Diagnosis and treatment of cervical pain

Diagnostic methods for neck pain

X-ray

This method allows you to see the bones of the spine incompletely. X-rays show bone tissue infections, consequences of injuries - fractures, tumors (they are clearly visible in the area near the bones). The distance between the vertebrae can also be shown well by X-rays. This means that the doctor will be able to determine how much it has changed, that is, how much the spinal column is deformed.

The disadvantage of X-rays is that other tissues, except bones, are difficult to see on the images, and the doctor cannot see changes in them. Therefore, X-rays for neck pain must be supported by other diagnostic methods.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

This is an excellent diagnostic method that shows bone tissue, muscles, cartilage, and disc tissue.

Due to the fact that MRI provides a three-dimensional image, the doctor can diagnose tumors, spinal deformities, and muscle deformities. In just half an hour, the most serious diseases can be diagnosed, including identifying the causes of neck pain.

MRI has virtually no contraindications, except for claustrophobia and the presence of steel objects in the body, especially an implant in the heart area.

Computed tomography, or CT

This is an X-ray examination method in which tissues are visible in several layers. That is, it is a highly accurate examination method.

CT can very well track changes in bone structures and identify their deformation. This determines how quickly the doctor can determine the cause of neck pain. With deformation of the vertebrae and changes in the spinal cord, it is inevitable.

Laboratory tests

Very simple laboratory tests can enable the doctor to determine the causes of neck pain. If there is an infection in the blood, it can affect muscle weakness or hypertonicity, blood flow, filling of tissues and organs with useful substances.

It is often enough to have a blood test for hormones or to do rheumatic tests to make an accurate diagnosis of neck pain.

What to do to relieve tension in the neck muscles?

It is important not to give up, not to sit at the computer for too long, but to take a break from it for physical exercises. They will help relieve tension in the neck muscles or prevent its occurrence.

Tip #1: Maintain good posture

Chest up, shoulders out to the sides, straight, head and chin up. Feel the neck muscles – how strong and flexible they are, tense them as much as you can. Now relax. Do the exercise several times until you feel your neck completely relaxed.

Tip #2: Sleep in the right position

If your neck is constantly overstrained during sleep due to a pillow that is too high or completely absent, the vertebrae may become deformed and the muscles may become numb. Therefore, it is worth taking care not only of a comfortable, but also of the correct sleeping position.

Doctors say that sleeping on your stomach is better for small children than for adults. When you sleep on your stomach, you have to turn your head to the right or left to avoid suffocation during sleep. Therefore, your neck muscles can become numb and your head can hurt. Change your sleeping position and your neck will be fine.

Tip #3: Adjust your posture while working

If you are an office worker and you do not have the opportunity to get up from your computer every 45 minutes, as required by occupational hygiene, at least give your neck a rest while you are in place.

When sitting, do not hold your head in one position for more than 30 minutes. Turn your head to the left, tilt it to the right-left-side, turn your whole body to one side, then to the other. This will protect you from pain in the neck, shoulder blades and back.

Tip #4: Don't Skip the Massage

Nowadays massage is such a developed service that it can be used collectively. In many offices, a large number of people suffer from neck and back pain due to sedentary work.

Why don't they come to an agreement and order a massage therapist directly to the office? It won't cost much (group order - group discount). But it will save you and your colleagues from neck pain. A 15-minute massage is an excellent daily remedy for muscle strain.

What and how can you treat neck pain?

What is the doctor's task in treating neck pain? First of all, it is necessary to relieve it. Then it is important to remove the causes of pain: deformation of the vertebrae, their incorrect position, remove infections from the body. Treatment methods can be radical - surgical - and conservative - with the help of medications, physical therapy and a healthy lifestyle.

Conservative methods of treating the neck To stop spasms, to eliminate inflammation, to restore muscle tone, you need the right medications. Then the pain in the neck area will go away (not immediately, but it will go away)

When taking medications, you should consider the following points:

• It is necessary to strictly calculate the doses of medications only taking into account the doctor's recommendations.
• Remember that some medications containing analgin may cause complications.
• If you take painkillers for a long time, they may stop affecting the pain receptors and the pain continues. Then other methods of treating neck pain will be needed.
• If a person has deformed vertebrae, then medications are powerless - mechanical methods of influencing the pain are needed.

Orthopedic pillow

This method of saving the neck is very good when the patient lies down a lot. And at night, a neck pillow is used so that the person sleeps in the correct position and reduces the load on the neck muscles and vertebrae.

Method of physiotherapy and physical education

To relieve inflammation of the nerve endings, it is important to undergo a course of therapeutic exercise. In this case, a muscle corset is used for the neck or other areas of the neck. It will help to strengthen the ligaments of the neck, and will also hold the vertebrae. Also, additional methods of treating the neck can be either warming up or ice on the neck area.

Neck collar

To direct the cervical spine into the correct position, a cervical collar is needed. It is most often used to return the vertebrae to the correct position after an injury, a strong blow, when both the vertebrae are out of place and the muscles are in spasm.

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Surgical intervention

Before performing surgery, the doctor should familiarize the patient with all methods of treating neck pain. Surgery can solve the following problems with neck pain.

1. Pinched nerve roots
2. Herniated discs or cervical radiculopathy
3. Spinal cord compression and entrapment
4. Fixed position of the vertebrae when they are curved and destroyed

What complications can arise during surgery?

No matter how experienced and skilled the surgeon is, the patient is not immune from the consequences of surgical intervention for neck pain. These may be the following consequences.

• Allergic reaction to anesthesia
• Worsening of infections, especially if they were not known before surgery
• Damage to the spinal cord, nerve roots or blood vessels during surgery

Before deciding to undergo surgery to eliminate neck pain, it is important to listen to the second opinion of doctors, independent of each other, and make the best decision. Perhaps, surgical methods of treating the neck are not for you.