Associated symptoms

From the causes of a cervical spine syndrome, there are also some accompanying symptoms that can accompany neck pain. Headaches are particularly frequent, but stress, sleep disturbances and radiations in the direction of the arms are also part of it. They can be caused by nerve irritations in the area of the cervical spine and manifest themselves as tingling, numbness or loss of strength:

Dizziness, with nausea Dizziness can be caused by tension in the neck area in the cervical spine syndrome.
If the tension of the muscles is greatly increased and thus the blood circulation in the sensitive area of the cervical spine is disturbed, the blood supply to the brain may be reduced. Some blood vessels that supply the brain with blood run through a bony channel formed by the cervical vertebrae. If the blood flow is disturbed, this can lead to dizziness.

Usually the dizziness is moderate but disturbingly pronounced and can last from a few minutes after a triggering movement, up to several hours if the cervical spine is incorrectly loaded for a long time. Dizziness is often accompanied by nausea and has the same cause. However, in the case of dizziness and nausea, serious causes should definitely be ruled out by the doctor, as both can also indicate neurological problems.
Swallowing difficulties If swallowing difficulties occur in the context of a cervical spine syndrome, the sternocleidomastoid muscle may be responsible in many cases. This muscle has its origins in the sternum and collarbone and runs laterally along the neck to the palpable bony prominence behind the ear. Since it can rotate the head and stretch it backwards, twisted head postures, such as in

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of cervical spine syndrome is primarily based on the clinical picture. If abnormal posture and increased muscle tone are evident in addition to the headache symptoms, a cervical spine syndrome is an obvious cause.If, in addition to these complaints, there are also radiations in the direction of the arms or disturbances of consciousness, further diagnosis is necessary. In order to secure the diagnosis of cervical spine syndrome, exclusion diagnostics must be performed. This includes imaging procedures such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging to rule out damage to the vertebral bodies, such as fractures and ossifications or a herniated disc. In cases of impaired consciousness, a neurological examination must also be performed.