Neck Pain and Dizziness

neck pain dizziness vertigoNeck pain and dizziness are often connected although many people simply consider themselves to be clumsy, to suffer lightheadedness, or have a poor sense of balance. Cervicogenic dizziness may also be associated with headaches and nausea and can be suggestive of pinched nerves in the neck, cervical spinal stenosis, or even infection. Dizziness with neck pain may be fleeting and mild, with patients realizing that sudden neck movements or certain positions bring about the dizzy spells and neck pain. In other cases the pain can be severe and the dizziness extremely debilitating as it may induce considerable fear of falling, disabling nausea, and/or loss of motor skills. Where a patient has neck pain and feels off balance they may be described as having cervical vertigo and have often experienced some kind of trauma to the neck, such as whiplash or a previous fall. Read more

Neck Pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis – Subcutaneous Abatacept gets FDA Approval

abatacept neck pain rheumatoid arthritis fda approvalSevere neck pain can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis and so the approval by the FDA of subcutaneous abatacept will be welcome news for those suffering from chronic neck pain related to the autoimmune disease. Along with neck pain and more widespread joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis can cause extreme fatigue, fever, and even lead to spinal stenosis from degeneration of the joints in the spine. In extreme cases, particularly where a patient with rheumatoid arthritis has also experienced whiplash, the disease which involves the immune system erroneously attacking the body’s own joint tissue, can lead to spinal cord compression from changes in the position of the spine. Read more