What are the symptoms of cervical spine injury?
The most common symptoms are neck pain and a stiff neck. Because of the nerves running through your spine, you may also experience pain, numbness or weakness radiating down your shoulders into your hands. This discomfort and loss of mobility can have a major impact on your quality of life. The most common symptoms are neck pain and a stiff neck. Because of the nerves running through your spine, you may also experience pain, numbness or weakness radiating down your shoulders into your hands. This discomfort and loss of mobility can have a major impact on your quality of life.The only way to know whether a neck injury is serious is by getting evaluated by a medical professional. Seek immediate medical attention for neck pain that is persistent, severe, unrelieved by over-the-counter medication, or accompanied by radiating pain down the arms or legs.Neck pain, sometimes called cervicalgia, is pain in or around your spine beneath your head. Your neck is also known as your cervical spine. Neck pain is a common symptom of many different injuries and medical conditions.When your neck is sore, you may have trouble moving it, especially to one side. Many people describe this as having a stiff neck. If neck pain involves nerves, such as a muscle spasm pinching on a nerve or a slipped disk pressing on a nerve, you may feel numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm, hand, or elsewhere.Persistent Pain That Doesn’t Improve or Worsens. While minor strains and muscle aches usually resolve within a week, persistent neck pain that doesn’t show signs of improvement could signify an underlying condition, e.
What is the most common cause of cervical spine injuries?
The anatomical complexity and mobility make it highly susceptible to trauma; injuries often result from high-energy mechanisms such as motor vehicle collisions, sports trauma, or falls. These injuries may present with symptoms ranging from localized pain to complete paralysis. Depending on the nature of the impact, any region of the spine can be affected, with the cervical and lumbar regions being the most susceptible due to their mobility and weight-bearing roles.
What are red flags for cervical spine injury?
Red Flag Signs of a Spinal Injury Weakness, issues with coordination, or paralysis in any part of the body. Difficulties with walking or balance. Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in the extremities. A twisted neck or back following an accident. People can also mistake shoulder pain as coming from their shoulder when it may actually come from a pinched nerve in their neck. A few conditions are associated with cervical degenerative disc disease, developing at the same time, or one leading to the other, such as: Herniated cervical disc.Cervical radiculopathy (also known as “pinched nerve”) is a condition that results in neurological dysfunction caused by compression and inflammation of any of the nerve roots of your cervical spine (neck). Neurological dysfunction can include radiating pain, muscle weakness and/or numbness.The pain caused by cervical radiculopathy can be described as burning or sharp, stemming from the neck and traveling to other parts of the body connected to the damaged nerve. Radiculopathy symptoms might include: Tingling or numbness in the fingers or hand. Weakness in arm, shoulder or hand.Numbness or less feeling in the area supplied by the nerve. Sharp, aching or burning pain, which may radiate outward. Tingling, or a pins and needles feeling. Muscle weakness in the affected area.Persistent Pain That Doesn’t Improve or Worsens While minor strains and muscle aches usually resolve within a week, persistent neck pain that doesn’t show signs of improvement could signify an underlying condition, e.
How serious is a cervical spine injury?
Injury to the lower cervical nerves and/or the spinal cord may result in paralysis of the upper and lower extremities (arms and legs) and can cause bowel and bladder dysfunction. Due to its proximity to the brain and its control over a large portion of the body, injuries to the cervical spinal cord are often the most severe, frequently leading to tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia.Individuals with high cervical injuries often lose voluntary motor function and sensation below the level of injury, resulting in permanent dependence on others for all activities of daily living, including mobility, feeding, bathing, and dressing.As such, cervical spinal nerve injuries tend to be the most severe type of spinal cord injury. Injury of the C1 to C6 nerves will likely result in quadriplegia, or paralysis that affects the arms and legs. In cases of cervical spinal cord injury, the person may be unable to move anything below the neck.The predominant cause of cervical strain injury is traffic crashes, which produce indirect trauma to the neck via acceleration-deceleration, a mechanism in which there is a back and forth whipping motion of the head.
What parts of the body are affected by the cervical spine?
Nerves in the cervical spine They stimulate muscle movement in your neck, shoulder, arm and hand, and provide sensation. Cervical nerves C1, C2 and C3 control your forward, backward and side head and neck movements. One of the main symptoms of a cervical spine disorder is neck pain. You may also have pain in the head, jaw, shoulders, arms, or legs, as well as numbness and weakness. Other problems include impaired coordination or balance, difficulty breathing, or loss of bowel and bladder control.A bulging disc in the neck can be caused by the impact of a car accident as the rapid back-and-forth motion of the neck (whiplash) can place excessive stress on the cervical spine causing discs between the vertebrae to shift or protrude, resulting in compression or irritation of the spinal nerves.
What kind of doctor treats cervical injuries?
Specialists Who Treat Neck Pain Waldman; physiatrists; neurologists; sports medicine doctors; spine surgeons, and physical therapists. With a good physical therapist and participation in a corrective exercise program, most people will get better,” Dr. Waldman says. Ice reduces inflammation, while heat relaxes the stiff neck muscles. For best results, you may alternate the two for about 20 minutes each several times a day.With so many specialists available, it can be challenging to know which one would best care for your needs. You are probably looking for someone who will also treat your pain in a way that alleviates your anxieties. If you are experiencing neck pain, a neurologist can help!Hot and cold therapy Using ice packs or heating pads can help relieve neck pain fast. Ice reduces inflammation, while heat relaxes the stiff neck muscles. For best results, you may alternate the two for about 20 minutes each several times a day.