Treatment of a cervical spine syndrome

The treatment of a cervical spine syndrome is usually relatively difficult, especially in the case of a chronic disease pattern. As different as the causes and progression of the disease are, so different are the therapies that are designed to enable patients to lead a pain-free everyday life. Especially in the chronic course of the cervical spine syndrome, treatment can be very difficult and often only a combination of different forms of therapy leads to success.

In acute or sub-acute cases, therapy is usually started with painkillers. For this purpose, preparations from the group of non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or diclofenac are particularly suitable. However, if the pain is particularly bad, sometimes one also falls back on centrally effective painkillers (analgesics), for example those from the group of morphines, whereby one must be careful when taking them in order not to trigger any dependence.

Tilidine or Tramadol (Tramundin®) are often used here. However, all painkillers should only be taken over a longer period of time in consultation with the treating physician or family doctor, as they cause side effects such as heartburn or damage to internal organs, which must then be prevented (e.g. by taking tablets to protect the stomach from acidosis). Especially in cases of severe muscle tension, muscle relaxants are administered in addition to the painkillers, which loosen the muscles and can also relieve pain.

These include Sirdalud®, diazepam, tolpiserone and flupirtine. There is also the possibility of taking antidepressants, which have a certain pain-distancing effect and can thus reduce the use of classic painkillers. In addition to drug treatment, physiotherapy is also of great importance in cervical spine syndrome.

Physiotherapy and manual therapy are important components in the treatment of the cervical spine syndrome. Common goals of both treatment measures are a permanent relief of the pain caused by the cervical spine syndrome, by lowering the muscle tone in tense muscles, as well as a stabilization of the cervical spine through targeted muscle building. Until 1994, physiotherapy was called physiotherapy.

It includes the conservative treatment of the body with the help of so-called remedies, which are applied externally. The term remedy basically covers various substances, materials and procedures that have a health-promoting effect. The remedies used in physiotherapy are mainly heat, cold and pressure.

Physiotherapy is most frequently used in the treatment of orthopedic diseases. Here, the treatment of back pain, as well as the treatment of cervical spine complaints, is in first place. In the treatment of cervical spine syndrome, a distinction is made between short-term and long-term goals.

Short-term goals primarily include pain relief, regulation of muscle tension in the neck, shoulder and back areas, and an increase in head mobility. Long-term goals include especially the healing of the disease, as well as the preservation of the affected person’s ability to work. These goals are achieved with the help of various methods.

Active methods, in which the affected person must cooperate, are differentiated from passive methods. Active methods include, for example, movement therapy (back school) and respiratory therapy. Passive methods include massage, thermotherapy (application of cold and heat), hydrotherapy (application of water) and phototherapy (application of short-wave light).

Physiotherapy is prescribed by a doctor after diagnosis and, in the case of those with statutory health insurance, is usually financed by the health insurance companies. Manual therapy is a sub-discipline of physiotherapy. Manual therapy deals with the recognition and treatment of disorders or blockages in joints of the spine.

The aim is to remove existing blockages in order to avoid incorrect movement sequences in the joint and the resulting consequential damage. Pressure is applied quickly and forcefully to the joints in question, and they are “put back into place”. In this way, pain is relieved and movement restrictions are eliminated. Manual therapy is viewed critically in the area of the cervical spine.In the worst case, namely if the treatment is carried out improperly, it can damage blood vessels in the throat and thus lead to serious clinical pictures, such as a stroke.