Treatment of neck pain

Acute pain at the base of the skull may well disappear without treatment.

For short-term problems, manual treatment (chiropractic or physiotherapy) and pain-relieving medicine are recommended.

With longer-term pain (ie three months or more) there is the following choice of treatment:

• chiropractic treatment
  
  
• intensive muscle training
  
  
• physiotherapy.
  
  
• acupuncture provides relief for significant numbers of people with chronic neck and shoulder pain, although this is not routinely available on the NHS.