“Should I see a neurosurgeon for neck pain?”
I have neck pain and want to fix it. Should I see a neurosurgeon for neck pain?
6 Answers
Yes that would be a good place to start a work up for diagnosis
Dr. Juan Torres-Reveron
Neurosurgeon
In general, you can start with discussing with your primary doctor. Muscle relaxants and physical therapy usually fixes 80% of neck problems. If the pain is associated with radiation of pain to the arms an MRI of the cervical spine should be considered and a referral to spine surgery.
Yes, a spine-focused neurosurgeon can help with neck pain. MRI cervical spine and upright xrays can be helpful to determine the cause of neck pain.
See your primary care physician. Neck pain is not a neurosurgical indication.
Hello. There are many reasons someone would have neck pain. I recommend starting out at your family doctor and let them work you up to decide what you need to help your neck pain go away. You may require imaging studies, or physical therapy before you ever see a surgeon. If you were to see a surgeon, both neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons are qualified to operate on a spine. You should ask your family doctor for any recommendations. Thanks for your question
No. Not just for neck pain. Neck pain is most often alleviated by a physical therapist, chiropractor, or interventional pain management. Surgery is hardly ever necessary for neck pain. If you are losing strength in your arms, then your doctor should order an MRI to determine whether you need to see a neurologist or a neurosurgeon. But to answer your question, no. A neurosurgeon would be the last specialist you would see for neck pain, after you have exhausted all of your nonsurgical options first, and only if an interventional pain management specialist has identifies a focal spot that is causing the pain that can be treated with surgery.
