[30M] Experiencing intermittent neck/shoulder pain

What might be happening

Based on the information provided, the most likely diagnoses include:

• Cervical Spondylosis: This is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in your neck. Over time, the disks dehydrate and shrink, causing signs and symptoms such as neck pain and stiffness. This is common in people over the age of 30 and can be exacerbated by previous neck injuries.

  • Treatment typically involves physical therapy, pain medication, and sometimes surgery.

• Cervical Herniated Disc: This occurs when the inner core of a disc in the neck herniates, or leaks out of the disc, and presses on an adjacent nerve root. It usually develops in the 30-50 year age group. Neck pain and symptoms caused by a herniated disc are common conditions treated by spine specialists.

  • Treatment typically involves physical therapy, pain medication, and sometimes surgery.

• Cervical Radiculopathy: This is the damage or disturbance of nerve function that results if one of the nerve roots near the cervical vertebrae is compressed. Damage to nerve roots in the cervical area can cause pain and the loss of sensation in different parts of the upper extremities, depending on where the damaged roots are located.

  • Treatment typically involves physical therapy, pain medication, and sometimes surgery.

What you can do

1. Regular exercise: Maintaining activity will help speed recovery, even if you have to temporarily modify some of your exercises because of neck pain. People who continue activities as tolerated have better pain relief than those who rest in bed all day.
2. Over-the-counter pain relievers: Try over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
3. Heat or cold: Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, then use heat after that. Heat may be applied with warm showers, hot compresses or a heating pad.

What you should look out for

Reasons to see a doctor more urgently:

• If the pain is severe or persistent
• If you have numbness, tingling or weakness in your arm or hand
• If you have difficulty walking or loss of balance
• If you have loss of bladder or bowel control

Please remember, while I strive to provide accurate information, I'm not a doctor and this advice should not replace a consultation with a healthcare professional.