A doctor that specializes in pain management (also known as a Physiatrist) often acts as the head of a team of practitioners to ensure that patients receive the healthiest and best of conservative pain management and rehabilitation. At our Monmouth County pain management office, for example, our Medical Director works closely with our acupuncturists, physical therapy team, and Chiropractic Doctors to create individualized treatment plans that address both the symptoms and the cause of neck pain. The focus of this type of care is to resolve the condition without the use of excessive medication or any aggressive, unhealthy intervention such as surgery.
When neck pain is severe enough to restrict a patient’s ability to participate in physical therapy or other rehabilitative practices, a pain management doctor may perform spinal injections. The use of corticosteroids and/or an anesthetic numbing agent can help to end the cycle of pain and inflammation that is impeding the body’s natural ability to heal. For neck pain, Epidural Steroid Injections (to alleviate pain caused by inflammation of the spinal nerves) or Trigger Point Injections (when muscle spasms are responsible for neck pain) may be used.
