Nerve inflammation in the neck
In the case of nerve inflammation in the neck, the complaints are usually caused by tension in the neck muscles. The tense muscles force an unnatural and unhealthy neck posture, which irritates the nerve tracts running in the neck and can thus lead to pain in the neck and also to headaches. In most cases, the cause of the tension in the neck muscles is sitting for too long on inappropriate seating surfaces, such as in the office. An improvement of the sitting conditions as well as regular breaks from sitting with physical exercises have already proven to be very effective measures to relieve the complaints of most of those affected. As long as it does not become the rule, taking a painkiller tablet can occasionally be useful to relieve the pain, thereby easing tension and breaking the cycle of pain and tension.
Nerve inflammation of the cervical spine
In the area of the entire spine, inflammation of the nerve roots can occur.A nerve root represents the union of sensitive and motor nerve fibers on the side of the spine. It can be irritated by infections or the effects of pressure. The inflammation of the nerve root is also called radiculopathy.
Pressure damage can be caused by arthritis (ossification of the intervertebral hole, point where the spinal nerve exits the spinal cord) or by a displacement of the intervertebral discs. In the case of a slipped disc in the cervical spine, parts of a disc enter the spinal canal and press on the nerve roots. This compresses the nerves leading to the arm.
As a result, pain may occur, which radiates from the cervical spine into the arm. In addition, numbness (especially in the fingers) and paralysis may occur. In rare cases, a tumor can also be responsible for the compression of the nerve root.
Nerve inflammation in the face
The facial nerve (nervus facialis), which innervates the facial musculature, can be damaged by infectious diseases, mechanical trauma (e.g. fracture of the petrous bone), but also by cerebral haemorrhages or tumors. In the case of infections, this leads to inflammation of the facial nerve. Then there are symptoms of failure.
These are mostly paralysis of the facial muscles on the affected side and disturbances in the perception of taste. Another form of nerve damage to the face is trigeminal neuralgia. It can occur in the context of multiple sclerosis, but often the cause is unclear.
In trigeminal neuralgia, the fifth cranial nerve is in a state of irritation, which is very painful for the patient. They suffer from sudden, one-sided severe pain in the face that lasts only a few seconds. The pain usually occurs along the upper or lower jaw, as this is where two of the three major branches of the trigeminal nerve run along.
