New York requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance protects you if you hurt your neck at work. You can file a workers’ compensation claim with your employer and seek medical treatment without any out-of-pocket costs. Your NY neck injury doctor will treat you and bill the workers’ compensation insurance company.
Common Types of Work-related Neck Injuries
You might be surprised by how easy it is to injure your neck at work. Neck injuries are quite common and caused by a variety of factors.
Many people suffer from neck injuries due to repetitive motions. If you move your neck in the same way repeatedly, you can get repetitive motion disorder. This is quite uncomfortable and requires treatment to improve.
Slips and falls can also cause neck injuries. You might slip on a wet floor or trip over a box and fall to the ground. The impact of the fall can cause various neck injuries.
Waking up to uncomfortable neck pain after an injury at work can be debilitating. Even if you don’t think the pain is that severe, you should still see a doctor for a diagnosis. Neck injuries can worsen over time, so prompt medical care is crucial. But how can you tell if it’s time to visit a neck pain doctor, and how do you find one that your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance covers?
Whether bad ergonomics or a fall is responsible for your injury, workers’ comp doctors must perform a physical examination to determine a clear diagnosis. The exam tests your overall function and movement, so expect a physician to ask you to move your head up, down, and to both sides. They will also ask about your symptoms, such as muscle weakness, tenderness, or numbness.
Your doctor may order a variety of tests to inform your diagnosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, these can range from blood tests, X-rays, and MRIs to ultrasounds, spinal taps, and electromyography. Diagnosing the injury can determine the course of treatment.
The following are common diagnoses that neck pain doctors treat.
Pinched nerves can cause numbness, a tingling sensation, or radiating pain from your neck, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. You can sustain a pinched nerve in your neck from compression on the surrounding tissue.
Treatment options vary. In minor cases, the pain subsides within a few days. More severe pinched nerve cases require surgery to relieve ongoing pain.
Violently thrusting your head in various directions can cause whiplash. Despite being one of the most common neck injuries, whiplash remains poorly understood, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. Whiplash involves the discs, tendons, muscles, and nerves in your neck.
Whiplash injuries can present neck stiffness, dizziness, pain or numbness in your hand, blurred vision, shoulder pain, and ringing in your ears, among other symptoms.
One example of a serious neck injury from falling at work is a sprain. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that neck pain is not always immediate after an injury. A neck sprain can cause muscle spasms in your shoulder and decrease your range of motion.
A neck fracture, or cervical fracture, presents serious trauma to your spinal cord and vertebrae. Fractures often result from impact collisions, including auto accidents or falls. These injuries require urgent medical care to stabilize the neck and check for neurological functions as well as paralysis.
Per the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, minor compression fractures heal in six to eight weeks with the help of a cervical brace. More extensive vertebrae injuries could require traction, surgery, up to three months in a cast, or a combination of treatments.
Your doctor will determine the best course of treatment, depending on your diagnosis. Applying heat and resting are the first-step treatment measures you can take for many mild neck injuries.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can reduce symptoms. However, if those don’t work, neck pain doctors listed in our free directory can prescribe muscle relaxants and extra-strength medication for you. Physical therapy is the next treatment measure to strengthen your neck muscles and realign your posture.
In cases where other treatments don’t relieve pain or you experience worsening mobility and sensation, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem. Your doctor will use your medical history to determine which procedure is best to reduce your neck pain. Certain surgeries are minimally invasive, with quick recovery times.
Workers who injure their necks on the job are subject to hefty medical costs for their treatment. According to data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, neck injuries typically result in claims of $59,391.
More than half of that total claims figure goes to medical costs, with $30,404 allocated to doctors’ bills. The remaining $28,987 are indemnity costs to cover your financial loss as a result of your work injury. Neck injuries are among the priciest workers’ compensation insurance claims, following leg, hip/thigh, and head injuries, as well as claims that list multiple injured body parts.
According to SCL Health, 80% of people experience neck or spinal pain at some point in their lives. Seek medical advice when pain doesn’t go away with mild, at-home treatment. A neurologist or internist can diagnose common neck injuries and determine a treatment plan to get you back to work.
If you suffer from neck pain after a work-related injury, you can also benefit from chiropractic care. Board-certified chiropractors can diagnose neck pain and provide healing care to more than 35 million Americans each year, according to the American Chiropractic Association. These medical professionals target the musculoskeletal and nervous systems with gentle adjustments to relieve neck and spinal pain in patients.
Use our convenient online directory to search for workers’ comp doctors near you. Doctors in our directory accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (personal injury protection). Same-day appointments may be available.
Don’t suffer in silence after injuring your neck at work.
In one study in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, chiropractic care led to a 75% reduction in neck pain in 57% of patients, and it could help you, too.
Consult a neck pain doctor to receive appropriate treatment and compensation. Search our expansive directory of workers’ comp doctors to find one who can help you.
Most minor neck strains last a few days before healing on their own.
Compressed nerves or strained muscles can lead to persistent neck pain.
No, a medical professional is the only person who can accurately diagnose whiplash and other neck injuries.
Serious neck pain radiates down your arms or legs, persists despite self-care, and also presents with headache, weakness, numbness, or tingling.
Orthopedist, Neurologist, Pain Management, Physiatrist, Chiropractor, Psychologist, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Psychiatrist
Neck Injury, Whiplash, Back Injury, Herniated Disc, Sciatica, Bone Fractures, Concussion & TBI, Headaches, Joint Pain, Sprain & Strains, Auto Accidents, Work-Related Injuries, Sports Injury, Slip, Trip & Fall Accidents, Repetitive Strain Injuries, and more.
