The following symptoms and complaints may indicate cervical spine syndrome (cervical spine syndrome):
- Disturbances in sensation in the arms/hands that occur when the head is moved.
- Cephalgia (headache), sometimes radiating to the back of the head
- Signs of paralysis in the arms
- Muscle stiffness/tension in the neck muscles (relieving posture, muscle hard tension).
- Neck pain* and movement pain
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Shoulder pain
- Visual disturbances
* Pain in the area bounded above by linea nuchalis superior (upper neck line), below by the first thoracic vertebra, and laterally by the attachments of the trapezius muscle (skeletal muscle stretched out in a trapezoidal shape between the shoulder and spine) near the shoulder joint.
Complaints can range from minor pain to severe limitations in movement.
Warning signs (red flags)
- Neurological deficits such as paralysis, sensory disturbances → immediate action is imperative!
- Disturbances of consciousness → immediate action unavoidable!
- Osteoporosis
- Reduction of the general condition
- History of tumor disease
- Trauma (injuries; e.g., whiplash of the cervical spine).
- Long-term therapy with glucocorticoids
