Neck discomfort is a common experience. It may hinder your daily function, sleep, and sense of well-being. Whether the pain feels dull and achy or sharp and radicular, chronic neck pain should always be taken seriously. Similar to back pain, neck pain can be caused by simple poor posture or a sudden movement, or alternatively, it could be caused by something more severe, such as spinal pathology. At NJ Spine and Pain, we utilize our staff’s experience along with your trusted neck pain specialist in New Jersey to help identify the cause of your pain and get you on your way to long term relief.

There are many different things that can cause the neck to hurt, including:
Muscle Strains: Often caused by improper posture, overuse of technology, sustained position and fast motion of the neck.
Disc Herniation: A cervical disc will shift (slip or bulge) and press on the surrounding nerves producing arm or shoulder pain, numbness or tingling. We offer disc herniation treatment to try and reduce the pressure.
Destruction of cervical discs: The aging process can lead to deterioration of tissue structures in the neck, resulting in functional loss and chronic pain.
Spinal stenosis: Spinal stenosis means narrowing, either osteoarthritis or degeneration (or both) of the cervical discs can cause narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck.
Whiplash or Trauma: Motion caused by an accident or simply rapid movement can affect the neck or upper back causing inflammation and chronic pain.
Cervical Arthritis or Spondylosis: Just like low back arthritis, it can cause stiffness in the area and irritation of the surrounding area in the neck.

• Stiffness or limitation in range of motion
• Pain shooting to shoulders, arms, or upper back
• Numbness or tingling in fingers or hands
• Headaches beginning in the neck
• Spasm or tightness in the neck and shoulder
  
  If you experience any of these symptoms, don’t hesitate to find qualified neck pain doctor NJ for full evaluation.

Neck pain doesn’t always arrive alone. It can do so with other symptoms and areas – this tornado of muscles and nerves makes it even more challenging for someone to identify the true origin of their pain. At NJ Spine and Pain, we look beyond neck discomfort itself as we investigate and dissect pain in its totality and understand how pain may be traveling and connecting across the head, jaw, and even the inner ear.

In a few instances, neck pain & nausea may be associated, especially when the upper cervical spine is involved. Tension in the upper cervical area can alter blood flow and/or irritate and compromise nerves, and the nerves that influence balance and digestion are susceptible to the upper cervical region. When neck pain and nausea present together with neck stiffness and queasiness, you may experience cervicogenic dizziness or cervicogenic headaches. If you continue to suffer from neck pain and nausea, it’s important to consult an expert for a full assessment. Our clinic often sees patients reporting neck pain and nausea alongside jaw tension or ear sensitivity.

Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to your skull. Your TMJ sits just in front of your ears on both sides of your head. A dysfunction with the TMJ can create referred pain into the entire neck and shoulders. In the same way, tension or misalignment in the neck can influence symptoms related to TMJ. Many patients do not realize the tightness in the jaw and neck can establish a cycle of pain that requires solving in both areas. This overlap can present as neck and jaw pain or TMJ neck pain.

Neck and ear pain​ may be a result of irritation to a nerve or tension of a muscle around the base of the skull and/or jaw. What appears to be an inner ear issue may also be cervical spine inflammation and/or TMJ disorder. A proper evaluation can identify if this process is coming from the ear or the cervical spine or both, and we can treat accordingly. Regardless if nausea, sensitivity of the ear, jaw tension with neck pain – you should work with a provider that evaluates and considers your whole symptom profile. At Spine Institute of New Jersey, we offer full evaluations and targeted solutions that address the pain and its various effects.

At Spine Institute of New Jersey, we treat people, not MRIs. After a thorough consultation and imaging review, we provide a customized care plan that represents the totality of your condition including all co-existent symptoms like tension in your jaw, pain in your ears, or neck jaw pain and neck pain and nausea.

• Physical Therapy: Focused exercises to help strengthen neck muscles, improve posture, and address muscular imbalances that may affect the jaw or cervical spine.
• Medication Management: Such as anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, or nerve pain medications to decrease discomfort and inflammation.
• Epidural Steroid Injections: Can help reduce nerve root inflammation that could be causing radiating pain into the arms or upper back.
• Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): Ablation in the area can interfere with the signal from the nerve responsible for chronic pain, providing longer symptom relief from headaches or discomfort in the neck/upper back.
• TMJ Conscious Approach: For a patient with both jaw pain and neck pain, we take into account the possibility that one is caused by or linked with temporomandibular dysfunction and may suggest physical therapy techniques or coordination with dentists or ENT specialists if necessary.
• Advanced Disc Herniation Procedures: These image-guided procedures remove or reduce disc herniation material from the cervical spine during an outpatient procedure, without open surgery.

In rare, more severe cases such as advanced cervical instability or spinal cord compression, we may refer you to a spine surgeon for further evaluation and treatment.

If your neck pain is present for more than a few days, is increasing over time, or occurs along with nerve symptoms (such as tingling or weakness), then it is the time to meet a New Jersey neck pain specialist. Early diagnosis can avoid long-term complications and ensure quick recovery.