How to Relieve Neck Pain Without Surgery
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Neck pain (medically known as cervicalgia) can occur suddenly and disrupt your daily life. Conservative treatments can help manage neck pain effectively without the need for surgery.
Common Causes of Neck Pain
The neck contains the cervical spine; it supports your head and protects your spinal cord. Neck pain can occur due to various causal factors that affect the cervical spine and the surrounding structures and tissue:
- Age-related wear and tear: As we age, natural wear and tear gradually weakens the neck, leading to pain, discomfort, and reduced flexibility. Certain medical conditions are also known to accelerate this wear and tear and cause complications apart from neck pain.
- Overuse: Physical strain from repetitive movements or strenuous activities can also contribute to neck pain. This may also be exacerbated by factors such as poor posture and higher body weight, both of which could place more pressure on the neck.
- Injury or trauma: Physical injuries or neck trauma can increase the risk of neck pain and other complications, potentially resulting in stiffness, loss of range of motion, and damage to various structures.
- Stress: When we are stressed, we unconsciously tighten our neck muscles, which can gradually contribute to neck pain.
- Nerve compression: Bone spurs, cysts, or other complications can pinch nearby nerves, causing pain and discomfort. Certain head or neck movements may exacerbate this issue.
- Underlying conditions: Other health conditions, such as osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease), can worsen neck pain and contribute to further complications.
Non-Surgical Medical Treatments for Neck Pain
A qualified doctor will first need to assess your physical condition via a comprehensive physical examination. They will carefully examine your neck and its range of motion, noting any symptoms that may indicate or rule out certain conditions. They will also ask questions about your overall health to inform their treatment plan further.
With all this information, they will be able to make the necessary recommendations for conservative treatment of your neck pain.
Medications
Prescription and over-the-counter medications may help relieve your neck pain and discomfort. These medications may include muscle relaxants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs). However, not all medications are first-line treatments and should be taken only as prescribed by your doctor.
Physiotherapy
A physiotherapist will guide you on various targeted exercises to help ease neck pain symptoms and slowly restore your neck’s flexibility. As your condition steadily improves, they will gradually increase the duration, intensity, and frequency of these exercises to support your recovery. You may perform these exercises at a physiotherapy centre or at home, with a personalised therapy plan developed by your physiotherapist.
Neck Brace
A medical neck brace may be recommended to keep your head in a neutral position, reducing strain and pressure on your neck. Some neck braces may be needed to fully immobilise the neck, restricting movement and supporting your recovery from neck pain. This is especially needed for serious neck injury involving the cervical vertebral bodies.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
TENS provides short-term pain relief by sending electrical impulses through the skin to block pain signals or alter your body’s perception of pain. A TENS central unit will be connected to several electrodes placed at specific points on your neck to deliver electrical impulses. Your doctor or physiotherapist can adjust the intensity, frequency, and duration of the pulses via the central unit to align with your current treatment goals.
Minimally Invasive Treatments for Neck Pain
Minimally invasive treatments for neck pain are typically outpatient procedures. The more common treatment options include:
Steroid Injections
These injections deliver corticosteroids directly into the epidural space around the spinal nerve roots to treat nerve root inflammation causing your neck pain. It provides temporary pain relief by reducing swelling and restoring neck function, with its effects generally lasting for several weeks. It may be given to support ongoing conservative treatments or if conservative treatments are unable to provide adequate pain relief.
Cervical Facet Joint Injections
These injections are delivered to the facet joints, which help reduce inflammation of the facet joints of the cervical spine and facilitate its movements. Like steroid injections, these are prescribed to manage neck pain arising from the facet joints for a limited period.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger points are areas of muscle tightness that result from repetitive injury. An injection filled with medication and a local anaesthetic may be directly injected into these trigger points to relieve pain, tenderness, and muscle tension contributing to your neck pain.
Ultrasound Therapy
This non-invasive therapy uses focused sound waves that penetrate soft tissues to improve blood circulation and promote gradual tissue healing. Ultrasound therapy is not recommended for pregnant women, people with an implanted medical device (such as a pacemaker), or those with a tumour or broken bones near the neck.
Home Remedies to Relieve Neck Pain
For mild to moderate neck pain, various home remedies may support your ongoing treatments and relieve your neck pain and other symptoms.
Hot and Cold Packs
Apply hot and cold packs to your neck at regular intervals throughout the day. Hot packs can help relax tense muscles, while cold packs are used to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation.
Get Sufficient Rest
Ensure you receive at least eight hours of sleep to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal issues that could arise from poor sleep quality.
Gentle Stretches
While you should still allow your neck to rest, frequent neck movements are necessary to prevent it from weakening during prolonged periods of inactivity. Gentle stretches are a simple way to incorporate movement by tilting, bending, and rotating your neck to loosen the muscles. It also helps prevent your neck from staying in one position for long periods.
Exercise Often
In addition to regular exercise to maintain your physical health, you should incorporate neck exercises to further support your neck’s recovery. Start slowly and gradually increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of your exercises. Taking it slow is vital to minimising the risk of further injuries, so patience is key.
Try this head turn exercise: first, keep your head facing forward, then slowly turn it to one side as far as you can without straining your neck. You should feel a gentle stretch on the opposite side of your neck as you do this. Hold this position for about 2 seconds, then repeat on the other side. You can also do this by tilting your head forward and backwards, holding each position for 2 seconds, and repeating for the other side.
Posture Changes
Adjusting your posture can help reduce pressure on your neck, especially when you are working on your computer or looking at your smartphone or tablet screen for long hours. Keep your phone or other portable device at eye level, rather than bending your neck down to view it.
When sitting at your desk using the computer, keep your head in line with your body’s centre and maintain at least an arm’s length from the screen. It also helps to roll your shoulders down and keep them away from your ears to reduce neck tension further.
Relaxation Techniques
Meditation and mindfulness techniques may help you stay calm and relaxed, alleviating stress. Stress can potentially trigger various symptoms as a natural response to protect the body from injury and pain. Practising these relaxation techniques regularly can reduce your stress and anxiety, which in turn helps ease muscle tension and pain sensitivity in your back.
When Should You See a Neck Pain Specialist?
A neck pain specialist can help determine the root cause of your pain through a detailed physical exam and other diagnostic tests to rule out other conditions. They will provide you with all the information you need to understand your condition and the treatments needed to support your gradual recovery and reduce symptom severity. Depending on your condition, surgery may not be necessary, and conservative treatments alone may be sufficient to manage your neck pain.
Contact Avant Orthopaedic today to learn more about our chronic pain management and treatment options.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Would quitting smoking help facilitate neck pain treatments?
Yes, doing so would help to reduce the risk of neck pain and other complications. Studies indicate that smoking may increase your risk of various issues, ranging from damage to blood vessels to compromising blood flow due to nicotine’s effects, and may accelerate degenerative disc disease. The sooner you quit, the sooner you can improve your neck’s condition with treatment and at-home management techniques.
How long does neck pain take to heal?
Recovery from neck pain may vary from person to person due to differences in personal health, treatment response, and other factors. Mild to moderate cases may see some improvement over time once treatment begins, though this may vary by case.
When is surgery considered for neck pain?
If conservative (nonsurgical) treatments are unable to provide lasting symptom relief after some time, your doctor may suggest surgery as a last resort to address your condition. They will discuss the available options, potential benefits, risks, and side effects of surgery.
Our Doctor for Neck Pain Relief
Dr. Razmi
FAMS (Ortho) | M Med (Gen Surg) (SG) | FRCSEd (Gen Surg) | MBBS (SG)
Dr. Razmi, a practicing orthopaedic and spine consultant at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
Dr Razmi routinely performs discectomy (minimally invasive surgery), decompression surgery, spinal fusion, motion preservation surgery including dynamic stabilization and dynamic fusion technologies and lumbar and cervical disc replacements. He is the first surgeon in Singapore to perform stand-alone anterior approached spine fusion using the Synfix implant.
Dr. Hope Ang
MBBS (NUS) | MMed (Anaes) | FAMS
Dr Hope Ang is a Consultant Anaesthesiologist with extensive expertise in acute and chronic pain management, dedicated to helping patients regain function, reduce suffering, and improve quality of life through evidence-based, personalised care.
With more than 18 years of clinical experience, Dr Ang specialises in the assessment and treatment of complex chronic pain conditions, including musculoskeletal pain, neuropathic pain, cancer-related pain, and persistent postoperative pain. His approach integrates interventional pain procedures, ultrasound-guided regional techniques, multimodal pharmacological strategies, and close collaboration with multidisciplinary care teams to address both the physical and functional impact of chronic pain.
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