Ongoing treatment research
Other causes of pain are more thoroughly researched compared to neck pain. In this case, even mainstream therapy with painkillers does not receive as much attention in research as it should. Most clinical trials are focused on nerve-related problems, which are still scarce.
Still, future directions in the field of neck pain include clinical trials for both neuropathic and mechanical pain. More data is required to find the best solution for these patients. Other therapeutic research worth considering are biological therapies with nerve growth factors, stem cell therapy, cytokine inhibitors, and other treatments currently considered in other cases of chronic lower back patients but without significant trials in neck pain.
Another field of research that warrants attention is the whiplash syndrome and other injuries associated with persistent neck pain. In some cases, there are no relationships between the symptoms and the imaging abnormalities found in studies. There is still no way to identify high-risk individuals and develop an approach to reduce the incidence of neck pain in these patients or a rebound of the symptoms before it happens.
Neck pain treatment is not always successful, and if you have experienced torticollis, you know that for sure. However, it is luckily a type of pain that usually resolves itself. History taking and imaging studies are essential to obtain a diagnosis and start a course of action when neck pain does not improve with home treatment. Thus, if you suspect neck pain is a real problem for you or is causing disability, talk to your doctor about it to find the best solution to your case.