Treating Neck Pain Glastonbury
Get Rid of That Nagging Neck Pain
Every day, 10 - 20% of adults in the United States suffer from neck pain. Many of them experience severe pain that stops them from staying active and enjoying their lives. At New England Stem Cell Institute, Dr. Paul Tortland specializes in treatments that can relieve your neck pain by healing the damaged tissues responsible for the discomfort. As experts in regenerative medicine, they’ve helped many patients by treating neck pain in Glastonbury with customized therapies like prolotherapy, PRP, and stem cell treatments. To learn more about how they can assist you, contact their office today!
What Causes Neck Pain?
Between supporting the weight of your head and allowing for a full range of motion, the delicate structures in your neck are highly vulnerable to uncomfortable injuries. Whiplash is one of the most common neck injuries, but even a simple muscle strain from sleeping with your head in the wrong position can cause severe pain. Stretched and torn muscles, ligaments, and tendons are some of the most common causes of neck pain. Spending too much time with your head bent while using a computer, smartphone, or other electronic devices often leads to neck strain.
Over the years, degenerative changes in your vertebrae, discs, and cartilage can also lead to chronic neck pain. Osteoarthritis, a herniated disc, and degenerative disc disease are a few examples of other somewhat common causes.
What Symptoms are Associated with Neck Pain?
Neck pain typically limits your range of motion and often causes headaches. When neck pain is the result of a pinched nerve, you’ll experience tingling, numbness, and sometimes muscle weakness.
Tingling sensations can travel along the nerve, so you may feel it through your shoulders and down your arms.
Learn More About Symptoms of Back Pain
How is Neck Pain Treated?
The first line of treatment for neck pain includes conservative measures like anti-inflammatory medications and bracing your neck. If these treatments fail to provide relief, most doctors resort to steroid injections and nerve blocks. While these can temporarily mask your pain, they don’t heal what’s causing it.
The team at New England Stem Cell Institute can offer a better, non-invasive alternative: regenerative therapies that actively heal the damaged tissues in your neck.
Prolotherapy and Prolozone™
Prolotherapy is done by injecting a solution of dextrose and Novocaine™ at the site of your injured neck tissues. Dextrose is a simple sugar that activates your body’s healing response. Prolozone therapy adds B vitamins and other cellular nutrients to the prolotherapy mixture and includes an injection of oxygen and ozone gas to stimulate healing.
Learn More About Prolozone® Learn More About Prolotherapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
The platelets naturally found in your bloodstream are packed with proteins called growth factors. When platelets are extracted from your blood, concentrated, and precisely injected into your injured neck tissues, the growth factors stimulate healing and tissue regeneration.
Stem cell therapy
Stem cell therapy is quite remarkable! Dr. Tortland can harvest adult stem cells from your own bone marrow or body fat and inject them into the targeted tissues. Then, the stem cells go to work, generating new tissues, reducing inflammation, and relieving pain.
Neck Pain FAQs
What Is “Text Neck”? Is It Serious?
“Text neck” is also known as forward head posture. It results from spending too much time looking down at something, such as a mobile device. It can increase pressure on your cervical spine and cause muscle strain, leading to significant pain and discomfort.
Working on your posture and performing neck and back exercises can help to prevent or even reverse text neck. However, if your symptoms are severe, you might need professional treatment to relieve your pain and correct your forward head posture. Physical therapy and prolotherapy are a couple of potential treatment options.
When Should I Seek Professional Treatment for Neck Pain?
Here are some signs that you should seek professional care in Glastonbury for neck pain:
- The pain is severe enough to interfere with your daily life or prevent you from sleeping.
- The pain occurred after an accident, such as a car crash or fall.
- The pain lasts more than a few weeks despite self-care.
- The neck pain is accompanied by a fever or loss of bladder/bowel control. These symptoms merit a visit to the emergency room.
- You have a tingling sensation that radiates down your arm or hand.
Why Should I See a Non-Surgical Orthopedic Doctor for Neck Pain?
Several different types of doctors offer treatment for neck pain. However, there are some distinct advantages of visiting a non-surgical orthopedic practice like ours:
- Our practice favors conservative, non-invasive treatments whenever possible.
- Tortland has an in-depth understanding of the structures in the neck.
- We offer regenerative medicine treatments that may help you to heal, rather than simply masking your symptoms. For example, we can provide prolotherapy, Prolozone, PRP, and stem cell injections.
- We utilize advanced technology to diagnose a range of different conditions.
- When necessary, we work alongside other qualified medical professionals to provide the most comprehensive, effective care.
Are Neck Injections Safe?
Injections to reduce or treat neck pain are generally very safe as long as they are provided by a qualified medical professional. Our team even uses ultrasound to make sure our injections go precisely where they should.
Of course, just like any other treatment, minor risks are involved with neck injections. Some patients experience swelling, and in extremely rare cases, an infection develops.
What if Non-Surgical Orthopedic Care Does Not Work for My Neck Pain?
The majority of patients see significant improvements after undergoing non-surgical treatments. However, some problems are complex and/or severe; they may require surgical intervention. Dr. Tortland may refer you to a surgeon if more conservative measures are not working for you.