Cervical spine injuries may cause the patient a lot of discomfort as well as pain. Usually cervical spine injury can happen for a lot of reasons but the main cause for these injuries leading to severe cervical spine conditions is when the cervical vertebrae is fractured. This type of fracture can happen because of a trauma to the back like a car accident, diving accident or a fall that may jar the head around causing a whiplash. This type of incident can lead up to the spinal cord getting severely damaged. This type of damage not only cause neck pain but may also result in impaired functioning of the spinal column. Other cervical injuries can be caused by severe spinal disorders like:
- Cervical Degeneration Disc Disease
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Cervical Bone Spurs
- Cervical Osteoarthritis
Cervical Spine Injury Treatments
Usually specialists dealing in spinal injuries and disorders prefer conservative or non-surgical treatments to treat these conditions. Surgery is only considered as an option when non-surgical cervical treatments fail to provide any respite to the symptoms felt by the patient. Popular non-surgical treatment includes:
- Physical Therapy
- Chiropractic Manipulation
- Anti-Inflammatory Medications like NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
- Back Strengthening Exercises
- Epidural Steroid Injections
- Manual therapy Including Soft-Tissue and Manipulative Techniques
Surgical neck procedures as mentioned above are only considered when the injury is extremely severe and the patient is unable to get any relief from his symptoms through conservative treatment methods. Surgical procedures include decompression as well spinal fusion.
Recovering from a Cervical Spine Injury
To recover from spinal injury it is necessary that you follow your doctor’s orders carefully and follow the treatment program correctly. Usually doctors advice a total physical therapy program or an exercise program along with anti-inflammatory medications if required. Doctors may also suggest lifestyle changes like prohibiting smoking and drinking.
