Chronic Neck Pain Treatments
Do you have chronic neck pain and do not know what the best neck pain treatments are? Well, you’re not alone as approximately 50% of the adult population has neck problems. The issue is, that there are many types of neck pain and there are many options for help. In order to narrow it down, it’s important to first break it down into 2 main categories: acute and chronic. Chronic refers to injuries/pain that persist beyond 3+ months.
The reason I distinguish between the 2 is that the approach to each is different. In this article, I won’t talk about acute neck pain, although the causes for acute and chronic often overlap!
From here we want to think about what is causing the pain, aka the ‘root cause’. This is very important because the type of treatment will vary depending on the cause. This is where thorough assessments, imaging and testing are helpful.
Incorrect diagnoses of the cause are one of the main reasons people don’t get better. So, if you’re not getting better, get a second opinion! Sometimes all it takes is a different doctor to figure things out with you.
Once you have narrowed down the potential causes, you can think about specific treatments for those causes. Remember, the therapy that is most effective will depend on the type of injury.
In this article, I will go over my favourite treatments. But, keep in mind that these recommendations will vary depending on the person. Thus, this article will be educational, but it’s not a prescribed treatment plan.
With that in mind, let’s learn more about my top 5 chronic neck pain treatments!
1. Exercise
You might be thinking, “How do I exercise my neck?” or “I thought I should rest my neck”. Trust me, movement is one of the best neck pain treatments I’m aware of. If certain movements are hurting you over time, you need to focus on HOW to move your neck.
These active rehab programs often include neck, shoulder and upper back exercises. It’s not an area we often think of to exercise, but it can be pivotal for some people’s recovery.
I often find these muscle imbalances in people who have been in a car accident or work a desk job. These two often lead to weakness in the anterior neck muscles and tightness in the back of the neck. This creates imbalanced tugging on the spine and can lead to pain in the muscles, joints and ligaments.
I tell most of my patients to start with active rehab because in most cases this will resolve the pain. However, if your active rehab isn’t working the problem could be more than muscle. It could be a problem in the joints, ligaments or nerves of the neck. This is where assessments with ultrasounds and MRIs can be very helpful.
2. PRP, Prolotherapy and Neural Therapy
These injections fall under the category of regenerative injection therapies. If you want to learn about them in more detail, please check out my blog https://drrobinlewis.com/regenerative-injection-therapies/
These injections are most useful if there is joint, ligament and/or nerve involvement. These injuries are common in motor vehicle accidents, whiplash, concussions and sports injuries. They are also common in people who are non-responsive to their typical rehab.
In general, these injections are for people who don’t respond to rehab. Of course, they won’t help if you’re surgical either, but they help those non-surgical people. Don’t get discouraged if this is you! You have options, you just may not have been told about them yet.
Once you’re outside of the acute window of healing (ie approximately 3 months) your body’s healing response goes down. This doesn’t mean there isn’t still a tear there, it simply means your body is no longer trying to heal it. These injections can be a game-changer for people in this place!
3. Desk Ergonomics
Do you, like most North Americans, spend a lot of time on your computer? Do you pay attention to your posture, neck alignment and shoulder position? If not, your desk ergonomics are a great place to start for chronic neck pain! In fact, I would argue that regardless of the cause of your neck pain this is important.
This is because holding your neck in an incorrect position for long periods time will cause injury. They call this a ‘creep’ injury. It’s like injuries you see when people sleep in bad positions. We have all woken up with an ache or pain from sleeping ‘funny’. Well, how you sit or stand at your desk can do this too!
If this is something that you can relate to, get a formal assessment of your posture and desk set-up. One of my favourite companies in Vancouver for this is Symmetrix exercise and rehab. https://www.symmetrix.ca/office-ergonomics
4. Curcumin and Boswellia Herbal Medicine
These two herbs are incredible anti-inflammatories for joint pain. The reason they might be preferred over anti-inflammatory medications (ie. Advil) is because they are more than just anti-inflammatory. For example, curcumin is also a potent anti-oxidant, liver protectant and so on. Also, many of these medications can have consequences when taken for long periods of time. For example, Aspirin can cause ulcers and gastritis. Therefore, people with stomach issues might not tolerate them well.
Have you tried these things and not found relief? Well, did you take the right form and dose? As a naturopathic doctor I will often find patients try things on their own before coming to see me. While there is usually little harm to this, most of the time they aren’t taking it correctly.
For example, herbs like Curcuma tend to absorb poorly when consumed on their own. Thus, it’s important you get the right form, otherwise, you won’t get the full benefits. If you really want a potent Curcuma supplement I recommend the phytosome forms. They absorb 30 times better than basic formulas and thus work better!
Boswellia is specifically known for its anti-inflammatory, circulation stimulating and pain-relieving actions. It’s a popular ingredient in arthritis formulas due to its early research on cartilage protection. In fact, one of the best uses for Curcumin-Boswellia supplements is for arthritis.
Note: You may know this herb by its common name, Frankincense.
5. Magnesium
Magnesium is part of over 300 reactions in our bodies. Deficiencies are common and it’s one of our most important minerals for general health and chronic neck pain. It’s best used for muscular, bone and nerve-related pain. This is because approximately 99% of total body magnesium is in bone, muscles and non-muscular soft tissue. Therefore, the health of these tissues is compromised if we are deficient in the mineral
Furthermore, deficiencies have been shown to induce an inflammatory state. As mentioned above, inflammation is a major contributor to pain and overall health
Supplementing magnesium helps nerve pain due to its involvement in nerve repair and conduction (aka how well the nerves fire/signal). In general, it decreases nerve sensitivity. Often times people’s nerves are chronically irritated and damaged, thus creating a chronic pain cycle.
In regards to muscles, muscle ‘knots’ and tension can also be a major source of pain. Magnesium deficiencies will lead to increased cramping and tension inside the muscles. This can create a lot of pain and dysfunction in your neck.
Part of the reason magnesium makes this list is because of how common these deficiencies are and how effective magnesium can be as a neck pain treatment. These deficiencies are common because our soils have declining levels of magnesium and chronic illness and certain medications deplete it further. With this in mind, it’s one of my more commonly prescribed supplements.
Note, with magnesium the form does matter. The forms of magnesium that are best for muscles and nerve pains are magnesium glycinate and malate.
Disclaimer
Information can be empowering, but we all have unique health profiles and needs. The health-related information contained in this article is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for a visit with a licensed naturopathic doctor. The advice in this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
References
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- Jahnen-Dechent, W., & Ketteler, M. (2012). Magnesium basics. Clinical kidney journal, 5(Suppl_1), i3-i14.
- Godfrey, A., Saunders, P. R., Barlow, K., Gilbert, C., Gowan, M., & Smith, F. (2010). Principles and practices of naturopathic botanical medicine. Volume I: botanical medicine monographs. CCNM Press Inc.
- Alluri, V. K., Kundimi, S., Sengupta, K., Golakoti, T., & Kilari, E. K. (2020). An anti-inflammatory composition of Boswellia serrata resin extracts alleviates pain and protects cartilage in monoiodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis in rats. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020.
- Hauser, R. A., Lackner, J. B., Steilen-Matias, D., & Harris, D. K. (2016). A systematic review of dextrose prolotherapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Clinical medicine insights: arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders, 9, CMAMD-S39160.
- Smith, A., Andruski, B., Deng, G., & Burnham, R. (2022). Cervical facet joint platelet-rich plasma in people with chronic whiplash-associated disorders: A prospective case series of short-term outcomes. Interventional Pain Medicine, 1(2), 100078.