Vertebrogenic cervicalgia is a neurological disorder, accompanied by severe pain in the neck, which often spreads to the back of the head and shoulder girdle. This syndrome gives a person a lot of inconvenience. So what caused this condition?
What are the causes of vertebrogenic cervicalgia?
Most often, the cause of constant pain is degenerative processes in the spine. In particular, osteochondrosis is considered the most common risk factor. With a similar disease, the tissues of the intervertebral discs are gradually destroyed, which leads to their displacement. When the structure of the disc is protruded, the vessels are pinched and pressed on the nerve roots, which, accordingly, causes chronic pain.
Approximately the same picture is observed with hernias, spondylarthrosis and spondylosis. The reasons also include the formation and growth of a tumor in the spine. On the other hand, chronic vertebrogenic cervicalgia often develops against the background of a previous injury or a progressive autoimmune disease.
It is worth considering that pain attacks most often occur when exposed to adverse environmental factors, including hypothermia. Chronic pain in the neck affects people whose profession requires a long stay in a sitting position (for example, office workers, drivers). Sometimes these symptoms appear with intense physical exertion, a sharp turn of the head, an uncomfortable posture during sleep, etc.
Vertebrogenic cervicalgia and its symptoms
As already mentioned, the main symptom of this pathology is pain in the neck. Quite often vertebrogenic cervicalgia is accompanied by sharp, shooting pains. A person is afraid to move, since any, even the slightest movement causes an acute, painful attack.
In chronic cervicalgia, pain is less intense, but is present almost constantly. When the nerve fiber is squeezed, the body instinctively tries to restrict movement, which causes a persistent muscle spasm, so this condition is accompanied by stiffness.
In some cases, the pain spreads to the arm, to the area of the scapula, and sometimes the sternum. Often vertebrogenic cervicalgia is accompanied by headaches. After all, displaced intervertebral discs often compress blood vessels, disrupting cerebral circulation.
How is cervicalgia treated?
It is immediately worth noting that the diagnosis of cervicalgia can only be made by a doctor. Indeed, in this case, a thorough examination of the whole organism is necessary. Pain in the neck, arms and back can indicate a host of diseases, including muscle inflammation, gastritis, and even myocardial infarction.
It is imperative to detect the cause of pain in the neck and eliminate it. As for the symptomatic treatment, first of all, it includes the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. With severe muscle spasm, it is advisable to take muscle relaxants. You can relieve pain with painkillers and gels, in particular, experts recommend Fastum Gel, Diklak, Voltaren.
Physiotherapy, in particular electrophoresis, will also have a positive effect on the patient's condition. Therapeutic massage relieves muscle spasm and improves blood flow, but such procedures cannot be performed during an exacerbation.