What You Need to Know About Cervicalgia

What You Need to Know About Cervicalgia

Cervicalgia is a general term to describe neck pain, and is not, in and of itself, a disorder. Neck pain is a symptom of an underlying condition and should be addressed by a medical professional.

Causes of cervicalgia include injury, psychological stress, posture issues and sleep environment issues. Cervicalgia may be caused by muscle or ligament irritations or problems related to components in one or more of the seven cervical vertebrae, and symptoms may extend to shoulders and facial tissue. Headaches often occur in conjunction with neck pain.

Your specialist will help you determine the underlying cause of your neck pain, and together you can determine the appropriate treatment, which may include therapeutic massage, over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and exercise. Some physicians recommend in-office trigger point injections (TPI), which quickly and with minimal discomfort reduce or eliminate pain in affected soft tissues.

Neck pain suspected to originate in the facet joints of your cervical vertebrae are more specifically diagnosed–as well as therapeutically treated–with a facet joint injection (FJI), a minimally invasive procedure utilizing x-ray guidance for the injection site, in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic injection which provides agemediate feedback in locating the source of pain. In the rare instance in which your condition may require surgical intervention, minimally-invasive techniques allow for faster recovery.

If cervicalgia is affecting your everyday activities, it may be time to see your primary care physician or pain specialist to rule out larger problems. You deserve the best quality of life within your reach, and in all likelihood, your doctor can neutralize your neck pain in a simple office visit.