NECK PAIN
About Neck Pain
Neck pain is a common condition in Singapore and is often linked to age-related wear and tear and our modern lifestyle factors such as long working hours and prolonged computer or mobile use. The neck is a complex structure made up of bones, ligaments, muscles, and nerves that support the head and allow movement. Because it is less protected than other parts of the spine, it is vulnerable to stress, strain, and injury.
Pain in the neck may arise from muscle tension, ligament strain, or mechanical issues. In some cases, it stems from more specific problems like a slipped disc compressing a nerve or arthritis affecting the cervical spine. At Singapore Paincare, our pain specialists use minimally-invasive pain procedures to alleviate your condition—an alternative to relying on painkillers or open surgery. Our targeted treatment aims to deliver neck pain relief with little or no downtime and risk.
What Are The Causes Of Neck Pain?
Neck pain has many possible causes. Some are related to everyday strain, while others result from specific injuries or medical conditions. Common triggers include:
- Muscle or ligament strain from poor posture, long screen hours, or carrying heavy bags
- Repetitive or awkward positions that overwork the neck muscles
- Stress and tension, which cause over-tightening of neck and shoulder muscles
- Direct trauma, such as falls, sports injuries, or road accidents
- Cold exposure or disturbed sleep, which may cause muscle spasm
- Degenerative changes in the cervical spine due to ageing or overuse
- Less common causes, such as infection, inflammation, or tumour (i.e. cancer)
What Are The Types Of Neck Pain?
POSTURAL OR MUSCLE-RELATED NECK PAIN
Pain that develops suddenly and often resolves within days, often seen in:
- Wry Neck: Waking with a stiff, painful neck after disturbed sleep or cold exposure.
- Non-specific Neck Pain: General soreness without a clear cause, often self-limiting. Can occur after a minor twisting injury.
- Neck Spasm: Involuntary tightening of neck muscles due to poor posture, stress, or sudden movement, which causes stiff and painful neck.
- Tension-Related Neck Pain: Due to constant contraction of neck muscles, often worsened by stress, direct injury, awkward position of the neck and ergonomic strain leading to tightness and tension headaches.
DEGENERATIVE OR STRUCTURAL NECK PAIN
Pain is related to degeneration or compression within the cervical spine, such as:
- Slipped Disc / Prolapsed Disc: A condition where a spinal disc bulges or ruptures, pressing on nearby nerves.
- Nerve Impingement/Compression: Bone spurs or narrowing of the spinal canal putting pressure on nerves, causing pain, tingling, or numbness along its path.
- Facet Joint Syndrome: Pain from inflammation or degeneration of the small joints connecting the spine’s vertebrae.
- Cervical Spondylosis: Age-related wear and tear of the cervical spine causing stiffness and pain.
- Cervical Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck that compresses nerves and causes pain or weakness.
INJURY-RELATED NECK PAIN
Pain that is triggered by either emotional tension or sudden injury.
- Whiplash Injury: Common after rear-end vehicle collisions, where the head jerks back-and-forth, straining soft tissue.
- Neck Sprain: Stretching or tearing of neck ligaments from sudden twisting, lifting, or trauma.
CHRONIC OR WIDESPREAD PAIN SYNDROME
Neck pain may be caused by fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder causing widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and tenderness.
What Are The Symptoms Of Neck Pain?
Neck pain symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe, daily limitations. If symptoms persist, worsen, or radiate into the arms, it is advisable to seek neck pain specialist evaluation.
- Pain and Headaches: Aching or sharp pain in the neck that may spread to the head, shoulders, arms, or hands. May cause one-sided or both-sided headaches.
- Stiffness: Reduced ability to move the neck, often worse after rest or when waking up.
- Numbness or Tingling: “Pins and needles” or loss of sensation in the arms or fingers, which may indicate nerve involvement.
- Joint Noises (Crepitus): Clicking, grinding, or grating sounds when moving the neck.
- Abnormal Posture: Holding the neck in a fixed or tilted position to avoid pain.
- Dizziness: In rare cases, looking upward may trigger dizziness due to changes in blood flow.
- Fatigue or Mood Changes: Chronic neck pain can disturb sleep and contribute to tiredness or low mood over time.
What Are The Treatment Options For Neck Pain In Singapore?
CONSERVATIVE TREATMENTS
In most cases, mild to moderate neck pain responds well to non-surgical approaches such as:
- Physical Treatments: Physiotherapists can help alleviate neck pain by using physical therapies to improve joint motion and relieve soft tissue tension.
- Collars: Can be used to help keep the neck in a fixed position during sleep and can relax muscles for acute pain. However, there is not enough evidence that their help is sustained or effective for chronic pain.
- Acupuncture: Can be used to relieve muscle-related neck pain and improve overall recovery.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCDEDURES
For persistent or more severe neck pain, targeted procedures can address the exact pain source while avoiding open surgery. At Singapore Paincare, we offer a range of minimally invasive treatments that relieve pain precisely at its origin.
- Specialised Injections: A targeted treatment that delivers local anaesthetic or steroid preparations into tender trigger points, painful ligaments, or inflamed tissues to reduce pain and inflammation. In selected cases, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) may be injected into injured muscles or tendons to promote natural healing.
- Nucleoplasty Decompression: A procedure that uses a fine needle and radiofrequency energy to shrink a slipped disc, relieving pressure on nearby nerves and reducing pain.
- Facet Denervation: A procedure that can treat inflamed facet joints in the cervical spine, using precision-guided radiofrequency energy to block pain signals and restore mobility.
- Neuroplasty: A procedure that uses specialised catheters to free trapped or compressed nerves in the spinal canal, improving nerve function and reducing chronic pain.
SURGICAL TREATMENT
Only rarely is surgery necessary. Surgery may help if a nerve is pinched and it is causing weakness or severe pain which won't go away. The surgeon will ask for a scan to look at the nerves and bones before discussing with you the need for the operation and the pros and cons of surgery.
How Does Singapore Paincare Treat Neck Pain?
At Singapore Paincare, our pain specialists draw upon the proprietary Painostic® know-how—an in-house approach to pain management developed from years of clinical experience. Through comprehensive, multi-dimensional assessment, our pain specialists work to identify the underlying causes of your neck pain and develop an individualised treatment plan tailored to your specific condition, delivered using specialized interventional techniques.
We strive to use the least invasive option possible to address your neck pain effectively. We specialise in targeted injection therapies and minimally invasive procedures, complemented by pharmacological treatments and cognitive and physical rehabilitative therapies. This integrated approach aims to help patients achieve pain relief, improve function, and reduce the risk of recurrence.
Our specialists’ commitment to combining thorough diagnostic evaluation with technical precision ensures that every patient receives individualised care aimed at effective pain management.
How To Prevent Neck Pain?
A Message About Neck Pain From Singapore Paincare’s Pain Specialist
Neck pain often starts as a simple ache but can quickly affect how you move, sleep, and focus. Long hours at the desk, stress, or poor posture are common triggers. If left untreated, stiffness or nerve irritation can set in.
It's a common misconception that neck pain always means a "slipped disc." In reality, tight muscles, strained ligaments, or inflamed joints can be the real cause. Understanding where your pain truly originates is the first step toward lasting relief.
At Singapore Paincare, our Painostic® approach looks deeper than symptoms. We identify the exact pain source and create a personalised, minimally invasive plan to help you move comfortably and confidently again.
Frequently Asked Questions
A muscle strain is dull and localized, while a pinched nerve causes sharp, radiating pain with numbness or weakness down the arm/hand.
Seek a pain specialist if the pain is severe, lasts more than a few weeks, or includes neurological symptoms like numbness or radiating pain down the arms or legs.
Downtime is minimal, as these are typically outpatient procedures allowing return to light activities within 1-2 days.
Many diagnostic tests and minimally invasive procedures may be covered by your Medisave, Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) or corporate health insurance; we can assist in checking your coverage.
Minimally invasive procedures offer faster recovery times, lower risk of complications, precise targeting of pain sources, and can often be performed as outpatient treatments with smaller incisions compared to traditional open surgery.
If pain does not improve after 6 to 12 weeks of conservative care, or if it worsens, arrange for a review with a pain specialist. Seek earlier assessment for severe pain, pain after an injury, night pain, or red flags such as numbness, tingling, weakness, balance problems, fever with headache, or pain shooting down an arm.
