CERVICAL PAIN: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND TREATMENTS

We are living in a digital era. Mobiles, laptops, and computer screens allure people for different reasons. For some, these screens are the platforms of their work-life, while for others, they act as a source of entertainment.

Living a fast-paced life comes with a price, and unfortunately, sometimes, the price can be your health. Everyone dreams of being successful and happy in life, but sometimes, we end up ignoring our health in the rush to achieve our goals.

Many of us experience mild or severe neck pains on a regular basis. The reason? Our lifestyle.

We tend to stick to our phones at all times and this screen time causes neck or cervical pain. This might be a reason for neck pain or cervical pain in the young, working population; But lack of exercise and age-related wear & tear are the main reasons for neck pain in the older population.

WHAT IS NECK/CERVICAL PAIN?

A human being’s neck is made up of vertebrae extending from the skull to the upper torso. Each set of two vertebrae have a spinal disc which helps in absorbing the shock between the bones.

The neck supports your head and allows motion. Any problem in the neck can cause stiffness and create problems in moving the head as desired.

Cervical pain is a result of cervical spondylosis, spondylitis, or osteoarthritis.

In simple words, it is a condition that affects the bones, cartilage, ligaments, discs, nerve compression, or joints in the cervical spine, which is in the neck. This causes pain and stiffness in the neck.

This condition majorly is a result of age, but other factors also contribute to it. It causes the wear and tear of the cartilage and bones in the neck, thus causing discomfort and restricting motion.

CAUSES OF CERVICAL PAIN

In most cases, cervical pain is not related to a prominent mechanical factor. It may be due to poor posture or the wrong sleeping position. It is not a serious condition and can be treated and relieved in a few days.

Though, in some cases, it may point to a major injury or health condition which may necessitate a specialist’s care.

Various reasons which lead to cervical pain are:

INJURY- Neck is vulnerable to injuries. Accidents fall, or any sports accident can cause a neck injury. It may cause the muscles or joints to move from their actual position. This type of injury instantly causes cervical pain and, in severe cases, may also damage the spinal cord.

MUSCLE TENSION- This includes:
1. poor posture,
2. maintaining a position for a long time without moving,
3. sleeping in the wrong position,
4. strain from vigorous exercises

OVERUSE- If a person’s everyday life involves strenuous work which causes tedious movements or poor posture, it can cause easy wear and tear of the cartilage and ligaments, leading to cervical pain.

BONE SPURS- Bone spur refers to an overgrowth of bone, which is the result of the body trying to make the spine stronger. But sometimes, this overgrowth may press against certain areas of the spine, such as the spinal cord and nerves, thus leading to pain and stiffness.

SLIPPED DISC- A spinal disc consists of a nucleus enclosed in the annulus. When some of the nuclei seep out of the annulus, it causes a slipped disc. This can press on the nerves around the spine, causing pain.

LIGAMENT STIFFNESS- Over time, the ligaments connecting the spinal bones to each other can become stiffer, this restricts motion and makes the neck feel stiff and tight.

DEHYDRATED SPINAL DISCS- Spinal discs play the role of absorbing the shock between the bones caused due to various activities. The center of the disc is jell-like, which may dry out over time. This causes the vertebrae to rub together, leading to pain.

In some cases, genetic factors, stress, smoking, and being overweight can also lead to cervical spondylosis.

SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL PAIN

It is necessary to identify the early signs and symptoms of cervical spondylosis.

Some symptoms of cervical pain include:

Pain or stiffness around the shoulder blade. Sometimes it may be along the length of the arm and the fingers.

Numbness and weakness in the arms, hands, legs, and feet, which are directly connected to the cervical nerves.

Difficulty in daily activities.

Muscle spasms

Dizziness

Headaches at the back of the head

Soreness in the neck

A clicking sound on moving your neck.

Abnormal hand and leg reflexes

DIAGNOSIS OF CERVICAL PAIN

The diagnosis of cervical spondylosis is necessary to rule out the possibility of other health conditions.

Your physician may take several tests to confirm the diagnosis. These are:

PHYSICAL EXAM- In this, the healthcare may check for:
1. How you walk
2. Reflexes
3. Trigger points on neck and shoulder
4. Neck flexibility
5. Muscle strength

X-RAYS- This is done to check the bones in the neck, and check for the presence of bone spurs. It is also done to rule out health conditions such as spine tumors.

CT SCANS- This is done to get a better view of the spinal canal as compared to X-rays.

MRI- This is used to view the details of the cartilage and herniated disc. It identifies the location and reason for pain.

TREATMENTS OF CERVICAL PAIN

It varies according to the degree of the severity of the symptoms from person to person. It can be completely cured, and it is done to enable a person to resume their daily activities and relieve pain. It also aims to prevent any further damage.

HOME REMEDIES- Mild cervical pain can be relieved at home by practicing the following:
1. Regular exercise, which is not too strenuous, can help in keeping the body active
2. Pain relievers such as Advil, Tylenol can help in pain relief
3. Massaging the neck and shoulder area using heat or ice packs prove to be helpful in most the cases
4. A soft neck brace for short periods of time provides rest to the neck muscles

MEDICATIONS- If the above-mentioned home remedies provide little to no relief, the doctor may prescribe:
1. Muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms in the neck
2. Anti-nerve pain medicines provide relied on the pain of damaged nerves
3. Certain antidepressants are found to provide relief in cervical pain
4. NSAIDs, only prescribed by doctors, can relieve inflammation and pain

THERAPY- With the help of a physical therapist, you can learn exercises to stretch and strengthen the neck and shoulder muscles. It can benefit the patient and help in relieving pain.

MIPSI – If pain is not going away with all the above measures, more serious causes like a, slipped disc in the neck spine, nerve compression, whiplash, etc must be ruled out with the help of any specialist doctor of the spine. If pain is not going away with the above-mentioned strategy, then in almost 99% of cases some of the other non-surgical, minimally – invasive, keyhole procedures need to be performed.

SURGERY- If other treatments fail to give the desired result and provide relief, or if the symptoms worsen, in almost 1% of patients; surgery is presented as the last option to create space for the spinal cord and nerves.

It might involve:

Removing slipped disc
Removing bone spurs
Removing a part of the vertebra
Using bone graft and hardware to fuse a part or area of the neck

HOW TO PREVENT CERVICAL PAIN

Maintain good posture while sitting and standing
Quit smoking
Sleep in a good position
Avoid carrying a lot of weight on shoulders to avoid strain on the neck
Make sure to take breaks and keep changing position from time to time when sitting in front of a screen for a long duration or while traveling.

CONCLUSION

Cervical pain can be a nuisance in a person’s life. It is important to identify the symptoms and if it is prevalent for a long time, immediately seek help.