- What is neck pain?
- Prognosis of neck pain
- Symptoms of neck pain
- Medical tests for neck pain
- What causes neck pain?
- Can it be prevented?
- Treatments for neck pain
- What specialist treats neck pain?
What is neck pain?
The cervical spine is the highest part of the spine and is composed of a set of seven vertebrae, being the seven smallest vertebrae of the spine.
The cervical spine is between the head and the thoracic spine. It should be noted that the head is an element of great weight while the thoracic spine is an element that has practically no mobility. The cervical region is in charge of moving and placing the head in the most favorable position to carry out different functions such as working, driving, reading…
The spine is one of the elements of the body that moves the most. In fact, it is estimated that about six hundred movements are made every hour, a fact that, together with work, life expectancy and aging, are involved in the origin of problems of a degenerative nature as well as cervical pain.
There are three cervical pathologies: cervical pain, brachialgia and cervicobrachialgia.
- Cervical pain: cervical pain caused by cervical degenerative changes. It consists of disc wear and tear, as well as alterations of cervical stability.
- Brachialgia: pain in the arm that spreads according to the nerve network.
- Cervicobrachialgia: pain in the arm and cervical spine are combined.
Prognosis of neck pain
Neck pain or cervical pain is a pathology that worsens and directly affects the quality of life of the sufferer, as it prevents him from carrying out his daily life in a normal way.
Once the problem is identified and diagnosed, treatment is initiated, improving the patient’s quality of life and reducing pain.
Symptoms of cervical pain
A degenerative pathology of the cervical spine can cause local pain in the neck, as well as pain that radiates to one or both arms. It can also cause spinal cord compression, of a more or less severe nature.
One of the most common symptoms of this problem is headache. Another of the main problems is the continuous feeling of dizziness when changing position, which may be accompanied by nausea.
Medical tests for neck pain
Once the patient goes to a specialist, he will perform a physical examination of the patient, while asking questions about the origin of the pain, as well as the frequency with which it appears and its position on the pain scale. Some tests to be performed are:
- Neck x-ray
- CT scan of the neck and/or head
- Blood tests
- Complete blood count and hemograms
- Neck MRI
In the event that the pain is caused by spasms or a pinched nerve, the specialist may administer an analgesic or a muscle relaxant.
What are the causes of neck pain?
Normally, the causes of neck pain are originated in the daily activities that people carry out during their day to day life. Another common cause is muscle strain.
Poor posture or sleeping in an unfavorable posture
can cause neck pain
Some everyday activities that can cause neck pain include:
- Bending over a desk for hours at a time
- Poor posture
- Sleeping in poor posture
- Turning the neck sharply while playing sports
- Lifting things too fast or with a bad posture.
A fall or an accident can cause serious cervical injuries, such as a fractured vertebra, whiplash, paralysis… In turn, there are other causes that can be generated by other problems:
- Fibromyalgia conditions
- Cervical arthritis
- Spondoliosis
- Ruptured disc
- Osteoporosis that causes small fractures in the spine.
- Infection in the spine due to osteomyelitis, discitis
- Torticollis
- Sprains
- Cancer
Can it be prevented?
The best way to prevent the onset of neck pain is to avoid risk factors, such as daily activities that can damage the cervical spine. Thus, avoiding bad posture is essential to avoid the problem of neck pain.
Treatments for neck pain
There are two options to address a cervical pain problem: conservative treatment and a more aggressive treatment, such as surgical treatment.
First, conservative treatment will try to control cervical discomfort, prioritizing muscle relaxation and improving cervical mobility.
The treatment consists mainly of applying physiotherapeutic techniques, such as massage in the neck area combined with local therapies that apply heat to the area.
Another option is to carry out showers with pressurized water at high temperature, every day for a quarter of an hour, applying the jet directly on the neck and shoulders for at least a quarter of an hour. Subsequently, flexion and extension movements of the neck should be applied for another ten to fifteen minutes.
In turn, it is recommended to maintain a good upright posture and avoid heavy lifting. The application of dry local heat, such as with a heating pad, can help regulate pain.
On the other hand, there is the more aggressive treatment, which requires surgery. However, the number of patients who need to resort to surgery is small. Surgery is used to reduce the level of pressure on the nerves and spinal cord when the pain is caused by a herniated disc or a bony narrowing of the spinal canal.
In cases of trauma, surgery may also be used to stabilize the spine and prevent possible paralysis.
Which specialist treats neck pain?
There are several specialists who can treat neck pain problems. In the first place, for the diagnosis and first treatment of the problem, the Rheumatologist or the Traumatologist will be in charge of diagnosing the problem.
Subsequently, when it comes to treating the problem, there are several specialists who can do a good job with the disease, such as the specialist in Pain Unit, as well as specialists in Osteopathy, Acupuncture or Physiotherapy.