vomiting and kidney damage, etc. Therefore; NSAIDs are not suitable for everyone. If the pain doesn’t settle with NSAIDs, the doctor may prescribe more potent anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of steroids. The advantage of these painkillers is that they can directly be injected at the site of pain. Their action is fast and stronger and they rapidly decrease pain and inflammation. However; steroids may produce a lot of side effects like constipation, brittle bones, lack of immunity, etc. The criterion of which painkiller should be given at which time is solely decided by the doctor who makes decision in the favor of patients.
TENS machine or interferential pain machine can be applied if the above conservative measures remain unsuccessful in providing significant relief from pain. Some of the patients may also require narcotic analgesics like morphine, epidural analgesia in which the painkillers are given directly inside the spine. Some non-compliant patients may get a benefit from nerve ablation, in which the nerve endings are burnt out by surgery, which produce pain sensations and keep a patient, disturbed and uncomfortable.
This article is provided for information purposes only. Please consult a doctor for treatment options. This article is not written by a doctor or checked for accuracy by a physician.
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