5 Signs Your Neck Pain Warrants a Visit to a Neurosurgeon

Your neck is a complex structure of vertebral bones, discs, nerves, muscles, and ligaments. These parts all work in harmony to support your head and provide a wide range of motion, but unfortunately, neck pain is common.

Neck pain can have multiple causes — from poor posture and muscle strain to lasting issues like arthritis and structural changes in your spine. While many cases improve with rest and conservative care, the underlying problem doesn’t respond to first-line treatments.

David A. Wiles, MD, is a neurosurgeon in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and our team offers a full range of neck pain services. We provide options that go beyond basic care, including diagnostic imaging, nonsurgical therapy, and minimally invasive spine surgery when necessary. Here are five key red flags that suggest your neck pain may need neurosurgical evaluation:

1. Neck pain that persists despite conservative measures

When it comes to neck pain, most doctors recommend conservative care first. But if you’ve tried rest, physical therapy, pain medications, and posture adjustments without relief, it could mean that your neck pain is related to an underlying structural issue that requires further evaluation.

2. Numbness, tingling, or radiating pain

Pain that shoots down one or both of your arms may mean there’s nerve involvement, especially if accompanied by numbness or tingling. A few possible causes of this type of neck pain include a herniated disc, a bone spur, or narrowing in your spinal canal. Recognizing this sign early helps target treatment more precisely.

3. Weakness or loss of function in your arms or hands

Along with radiating pain, watch for a feeling of weakness in your arms and hands. If you notice that lifting objects, gripping, buttoning clothing, or other arm/hand tasks are suddenly more difficult, it could be a sign that a nerve root or your spinal cord is compressed. Delay in addressing these symptoms can sometimes lead to permanent weakness.

4. Difficulty with coordination, walking, or balance

The spinal cord can constrict when neck pain entails new symptoms, such as trouble walking, unsteady gait, or changes in coordination. These are significant symptoms that a neurosurgeon gets specifically trained to assess and treat.

5. Symptoms that interfere with sleep or daily activities

When pain is so severe that it wakes you from sleep, makes working or driving difficult, or forces you to stop activities you enjoy, it’s no longer just neck pain; it affects your overall quality of life. That level of impact may require a more advanced evaluation and potentially surgical intervention, particularly if you’ve already tried conservative treatment options.

What to do if you recognize these neck pain warning signs

First and foremost, don’t try to wait out your pain. If you recognize one or more of the warning signs above, reach out to a neurosurgeon for consultation, even if you've been managing symptoms at home.

Dr. Wiles and our team do thorough evaluations that can include a physical exam, imaging (like MRI or X-ray), and an analysis of symptoms like weakness, numbness, or range-of-motion limitations. Ahead of your appointment, it’s helpful to document your symptoms and write down details like when they began, what relieves them, and how they affect your daily life.

Depending on the results of your evaluation, we may initially recommend conservative care, such as medication, injections, or physical therapy, tailored to your condition. If necessary, we offer minimally invasive surgery, including:

• Cervical discectomy to remove a herniated disc or other tissue pressing on a nerve
• Cervical laminoplasty to relieve pressure on the spinal cord while preserving motion
• Other minimally disruptive procedures to address stenosis or bone spur formation

These advanced options reduce recovery time and preserve as much function as possible, while alleviating the cause of your neck pain to deliver lasting pain relief.

Neck pain is common, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it — especially when it’s persistent, worsening, or affecting nerve function or movement. Specialized care from a neurosurgeon can make a meaningful difference, and Dr. Wiles is here to help you find answers.

Contact us today to learn more about our advanced diagnostic tools, personalized treatment plans, and minimally invasive surgical techniques for relief when other approaches haven’t worked. You can call one of the offices or book an appointment online.