Nerve Damage and Neck Pain: Understanding the Link

Sensory nerves transmit pain signals from your body to the brain, making nerve damage a common source of neck pain. That said, neck pain has many potential causes. 

Our team at Coast Neurosurgical Associates routinely diagnoses and treats neck pain. Today’s blog will help you better understand the link between nerve damage and neck pain. 

Causes of neck pain

Irritation, pinching, and pressure affect nerve tissue, which is the origin of pain signals. How this damage occurs is a key factor in the diagnosis and treatment of neck pain. 

Soft tissue injuries

Exertion and hard work can cause soft tissue injuries. Ligaments, muscles, and tendons can each be strained or torn, causing inflammation and nerve irritation. 

These are the most common causes of neck pain and also the easiest to treat since home care, rest, and time are often enough. Once inflammation abates and natural healing begins, nerve signals fade. 

Whiplash is a complex form of soft tissue injury that includes neck pain. It may require more intense treatment than other injuries. 

Herniated discs

Herniated discs occur when the cushioning discs between vertebrae rupture, causing a change in shape that can pinch nerve tissue. Pain can result at the site of nerve irritation or anywhere along the path of the affected nerve. Most herniated discs resolve on their own. However, treatment can reduce your symptoms. 

Spinal stenosis

Stenosis refers to a condition where a bodily structure is abnormally narrowed, regardless of cause. A herniated disc could narrow the space through which a nerve passes, or damage from a fracture could cause it. In the case of stenosis, treatment to widen the nerve pathway is usually the preferred approach. 

Degenerative conditions

When osteoarthritis or other forms of joint disease affect the spine, calcium growths called bone spurs change the profile of nerve pathways. Furthermore, ligaments and tendons sometimes stiffen and enlarge, creating nerve irritation directly or through loss of flexibility. 

Osteoporosis results in lost bone density and increases the risk of compression fractures. Vertebrae collapse on themselves, changing the space relationships in your neck, affecting nerve tissue and causing pain. 

Treating nerve damage

Except in the case of traumatic injuries, most neck pain treatment starts conservatively. Rest, hot and cold therapy, and over-the-counter pain medications are usually the place to start. 

If conservative measures don’t work, we may add physical therapy, prescription medication, braces, or corticosteroid injections to your treatment plan. We reserve minimally invasive surgery for extreme cases where no other strategy provides sufficient relief. 

When you’re experiencing chronic neck pain, plan a visit with us at Coast Neurosurgical Associates. You can book an appointment online or call our office directly. Schedule your visit today. There’s no need to live with pain.