Causes of cervical stiffness and neck pain
Pain, tension, stiffness and limited mobility in the neck are symptoms familiar to more than 70% of people of different ages and social status. A similar pain syndrome is called cervicalgia and indicates the presence of a certain pathology in the cervical spine. Sometimes cervicalgia occurs after unusual physical exertion. What kind of disease provoked pain that is permanent can only be said after a comprehensive diagnosis, consisting of laboratory, hardware and manual examinations of the patient. Learn more about this at https://gmgchiropractic.ca/neck-pain-stiffness-pinched-nerve-in-the-neck/.
Symptoms of cervicalgia
Depending on the location, neck pain can be unilateral or bilateral. In some cases, soreness is observed in limited areas or affects a wide area.
The clinical picture of the disease depends on the pathology that provoked the syndrome and the degree of tissue involvement:
- pain of varying intensity and character - from mild aching to painful lumbago;
- tingling and numbness;
- irradiation of pain to the jaw, back of the head, shoulder, back;
- limitation of mobility in the cervical spine;
- crepitus when turning the head;
- unnatural position of the head, which the patient is forced to maintain to reduce pain;
- headache and dizziness, tinnitus, decreased visual acuity;
- hoarseness of voice;
- swelling in the neck;
- loss of strength in the hands.
What diseases is neck pain typical for?
Since neck pain is just a symptom of another disease, the patient is referred for a diagnosis that differentiates one disease from another. The difficulty of diagnosis lies in the similarity of the clinical picture in many pathologies of the cervical spine.
A patient who comes to a neurologist can be diagnosed with the following diseases:
- osteochondrosis;
- muscle fasciitis;
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- radiculopathy of the cervical spine;
- herniated discs;
- injuries, including sprains and compression fractures of the vertebrae;
- spinal cord diseases;
- infections;
- meningitis;
- rheumatoid arthritis and arthrosis;
- narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis).
This list is not complete, it contains tumors that are not always benign. Therefore, it is imperative to go to see a doctor with neck pain.
Where to go for neck pain
In some cases, cervicalgia is provoked by prolonged work at the computer. If the condition is permanent, then we are talking about the pathology of the cervical spine. In this case, it is better to immediately go to a certified chiropractor (chiropractor), neurologist or vertebrologist.
Based on the tests performed, the doctor will determine whether there is a simple overvoltage or there is a disease. After visual examination and palpation, the patient is sent for an x-ray to exclude fractures. The picture shows degenerative-dystrophic changes in bone and muscle structures.
If the picture is not clear, other research methods are additionally prescribed: CT, MRI, Doppler ultrasonography. A general and biochemical blood test allows you to identify inflammatory processes. In some cases, the patient is shown consultations of other narrow specialists - an endocrinologist, an ENT doctor, a cardiologist.
Chiropractic sessions
Manual therapy techniques are the best way to relieve stress. The chiropractor acts on biologically active points, eliminates vertebral subluxation, and improves blood circulation in the tissues with his manipulations. The actions of the hands of a professional are aimed at relieving the pain syndrome and eliminating the root cause of cervicalgia, which can be triggered by insufficient tissue nutrition, displacement of the vertebrae, intervertebral hernia with protrusion of the nucleus pulposus. The chiropractor acts competently and accurately. The prognosis of such treatment in most cases is favorable, remission lasts a long time.
Source: gmgchiropractic.ca