1-

• Contact Laser Spine Institute
• Request MRI Review
• Medical Spine Seminar

You are here

• Home
• »
• Spine Conditions
• »
• Neck Pain Overview
• »
• Diagnosing Neck Pain

Diagnosing Neck Pain

Diagnosing neck pain is a joint venture that requires close teamwork between you and your doctor. If you suffer from chronic or acute neck pain and decide to seek medical care, come prepared to answer questions about the nature, location, severity and potential causes of your pain.

Before you enter the exam room to meet with your physician, give some thought to how you might answer these questions:

• Where does it hurt? The location of the pain is an important first clue.
• Is the pain constant or occasional? Pain experienced for longer than three months is called chronic neck pain. Pain experienced suddenly is called acute neck pain.
• When did the pain first occur? Pain with longer duration could be a sign of a serious injury or long-term degeneration.
• Is it a sharp pain, a radiating pain, a dull ache, numbness, or tingling? The form the pain takes also is a clue to its origin.
• Have you performed any recent activity that might have caused or contributed to the pain? Repetitive motion or poor posture can cause different kinds of neck pain.
• Have you been injured recently? Whiplash, muscle strain or ligament sprain in the cervical spine region are common causes of neck pain.
• Has anyone in your family experienced similar pain? Some causes of back and neck pain, such as degenerative disc disease, can be hereditary.
• In addition to neck pain, are you also suffering from fever, headaches, and vomiting? Are you having difficulty touching your chin to your chest? If so, it’s likely that your doctors will test you for a life-threatening infection called meningitis.

Your doctor can use your answers to these questions, along with a physical examination and a variety of tests, to reach a conclusion when diagnosing neck pain. Neck pain tests might include:

• Neurological tests such as an EMG
• X-Rays
• Bone scan
• MRI
• CT scan
• Discogram

Click Here to see how you can get your life back in 5 days

Quite often, neck pain causes can be treated with medications or physical therapy. Sometimes, though, certain conditions require surgery. When that is the case, contact Laser Spine Institute (LSI) for information about our minimally invasive, outpatient procedures. The award-winning staff at LSI is waiting to help you regain your quality of life quickly and rediscover a life without pain. Please contact us today for a free review of your MRI or CT scan.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.