Can You Help Me Get Rid of My Painful Neck Hump?

There’s a reason the phrase “pain in the neck” is used to describe irritating happenings. Neck pain can interfere with everything from your moods and exercise capabilities to your likelihood of getting restful sleep.

Around the world, over 200 million people experience neck pain each year, making it a common challenge. And while anyone can experience neck aches, they’re especially common between ages 45 and 74. It’s also common for a hump to accompany the pain. Thankfully, most causes are treatable.

Dr. Nicholas Perenich and his team at Spine Institute of Florida in Dade City and Spring Hill treat neck pain using conservative care, minimally invasive procedures, and spine surgeries to bring you lasting relief.

If you could use some relief yourself, consider the following causes and effective treatments.

Causes of a painful neck hump

Sometimes, a painful neck hump consists of fat buildup between your shoulder blades. When that’s the case, causes may include certain medications, recreational steroids, obesity, and genetic factors.

Other factors that fuel painful neck humps include:

Kyphosis, or a curved spine
Osteoporosis, or weak and fragile bones
Overuse of your neck muscles
Poor posture, which strains neck muscles and ligaments

A neck hump that hurts may also coincide with narrowing of your spinal canal, also known as spinal stenosis. You can also develop a pinched nerve from disc herniation that fuels neck pain, with or without a hump.

Treatments for your painful neck hump

Treatment for your painful neck hump depends on the underlying cause and the severity of your symptoms. If a medication you take is fueling the problem, for example, your prescribing doctor may recommend a medication change. If obesity seems to be the primary cause, losing excess pounds may help.

For efficient neck pain relief, our team at The Spine Institute of Florida may recommend:

Physical therapy
Oral medication, such as aspirin or ibuprofen
Epidural injections, for numbness and reduced swelling
Radiofrequency ablation, which destroys nerves that transmit pain signals using electromagnetic waves
A nerve block, which relieves pinched nerve pain

If your symptoms fail to respond to conservative measures, you may be a candidate for a spine surgery, such as disc replacement, spinal fusion, or foraminotomy, which creates more room for your spinal nerves and staves off compression.

We can also recommend helpful lifestyle changes, such as improved posture. When you’re seated at a desk, for instance, keeping your head balanced over your spine and your eyes focused straight ahead guards against neck pain. Ergonomic devices, like computer stands, may help you accomplish this. Exercises that strengthen your neck muscles can minimize neck pain, too.

To learn more about neck pain and hump causes or to get a personalized treatment plan, call Spine Institute of Florida or schedule an appointment through our website today.