Definition
Pain in the area of the cervical spine affects many people several times in their lives. Just like the lumbar spine, the cervical spine is a weak point in the human anatomy. Due to today’s lifestyle and reduced physical activity, it is increasingly exposed to incorrect strain.
In most cases, however, the complaints are not based on serious causes, which is why medical treatment is not always immediately necessary (uncomplicated neck pain). However, since neck pain can be a severe impairment for those affected, it is important to search for triggering factors and possible causes. In general, pain in the cervical spine is also referred to as cervical spine syndrome or cervical syndrome.
If the pain radiates into the head area, the term cervicocephalic syndrome (cephalus lat. = head) is used; if it radiates into the arms, the clinical picture is also called cervical brachial syndrome (brachium lat. = arm).
One speaks of acute pain if it does not last longer than three weeks. Subacute pain lasts between four weeks and three months, chronic pain lasts longer than three months. The causes of pain in the cervical spine are manifold.
Most frequently, the pain is caused by stress or depressive mood with poor posture. The psychological strain causes subconscious muscle tension and incorrect posture, so that the neck begins to hurt. Overweight and lack of exercise can promote the symptoms.
Even mere wear and tear of the vertebral joints can cause pain in this area. More serious causes of pain in the cervical spine, for which a doctor should definitely be consulted, are pain due to injury/trauma. A typical example is a rear-end collision with a car, in which the driver’s head first hits the front of the car and then hits the headrest.
The cervical spine is first overstretched and then compressed, which can lead to long-lasting, severe pain. This must be clarified by a physician, since in such a whiplash injury the vertebrae themselves and the surrounding soft tissue can also be seriously injured. In the context of some pre-existing conditions, cervical spine complaints can also occur, e.g. osteoporotic vertebral body fractures.
Malformations of the vertebral bodies or inflammatory changes in the vertebral bodies (spondylitis) can also lead to neck pain. Another cause, which is often not recognized, is grinding of the teeth during sleep. The sleeping person unconsciously presses the teeth against each other with extreme force, which can lead to tension in the neck muscles.
In case of recurring, severe neck pain, the dentist should be consulted about this possible cause. A bite splint, which is worn at night, can then provide relief. If, in addition to the neck pain, other symptoms such as fever, unwanted weight loss, increasing pain, extreme pain, paralysis or loss of sensitivity in the skin are noticed, a doctor should definitely be consulted. Under certain circumstances, a malignant disease can also be the cause of the symptoms, e.g. bone metastases caused by a malignant tumor or a primary tumor of the bone in the spine.
