Cervical Spine Syndrome: Causes

Pathogenesis (disease development)

Cervical spine syndrome has a multifactorial etiology. An interplay between structural changes and muscular dysfunction is thought to occur. One cause cannot be found in most cases. In less than one percent, a dangerous underlying disease is present.

Etiology (causes)

Biographic causes

  • Occupations – occupations that involve above-average stress on the cervical spine (e.g., carrying heavy objects on the shoulder for many years)
  • Socioeconomic factors – low socioeconomic status.

Behavioral causes

  • Consumption of stimulants
    • Former smokers
  • Physical activity
    • Heavy physical work
  • Psycho-social situation
    • High occupational demands/chronic stress
    • Low social ties
  • Obesity (overweight)
  • One-sided motion sequences as at computer workstations.
  • Incorrect working posture
  • Subjective health attitude

Disease-related causes

Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90).

  • Obesity (overweight)

Cardiovascular system (I00-I99)

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).

Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).

  • Atlanto-axial subluxation (AASL) – incomplete dislocation (subluxation) of the joint between the first and second cervical vertebrae (atlantoaxial joint).
  • Arthritis (pseudogout) of the lateral atlantoaxial joint (elderly patients).
  • Degenerative changes of the cervical spine such as osteoarthritis, spondylosis, osteophytes (bone attachments).
  • Facet syndrome – pain resulting from irritation of the facet joints (zygapophyseal joints; intervertebral joints: small paired joints that exist between the articular processes (processus articularis) of adjacent vertebrae and ensure the mobility of the spine).
  • Osteochondrosis – degenerative changes of bone and cartilage in joints.
  • Shoulder-arm syndrome (neck-shoulder-arm syndrome; cervicobrachialgia) – multifactorial symptom complex; most common causes are myofascial ( “affecting the muscles and fascia”) complaints, for example, due to myogelosis (muscle hardening) or muscle imbalance of the cervical spine; Other causes are degenerative phenomena of the cervical spine (osteochondrosis, spondylarthrosis), shoulder diseases (impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder, omarthrosis, ACG arthrosis, rotator cuff lesion) and internal diseases (lung diseases, diseases of the gallbladder, liver and spleen, and rheumatological diseases). Note: Persistent complaints, especially with neurological deficits, should also think of a spinal or neuroforaminal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal / channel along the spine) or a herniated disc (herniated disc).
  • Segmental dysfunction (blockage)
  • Tension of the neck muscles, unspecified.
  • Cervical disc herniation (prolapse) – herniated disc in the cervical spine.

Neoplasms – tumor diseases (C00-D48).

  • Pancoast tumor (synonym: apical sulcus tumor) – rapidly progressive peripheral bronchial carcinoma in the region of the apex of the lung (apex pulmonis); rapidly spreading to the ribs, soft tissues of the neck, brachial plexus (ventral branches of the spinal nerves of the last four cervical and first thoracic segments (C5-Th1)), and vertebrae of the cervical and thoracic spine (cervical spine, thoracic spine)); disease often manifests with a characteristic pancoast syndrome: shoulder or Arm pain, rib pain, paresthesia (sensory disturbances) in the forearm, paresis (paralysis), hand muscle atrophy, upper influence congestion due to constriction of the jugular veins, Horner’s syndrome (triad associated with miosis (pupil constriction), ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid) and pseudoenophthalmos (apparently sunken eyeball)).
  • Neoplasms in the area of the cervical spine, unspecified
  • Metastases (daughter tumors)

Psyche – nervous system (F00-F99; G00-G99)

Pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium (O00-O99).

  • Pregnancy, unspecified

Injuries, poisonings, and other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)

  • Epidural hemorrhage – bleeding into the space between the meninges.
  • Cervical spine distortion (whiplash).

Other causes

  • Cell phone neck; reading an e-book, etc.
  • Condition after surgery on the cervical spine