Neck Pain Treatment in Toms River, NJ

Neck pain often shows up with headaches, a stiff shoulder or tingling that runs into the arm and hand. At our Toms River office we see it in people who spend long hours at a screen, after car accidents on Route 37 or the Parkway, and as arthritis in the neck progresses with age.

The cause guides the treatment. A pinched nerve (cervical radiculopathy) usually causes pain, numbness or weakness in one arm. Worn facet joints cause aching neck pain that may spread to the shoulder blades and the back of the head. Whiplash can strain both the muscles and joints. Your provider examines your strength, reflexes and range of motion and reviews any imaging you've had.

Most neck pain improves with physical therapy, posture and workstation changes, and medicines. When it doesn't, options can include a cervical epidural steroid injection for arm pain from a pinched nerve, facet joint injections or medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency ablation when a facet joint is confirmed as the source. When headaches start at the base of the skull, an occipital nerve block may be discussed.

We explain the risks of each option and what to expect. Results vary from person to person. GSMC does not perform neck surgery. If a surgical opinion makes sense, we explain why and help with a referral.

Go to the emergency room right away for neck pain with sudden weakness, trouble walking, or fever with a stiff neck.