What are Cervical Spine disorders?
Cervical spine disorders or cervical spine conditions are the ones that exist in the neck region or cervical region of the spine. The cervical spine is made up of the first seven vertebrae (C1 to C7) that do not just encase the spinal cord but also work as its shield. The cervical spine comprises of bones, joints, muscles and ligaments. These parts have nerve endings which detect painful problems like neck pain when a cervical spine disorder occurs. Usually cervical spine disorder occurs when the cervical spine suffers an injury which can be a result of a trauma to the spine like a fall, whiplash, an accident that causes the head and neck to jar. Cervical spine disorders can also be caused from medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or cervical spine stenosis. When the cervical spine is injured it can cause severe traumatic as well as minor problems. These injuries vary from each other but they are broadly known as ‘cervical spine disorders’.
Cervical Spine Pain Symptoms
Neck pain symptoms
may be a signal that something is not right in your body specifically the spinal cord. In fact these cervical spine pain symptoms indicate that you may be suffering from some kind of cervical spine disorder. These symptoms include:
- Numbness
- Weakness in muscles
- Tingling and pin and needles sensation
- Neck Stiffness
- Headaches
- Arm Pain
- Difficulty in Walking
Risk Factors for Cervical Spine Disorders
Cervical spine disorder does not just effect the mobility of the neck but it can also effect the ability of hands and arms in case the disorder compromises the nerve roots. In case the cervical spine disorder compromises the spinal cord itself the results can be extremely dangerous and can result paralysis, the ability to control bowel and bladder movements even the ability the to breathe properly.
Cervical Spine Treatment
Usually doctors initially try to contain the condition with the help of non-surgical treatment options like physical therapy or chiropractic. However, severe cases require neck surgery.
