Neck pain is one of the most common health issues people suffer. In some cases, it will be diagnosed as cervicalgia and it may be due to different factors. In this article we tell you what cervicalgia is, its symptoms, and duration.
Cervicalgia is neck pain located in the cervical spine, that is, in the upper back. Generally, it is associated with an injury or aging. It may have a multifactorial cause: poor posture, tension in the neck, sports activities, anxiety...
It is a very common condition; one that affects approximately two-thirds of the population at some time during their life. It can spread to the head and arms as well as to the middle area of the back.
The spine is responsible for protecting the spinal cord and supporting the head, and allowing the head a good range of motion. The spine is made up of bones, nerves, muscles, ligaments, and tendons structured in such a way that it allows the neck to be protective while remaining flexible. But this flexibility also makes it vulnerable to damage.
Certain movements that exert a gradual, or sudden and sharp, pressure on the neck, can cause discomfort. With cervicalgia, your neck will feel more rigid, or you may have muscle spasms in your neck, in addition to a decrease in range of motion and sensation in the muscles.
Common symptoms of cervicalgia
The symptoms of cervicalgia vary depending on the extent of the injury. Among the most common are:
- Pain in the neck.
- Stiffness and spasms in the neck muscles.
- Pain that radiates through the shoulders, arms, fingers, and throughout the body.
- Pain in the chest or upper back.
- Numbness and tingling in the arms and fingers.
- Ringing in the ears.
- Weakness in the arms.
- Loss of balance, dizziness, and nausea.
- Headache.
- Difficulty moving the neck in certain ways.
- In severe cases, loss of bowel or bladder control.
- In severe cases, neurological symptoms, dysautonomia.
Fortunately, most cases of cervicalgia only involve mild discomfort, and the symptoms improve with conservative treatments.
As we said earlier, neck pain is one of the most common types of pain, and in the case of cervicalgia, it also affects the upper back. Back discomfort is also one of the most common reasons people seek medical help. There are different types of upper back pain depending on the cause: mechanical pain, inflammatory pain, or neuropathic type pain. If you want to know more about upper back pain:
Types of upper back pain and possible causes
Causes and triggers of cervicalgia
It is common for cervicalgia to occur as a result of poor posture habits, but also it can also be caused by an injury, or even by poor vision if the vision problem causes the patient to use poor posture. This is because the neck muscles tighten involuntarily, causing cervical contracture and pain in the cervical vertebrae.
If the cervicalgia continues over a prolonged period of time, it may be due to cervical osteoarthritis (chronic pain due to wear and tear on the vertebrae), or a cervical disc herniation (intense pain caused by pressure in the intervertebral discs).
Other common causes of cervicalgia are muscle contractures and inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis). Muscle tension and pain in the cervical vertebrae can also be caused by stress.
Effective treatments for relieving cervicalgia
Treatment for cervicalgia depends what has caused it and what symptoms the patient has. Most patients with cervicalgia respond well to nonsurgical, conservative treatment. Some of these therapies can be carried out at home after first getting guidance from a professional. Treatments for cervicalgia usually include:
- Medication. Pain relievers, muscle relaxants, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that help reduce pain and inflammation.
- Physical therapy. With exercises and manual therapy to mobilize and strengthen the muscles of the neck. In personalized sessions at IC Rehabilitation, you can learn exercises to relieve pain in your neck and upper back.
- Apply ice packs to the affected area, for no more than 15 minutes, several times a day to reduce inflammation.
- Apply warm compresses for up to 20 minutes to relieve muscle tension.
- Use of a cervical collar, if necessary, will limit the movement of the neck.
- Stretching your neck properly several times a day can help reduce pain.
Cervicalgia usually goes away after a few weeks of conservative treatments. If the pain persists longer than that, we recommend seeing your doctor to find out if you may need surgery. Neurosurgeons or spinal orthopedic surgeons may suggest surgery that reduces discomfort in severe cases of cervicalgia.
Although it is not possible to prevent all cases of cervicalgia, Instituto Clavel has some advice on how you can reduce the risk of suffering this condition: avoid activities that cause tension in the neck, rest your neck as much as possible during working hours, practice good posture, both during the day and at night, don't carry heavy loads in a shoulder bag, adjust your chair, table, and computer so the screen is at eye level.
Do not hesitate to contact our team if you have any questions or want to make an appointment. We want you to have a healthy spine!
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Categories: Back pain, Cervical pain, Rehabilitation