Zoloft and Neck Pain

zoloft neck pain

Could your antidepressants be causing your neck pain?

Neck pain and Zoloft (sertraline) can be connected in a number of ways. Sometimes Zoloft may cause neck pain, sometimes it can actually help relieve neck pain, so what can you do if this common antidepressant and anxiety medication appears connected with your neck pain? Read more

Understanding the Benefits of Laser Spine Procedures

Laser spine proceduresIf you’re researching laser spine procedures as an option to treat your back or neck pain, it can be helpful to learn and understand the benefits of laser spine surgery as they compare to open spine surgery before you make a final decision. These two approaches to surgery are similar in that the main goal is to relieve pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness caused by pressure on nerves in the spine. Several common conditions and anatomical abnormalities can cause spinal nerve irritation, such as a herniated or bulging disc, bone spur, osteoarthritis, or calcified ligament in the spine.

A laser spine procedure takes a minimally invasive approach and involves the insertion of an endoscope (camera with light), a laser, and small surgical tools through a small incision in the back or neck to access the affected area. An open spine operation, however, is highly invasive, requiring a large incision in the neck, throat, stomach, or back, the dissection of soft tissues to access the spine, and the removal of spinal anatomy where necessary.
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Neck Pain and Posture – What's Triggering Your Neck Pain?

neck posture and pain

Neck pain at work is often due to poor posture... not just bending over backwards for your boss.

Whenever neck pain strikes it is common to think that there is a terrifying underlying cause but, most often, poor posture is the cause of neck pain. Slipping into bad postural habits is all too easy. If you checked your posture right now, chances are you are slouching, hunched over, twisted or otherwise putting excess strain on your neck. Avoiding neck pain is as much about planning and organization as it is avoiding outright injury. Set yourself up for success by taking a good long look at your workplace, living room, and your car, bike, or transit situation and minimize your neck pain triggers now. Read more

Many Fibromyalgia Patients Have Small-Fiber Polyneuropathy

small fiber polyneuropathy fibromyalgia neck pain

Axon loss and SFPN could be behind many patients' fibromyalgia pain.

The underlying cause(s) of fibromyalgia is still undetermined but a recent study found that almost half of all fibromyalgia patients had small-fiber polyneuropathy, a potentially treatable disease that could be traced back to diabetes, malignancy, or other cause of nerve damage. The lack of a distinct pathology associated with fibromyalgia means that it is technically a syndrome rather than a disease.

This also means that many patients are trapped in a cycle of failed therapies and no clear curative treatment for the widespread chronic pain condition that can cause neck pain, shoulder pain, fatigue, and cognitive symptoms.

This research may provide an opportunity for specific testing and tailored treatment that can make a huge difference to quality of life for fibromyalgia sufferers. Read more

Cherries for Neck Pain from Gout

montmorency cherries for gout and neck pain

Cherries combined with allopurinol reduced gout incidence by some 75% in this study.

Eating cherries reduces the risk of gout attacks, as does drinking cherry extract, according to new research published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. Gout and neck pain may be connected in some patients, even though the condition is generally thought to affect the toes, hands, or other, more peripheral joints. In the follow-up to this study, 92% of gout attacks reported by patients were in the big toe but the serum build-up of uric acid that causes gout symptoms can lead to uric acid crystals forming in any of the joints. Alcohol, high-purine foods and use of diuretics are all thought to increase the risk of gout, which is also linked to a metabolic issue. Read more

How to Avoid Neck Pain When Commuting

Neck Pain During CommutesNo matter if you travel to and from work by car, train, bicycle, or some other mode of transportation, there will no doubt come a time when the stress of the commute becomes a literal pain in the neck. The stress factors are myriad: drivers who cut you off without an acknowledgement; commuter trains that show up late (or not at all), or sit idle on the track for no apparent reason; drivers oblivious to the clearly marked bike lanes.

A buildup of stress during morning and afternoon rush hour can create tension in the neck muscles, to the point that even nodding your head or turning to check your blind spot can be excruciating. Sometimes it hurts so bad, you might start considering laser spine surgery for neck pain relief. Read more

Contaminated Epidural Steroid Injections Lead to Deadly Fungal Meningitis

New England Compounding Center (NECC) - fungal meningitis outbreak and epidural steroid injections

Contaminated steroids used in epidural steroid injections for neck pain linked to fourteen fungal meningitis deaths so far.

The number of patients now thought exposed to the potentially contaminated methylprednisolone acetate causing an outbreak of deadly fungal meningitis has risen to some 14,000 according to the CDC. Around 12,000 individuals have so far been contacted to explain the risk after they received the potentially contaminated epidural steroid injections for neck pain or a steroid injection into a joint such as the knee, shoulder or ankle. Epidural steroid injections for cervical spinal stenosis are sometimes used to relieve inflammation in pain, although lumbar spinal stenosis injections are more common for back pain as such injections can be problematic at the best of times in the complex area of the cervical spine. Read more

Are Twitter and other Social Networks Reliable Sources of Information About Neck Pain?

Neck pain adviceThe growth of social media over the past five or six years has changed the way many people gather and share information about topics that range from sports to politics to laser spine surgery. It used to be that if you wanted to find out what your neighbors are thinking about a particular topic, you either had to wait until the next neighborhood gathering, call a bunch of them in succession, or go door to door and ask. Now, all you need to do is post a Facebook status update or write something on Twitter to start building a conversation with the people you know. Read more

Effective Fibromyalgia Treatment with Electrostimulation Device

new fibromyalgia treatment to break cycle of pain

RINCE helped more than 75% of patients reduce or eliminate need for pain medications for fibromyalgia.

Researchers from Flint, Michigan, unveiled a new electrostimulation fibromyalgia treatment this week at the American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM) 23rd Annual Clinical Meeting.

The study shows that this new, noninvasive cortical electrostimulation device is effective at reducing fibromyalgia symptoms, with researcher Jeffrey B. Hargrover, PhD, and colleagues explaining how neuroimaging studies to identify areas of abnormal pain processing in patients with fibromyalgia allowed the development of this targeted treatment. Significant benefits were found for those suffering from neck pain, generalized pain, fatigue, dysfunction and sleep disruption from the condition. Read more

Neck Pain, Numbness and Tingling in the Arms

neck pain and arm tingling

Localised nerve compression can cause neck pain and tingling in the arms.

Neck pain, numbness and tingling in the arms often go together and may be the result of a pinched nerve in the neck due to a herniated disc, cervical spinal arthritis, or other condition causing inflammation and spinal stenosis. Oftentimes, those with neck pain who also have weakness, numbness and tingling in the arms and hands do not connect the symptoms but such signs need early attention in order to address cervical spinal problems as soon as possible. Read more