WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE NECK THAT MAKES IT SO SUSCEPTIBLE TO PAIN? > TYPICALLY AS WE AGE, THE STRUCTURES AND DISCS WEAR OFF. WE DO A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN THE NECK, DRIVING AND LOOKING AROUND. IT PUTS STRESS ON THE DIFFERENT JOINTS AND DISCS. > WITH GRAY HAIR, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS COLOR IT. THIS ISN’T LIKE THAT. WHEN DOES SOMEONE GO TO IN INTERVENTIONAL SPINE SPECIALIST LIKE YOU? OFTEN, PATIENTS START WITH AN EXERCISE PROGRAM TO HELP THEM IN THE LONG RUN. WE HAD A SHOW LAST WEEK TALKING ABOUT EXERCISES FOR THE NECK. MOST PATIENTS RESPOND, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES THEY DON’T AND ARE IN NEED OF A LITTLE MORE ADVANCED TREATMENT. > DO YOU SEE PATIENTS THROUGH ANOTHER PATIENT ANOTHER PHYSICIAN’S REFERRAL? >YES, SOMETIMES FROM WITHIN THE SAME PRACTICE. WE WORK AT AN ORTHOPEDIC PRACTICE. THEY MIGHT BE SEEING A SHOULDER SPECIALIST, AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE A PROBLEM IN THE NECK. > MANY PEOPLE GET NECK PAIN FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. MAYBE I SLEPT WRONG, OR THE PILLOW OR THE MATTRESS IS TO BLAME. WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF NECK PAIN? > ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES IS POSTURE RELATED. AS WE AGE, THAT IS ANOTHER THING. WE SEE IT IN PATIENTS AS WELL, MACROMASTIA, HAVING BIG BREASTS, TYPICALLY LEADS TO SLOUCHING OVER. ANY TYPE OF MOVEMENT WHERE YOU LEAN YOUR NECK MOVING FORWARD, YOU INCREASE THE TORQUE ON THE JOINTS AND DISCS ON YOUR NECK.