Therapy
The therapy depends entirely on the cause of the cervicobrachialgia. Above all, it is important to carry out an adequate pain therapy in order to rule out the corresponding malpositions caused by the painful course. Painkillers which have an anti-inflammatory as well as pain-reducing effect are particularly suitable here.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or Voltaren, which can be taken should be mentioned here. In addition to pain treatment, muscle-relaxing medication can also be taken. The main drugs used are benzodiazepine-type drugs.
It is important, however, that these drugs are only used for a certain period of time, as the drug group has a not inconsiderable potential for dependence. Supplementary and accompanying physiotherapeutic measures can also be carried out, which are usually aimed at strengthening the muscles of the cervical spine. Cooling or warming measures for the cervical spine can be attempted, but generally have only limited effectiveness.
The use of cervical ruffs should only be used in acute conditions, as they relieve the cervical muscles to such an extent that they can degenerate in the long term. In very severe cases, an attempt can be made to bring about an improvement through surgical intervention. The treatment of cervicobrachialgia depends on its cause and on the extent of the complaints that a person affected has.
Normally, the first step is to try to relieve the pain with medication or other conservative methods. Only if this is unsuccessful or if the symptoms are already very pronounced at the beginning will the doctor suggest surgery, whereby the advantages and disadvantages must of course always be weighed up and in the end the patient is the one who has to make the decision. Most operations are not associated with a high risk, although of course, as with any operation, there are some dangers, such as infection of the wound or problems that can result from general anaesthesia.
If it was caused by a herniated disc of the cervical spine, the prolapsed part can be removed. If the mass that previously pressed on the nerve is no longer present, the pain may decrease if the nerve was not previously permanently damaged. If it is necessary to remove a large part of the vertebral body, it may be necessary to insert a vertebral prosthesis.
Another option for treating cervicobrachialgia is the so-called spondylodesis, in which two or more vertebral bodies are to be restricted in their mobility in relation to each other, which can be done with the help of screws, for example. This makes the spinal column stiffer, which can help to relieve pain, for example, if it is caused by wear-related instability or malformations, such as scoliosis. It is also possible to widen the exit holes of nerves that for some reason have too little space, this is called foraminotomy or decompression.
In general, however, it must unfortunately be said that the results of surgical procedures used to treat cervicobrachialgia have a rather low success rate, as they rarely improve or even make the pain disappear in the long term and are therefore a disappointment for many patients who decide to undergo them. Many patients with cervicobrachialgia or chronic spinal pain are prescribed massages and take them. However, massages are not very effective for such painful conditions.
The therapy of a cervicobrachialgia itself must treat the causes, whereby a massage is rarely helpful. The second aspect is pain therapy, which is carried out using pain and anti-inflammatory drugs. Massages are rather part of the complementary physiotherapeutic treatments.
A massage is very pleasant and relaxing for the patient. The musculature can relax for a short time and the pain is reduced. Pain therapy is important in cervicobrachialgia, so that the patient does not adopt a relieving or incorrect posture as a result of the pain, and causes further painful suffering. Similar to cooling and warming measures or neck ruffs, massages have a complementary effect, but are not a sustainable therapeutic measure. The patient should therefore decide for himself whether massages are a sensible measure for him.