- 1). Check for neck pain. If you have neck pain that is not associated with a specific activity or incident, such as playing sports or sleeping in an awkward position, keep track of whether it persists or recurs. Has the pain persisted for more than a week? Does the pain persist even if you take aspirin or other over-the-counter painkillers?
- 2). Identify other symptom associated with neck pain. Do you have numbness in your arms or hands? Are your hands sometimes weak? Do you get frequent muscle spasms in your legs? Is your gait awkward? A bone spur that is compressing a nerve could cause these conditions. Are you having trouble swallowing or breathing? This could mean a bone spur is compressing a blood vessel.
- 3). Call your doctor if you answered "yes" to either question in Step 1, or any of the questions in Step 2. Describe your symptoms, and make an appointment to have your neck pain evaluated.
- 4). Visit your doctor. Your physician will give you a thorough physical exam to determine the cause of the neck pain. Based on her results during the office exam, she might provide a diagnosis and treatment plan, such as bed rest followed by physical therapy. Or, she might refer you to a neurosurgeon for more tests and evaluation.
- 5). Get an evaluation from a neurosurgeon, if necessary. The neurosurgeon will do a physical exam, and might use a diagnostic tool like an X-ray, magnetic resonance image (MRI), or other method to determine if a bone spur is the cause of your pain and other symptoms. If a bone spur is the culprit, the neurosurgeon will recommend treatment. Surgery is a possibility, but not a certainty.
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