Neck pain

Neck Pain

Neck pain can present in a variety of different ways. It is an extremely common condition. It can present as pain or stiffness in the neck and back of the head. Neck pain can produce severe headaches. It can also involve the shoulders and upper back and wing blades. Very commonly it travels down to the arms and hands. Some people experience difficulty turning the head in any direction. It can lead to weakness and/or numbness and trouble with writing or gripping or lifting objects. Risk factors are poor posture, smoking, female gender, physically demanding occupation whiplash injury.

Common causes of chronic neck pain include cervical strain or sprain, cervical degenerative disc disease, cervical spondylosis, cervical herniated disc disease, myofascial pain syndrome, spondylolisthesis.

Less common causes include an infection or tumor.

There are many potential causes of neck pain. Given all these confounding factors, Dr. Rousseau has extensive experience in pinpointing the correct diagnosis and treating the predominant cause of the pain. Oftentimes, these treatments are through targeted injections focusing on the specific pain trigger and delivering safe medications or energy or electrostimulation to the area.

When appropriate, he works in collaboration with a physical therapist and acupuncturists, chiropractors, and other specialists to provide the best possible outcome.