The type of neck arthritis treatment prescribed by your doctor will depend on the cause and severity of your neck pain, the limits of your mobility, how far the degeneration has progressed, and other factors. The most common course of treatment for neck arthritis symptoms is conservative, or non-surgical, methods. When a patient’s mobility remains restricted after conservative treatments, or if pain becomes chronic, a health care provider may suggest surgery as a treatment option.
There is no known cure for arthritis, and most patients will experience long-term effects from this disease. When a person is diagnosed with neck arthritis, or cervical osteoarthritis, most health care providers will present their patients with a wide variety of options for conservative neck arthritis treatment, including:
- Physical therapy – Exercise to strengthen the neck muscles
- Hot or cold therapy – Heat pads to increase circulation or cold pads to reduce swelling
- Pain medicine – Over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as well as prescription pain killers
- Anti-inflammatory injections – Cortisone or steroidal solutions to numb pain
- Behavior modification – Avoiding activity that might exacerbate neck arthritis symptoms
- Chiropractic therapy – Including traction or non-surgical spinal decompression therapy
- Others – Acupuncture, massage, cervical pillows
If cervical spine arthritis sufferers discover that their symptoms have not improved significantly after months of conservative treatment, they may consider spinal decompression surgery. The pain associated with cervical osteoarthritis may be attributed to irritated, compressed nerve roots. Spinal decompression surgery is designed to relieve pressure on nerves, thereby reducing irritation and pain.
At Laser Spine Institute (LSI), our award-winning surgeons employ a minimally invasive, endoscopic approach to neck arthritis surgical treatment. If you experience persistent symptoms associated with cervical osteoarthritis, contact LSI for a complimentary review of your MRI or CT scan, and to learn how a minimally invasive, outpatient surgical procedure may help you recover wellness.
