Introduction
The term “cervical spine syndrome” refers to a complex of symptoms of back or arm pain that originates in the area of the cervical spine segments. Clinically, the cervical spine syndrome is divided into acutely occurring and chronically persistent forms of the disease. The main cause of the acute cervical spine syndrome is usually traumatic injuries to the cervical spine that occur in the course of a traffic accident. In addition, excessive strain and abnormal movements of the cervical spine can lead to the acute cervical spine syndrome. The chronic cervical spine syndrome is in most cases caused by degenerative changes at the level of the individual vertebral segments.
Causes
Among the most common causes of the development of the cervical spine syndrome are traumatic events that affect the cervical spine (for example, whiplash injury in a traffic accident). In addition, degenerative changes in the individual cervical spine segments are considered the main cause for the occurrence of cervical spine syndrome with neck and headaches. Above all, changes in the intervertebral discs (e.g. herniated discs) and functional disorders of the cervical spine retaining ligaments cause a classic cervical spine syndrome symptomatology in many patients.
Furthermore, diseases of the vertebral joints and additional bone growth on the vertebral bodies can lead to the cervical spine syndrome with neck and headaches. If the cervical spine syndrome already occurs at a young age, congenital developmental disorders may be a possible cause. Especially children who suffer from pronounced scoliosis (twisting and torsion of the spine around its longitudinal axis) develop a cervical spine syndrome with headaches and/or neurological deficits. In addition, inflammatory changes in the area of the cervical spine can lead to the development of the cervical spine syndrome and the associated severe neck and headaches. Metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis or rickets are also considered possible triggers of the cervical spine syndrome.
Therapy
The treatment of patients suffering from cervical spine syndrome with neck and/or headache is primarily determined by the underlying disease. For this reason, the diagnosis of cervical spine syndrome plays a decisive role. The headaches caused by cervical spine problems can in many cases be treated by taking painkillers (analgesics).
Ibuprofen and paracetamol are particularly suitable for the treatment of cervical syndrome-associated headaches. If the complaint is based on an inflammatory cause, treatment with ibuprofen is recommended. The reason for this is that although paracetamol has analgesic and antipyretic properties, it has no influence on the inflammatory reactions.
In the case of severe, non-silencing headaches, an extended therapy schedule should be discussed with the treating physician. Under certain circumstances, the temporary intake of higher quality painkillers (e.g. Novalgin) may be advisable. Patients who have severe tension in addition to the headache should be treated with so-called muscle relaxants in addition to the painkillers.
In this way, the excessive tension of the muscles is relieved and less tension is exerted on the individual vertebral segments. In addition, the application of cooling or warming pads or ointments can help to relieve headaches in cervical spine syndrome. For the affected patient it is also important to improve the overall stability of the vertebral segments by training the cervical spine muscles.
This can be done, for example, in the course of physiotherapy. In special back schools, meaningful exercises can be learned. Furthermore, the so-called electrostimulation is considered a successful method in the treatment of patients suffering from the cervical spine syndrome with neck and headaches.
In this procedure, the smallest nerve branches, which are located under the skin, are stimulated via adhesive electrodes. As a result, the pain line to the brain is interrupted and the headache is relieved. Appropriate stimulation devices (transcutaneous nerve stimulation; TENS) can be purchased and the treatment can be performed comfortably from home.
Furthermore, chirotherapeutic deblocking of the vertebral joints is considered a successful treatment method for patients suffering from cervical spine syndrome.In the case of acute symptoms, the injection of a local anaesthetic can help to relieve the symptoms (especially neck and headaches). In addition, alternative treatment methods may be promising in some cases. Above all, the performance of acupuncture leads to effective relief of pain symptoms for many of those affected.
Some time ago, patients suffering from a pronounced cervical syndrome with severe neck and/or headaches were treated with the help of a neck brace. Nowadays, this method is only used sporadically. Nevertheless, wearing a neck brace can lead to relief of the spinal column segments, especially in the short term, and thus to an alleviation of the symptoms.
