If you’re suffering from neck pain, you should consult an orthopedist.Asurgeon who specializes in the skeleton and its structures is known as an orthopedist. Since orthopedists are particularly trained to deal with disorders involving the musculoskeletal system, often patients consider orthopedic therapy to be the treatment of choice.

Neck Pain Causes

The neck is made up of vertebrae, discs (tissue that absorbs shock between the vertebrae), tendons (thick, band-like tissue that connects the bones), muscles, the spinal column, and nerves. An injury to or disorders in any of these organs might cause neck pain.

Diagnosis

Your orthopedist will do the following to figure out what’s causing your neck pain:

• Obtain detailed health information, including any prior neck problems and any other disorders or traumas that may have contributed to your present situation.
  
  
• Conduct a physical examination of your neck, including an assessment and flexibility of your neck to determine the intensity of the pain.
  
  
• Assess the strength of your nerves and muscles in your arms and legs to check if your neck pain is caused by neural disorders.
  
  
• Conduct X-rays and other imaging methods, and blood tests, to assess the bones, discs, spinal column, nerve roots, and ligaments in your neck.

Treatment

Following the diagnosis of the source of your neck pain, your orthopedist will propose a treatment plan which might include:

• Rest: Relaxing for a few days and avoiding practices that put a strain on the neck muscles, joints, or ligaments.
  
  
• Medicines: Inflammation-reducing, muscle-relaxing, and pain-relieving medications are also among the most effective treatment strategies for neck discomfort.
  
  
• Neck brace: To accelerate recovery and prevent re-injury, your orthopedist may recommend that you wear a neck brace for a period.
  
  
• Workout and physical treatment: An orthopedist may send you to a physical therapist, who will construct a stretching and strengthening program to alleviate your neck pain and assist avoid future problems.
• Surgery: In exceptional instances, the orthopedist may advise surgery. If you have a slipped disc in your spine, or if another condition is putting strain on your spinal column or nerve roots, surgery may be required.

Who can be consulted to deal with neck pain?

You can choose from a variety of different physicians in the medical sector, such as medical doctors and doctors of orthopedics. You can consult nonmedical practitioners as well who are specialized in treating neck pain.

• Physicians who work as internists or in family practice.
  
  
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) doctors have extensive training in vertebral diseases. These doctors provide specialized nonsurgical neck treatment.
  
  
• Another option for consultation is a rheumatologist. They have extensive expertise in joint problems, including those of the neck.
  
  
• A primary healthcare physician and, in some cases, a professional, such as a neurosurgeon, must be followed up to make an appropriate diagnosis and recommend therapy for serious neck disorders.

To make sure that your neck ailment is correctly treated, it is critical that you strictly adhere to your orthopedist’s advice. Resting and taking medications as directed.