Duration | Cervical spine syndrome – How to help you!

Duration

How long the symptoms of a cervical spine syndrome last depends entirely on the cause and extent of the disease. In principle, it is important to recognize the trigger of the cervical spine syndrome at an early stage and to initiate an individually appropriate therapy. In order to prevent complaints caused by a cervical spine syndrome in the long term, posture should be corrected through physiotherapeutic exercises, the cervical spine should be stabilized by muscle build-up, incorrect loading during sports should be avoided and ergonomic aspects should be taken into account in everyday work.

A physician should be consulted after one to two weeks at the latest if pain persists without a previous accident.An immediate visit to a doctor, on the other hand, is indicated in case of persistent sensory disturbances in the shoulder or arm, dizziness, ringing in the ears, paralysis, visual disturbances or after an accident. If the cervical spine syndrome remains untreated for several years, the permanently increased muscle tension can shift the position of the cervical vertebrae relative to each other. This leads to increased stress and wear and tear of the cervical spine, which is reflected in a narrowing of the intervertebral disc space.

Acquired spinal column malpositions can hardly be normalized, but in most cases the resulting complaints can be alleviated. If the symptoms improve within 3 weeks, one speaks of an acute (= sudden) cervical spine syndrome. If the complaints last longer than 3 months, it is called chronic (= persistent) cervical spine syndrome.

In between there is a kind of transition period between the forms, which is then called “subchronic”. As a rule of thumb, the longer the complaints have existed, the longer the treatment will last. During this time, however, the affected persons do not have to continue suffering from their usually not insignificant complaints.

Right from the start, painkillers can and should be prescribed by the doctor so that the affected persons are quickly free of pain and then therapy can begin. Additional quick relief is also provided by drugs that relax the muscles. However, neither of these medications is suitable for treating the cause of the pain, and intensive treatment must be given to this end.

In summary, the time until freedom from pain should be relatively short, the time until the cause is improved is significantly longer. The cause of a sudden (=acute) cervical spine syndrome is the so-called “whiplash injury”. Here, the head is massively overextended, including all structures in the cervical vertebrae, due to rapid braking in traffic accidents.

The massive stretching can lead to injuries of structures in this area. These then cause the patient the typical complaints such as neck pain or neck stiffness, since the neck muscles react to such massive stimuli with complete tension. The healing of this damage determines the duration of the complaints.

In many cases, the injuries heal within days to weeks without any subsequent damage. However, even whiplash injuries can turn into the persistent cervical spine syndrome with permanent complaints. This must be avoided.

Even previously existing damage to the cervical spine can delay the healing process. Physiotherapeutic exercises, on the other hand, can shorten the days until recovery. If blockages of the cervical spine (= smallest vertebral displacements) are the cause of the cervical spine syndrome, even a few physiotherapeutic treatments can bring about an extreme improvement in the symptoms.

The smallest displacements lead to an imbalance in the sensitive system of bones, muscles and ligaments that keeps the spine in its perpendicular position. The most impressive way to recognize these effects is by a massive tension of the neck muscles. In addition, these shifts can also press on nerves, which has effects in the form of tingling, numbness, pain, etc.

on various parts of the body. If the cause is now corrected by an experienced therapist or doctor with the help of special techniques, there is often an immediate improvement. Usually the diagnosis of a cervical spine blockage is preceded by a long medical history.

Success can be achieved by several treatments of different nature (e.g. heat to loosen the muscles plus physiotherapy). This can also accelerate the improvement of the condition. Again, the longer the complaints have existed, the greater the changes in the muscles and ligaments and the longer it can take to bring them close to an improved state.