The most common causes of neck pain that the NYC best in class neck pain specialist, Dr. Sean McCance, diagnoses & treats (surgically and non-surgically) are due to disk injury, herniated disk, bone spurs, and spinal cord compression. Often this results from inevitable wear and tear of the natural aging process. Traumatic accidents or sporting & exercise injuries can also cause severe neck pain. Neck pain can also result from tumors or congenital abnormalities of the vertebrae (both of which the NYC spine specialist can diagnose and treat).
Doctor’s Note: All conservative neck pain treatments are exhausted before discussing the need for neck surgery.
Diagnosis of neck pain is made by the doctor with a physical examination and other medical imaging devices which may include X-Rays, MRIs, CT scans, EMGs, etc.
Common Conditions Which May Be Causing Your Neck Pain Include
- Cervical disc herniation (the bulging or rupture of the soft fibrous tissue, discs, cushioning the vertebrae; cervical disc herniation causes neck pain, burning, tingling, or numbing sensations in the shoulders or arms, and weakness
- Cervical stenosis: (the narrowing of the spinal canal causing compression of the spinal cord and nerves)
- Degenerative disc disease (an age-related disorder)
- Cervical spondylosis (abnormal degeneration of the cartilage and bones in the neck)
- Trauma
- Forward head posture
- Rheumatoid arthritis (an auto-immune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy joints, tissues, and organs)
- Stress and / or anxiety
- Poor sleeping habits
The NYC neck pain specialist doctor understands that every patient and their pain is unique and requires a customized approach to their neck pain treatment. Dr. Sean McCance works closely with you to ensure all your symptoms are understood and treated.
Types of Neck Pain
- Mechanical neck pain: neck pain that is the result of disk degeneration or arthritis – this pain is felt in the back of the neck and shoulders and is and is worsened by bad habits such as prolonged computer use with poor posture or exercising improperly.
- Referred pain: neck pain that spreads from the inflamed tissue in the neck along nerves to other parts of one’s body.
- Radicular neck pain: neck pain that is the result of nerve compression (pinched nerve) and radiates down the arm and tends to be associated with numbness or weakness.
In the event that your neck pain does not diminish with conservative treatments such as physical therapy or pain medication, it may become necessary to discuss surgical options with the top rated spine & neck surgeon Dr. Sean McCance. Dr. McCance is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of neck pain and has helped countless numbers of patients to achieve pain free lives.
Surgical Options for Relieving Neck Pain Include
- Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: this is the most common surgery Dr. McCance performs to relieve neck pain caused by a herniated disk pinching a nerve.
- Posterior laminectomy: this neck surgery is intended to treat cervical stenosis by removing the lamina to enable more room for the spinal cord.
- Laminoplasty: this procedure enlarges the spinal cord while preserving the bone.
- Cervical disk replacement: this is a motion-preservation surgery.
- Cervical spinal fusion: This surgical procedure joins two or more vertebrae that are degenerate or unstable.
Our best in class, Upper East Side, NYC back & neck pain diagnosis & surgery practice, Spine Associates, is honored to provide you with highly personalized and comprehensive care. Our philosophy of direct management of your case by an expert spine surgeon has made us one of the most trusted and respected spine surgery practices on the Upper East Side in NYC and the world. Feel free to contact the back & neck pain diagnosis and spine surgery specialist today to discuss your unique neck pain condition and start yourself on the road to recovery.
Dr. Sean McCance
1155 Park Avenue, Suite E
New York, NY 10128
(212) 360-6500