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Neck pain is common. It may arise from exertion or injury, or even result from an unbalanced posture or sleeping in an awkward position. With rest and conservative care, most cases of neck pain resolve quickly, and you forget about it after a few days.
In certain cases, neck pain presents with symptoms that reach beyond the neck and into the shoulders and arms. These cases often clear up with time, but sometimes they’re chronic, and surgery may be advisable.
When neck pain persists, visit Dr. Aqib Zehri at his practice in Portland, Oregon, for a surgical evaluation. When other treatments fail, surgery may be your best option.
What your neck pain symptoms can reveal
When your neck pain is localized, there’s a good chance that it’s a simple strain injury that will heal quickly and without incident. It follows a normal progression of pain, beginning to fade in the next few days.
When you have neck pain that’s also accompanied by pain or other sensations that seem to travel into one arm, it’s a sign of nerve compression or irritation.
These sensations include numbness and tingling in your arm, wrist, and hand, and you may also notice muscle weakness. You may have less grip strength in the affected hand, for example.
Nerve compression
The nerves that run down your arms branch off from the spinal cord through spaces in the cervical spine, the vertebrae of the neck. The spine is a complex structure, and the nerve passageways aren’t that big.
Anything that pinches or irritates a nerve threaded through the bones of the spine can cause radiating symptoms along the nerve’s path. While nothing prevents both left and right side nerves from being compressed simultaneously, it’s usually a one-side problem.
Common causes of nerve compression include:
- Arthritic bone spurs
- Degenerating spinal discs
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis (describing any narrowing of spaces in the spine)
Nerve compression often resolves on its own or with conservative care. However, when the cause is degenerative, such as with arthritis and deteriorating spinal discs, you may need to consider more aggressive treatment.
When it’s time for a surgical evaluation
When your neck pain symptoms don’t improve with home treatment and conservative medical care, it may be time to visit Dr. Zehri. By this point, your neck pain is months old, and it’s probably affecting your sleep, your job, and your everyday activities.
Weakness in your arm or hand might be progressively getting worse, and you may notice your eye/hand coordination isn’t as effective as before. You may feel numbness and tingling more often.
Without treatment, you can expect your symptoms to worsen with time. At that point, it’s essential to involve Dr. Zehri and his team. We can examine and diagnose your condition and work with you to find the right solution to restore your quality of life.
Contact Dr. Aqib Zehri online or by phone today to schedule your surgical evaluation.