In fact, neck pain is a less common complaint compared to low back pain. 7 out of 10 people have neck pain at least once in our lifetime. This pain occurs when external and internal factors affect the neck. These factors predispose to pain by affecting the muscles and ligaments that support the spine and spine.
No. There are many reasons for neck pain. Moreover, some patients may have more than one disease. While neck hernia and calcification in the neck cause neck pain in some patients, simple neck stiffness, myafacial causes, fibromyalgia and rheumatic diseases cause neck pain in some patients. This reveals how many different causes of neck pain can be.
Before answering this question, it is useful to define cervical disc hernia. There are 7 vertebrae in our neck. There is a disc cushion between these vertebrae and while they carry the weight of the head on the one hand, they also allow the head to move in different directions. The dislocation of the disc cushion located between the vertebrae as a result of heavy lifting or reverse movement and compressing the spinal cord or the nerves from the spinal cord is called cervical hernia. While this condition initially only causes neck pain, it may also lead to shoulder and arm pain in later stages due to compression of the nerve. Loss of strength, numbness, or reflex changes may occur in the arm due to compression of the nerve. In fact, the most common scenario is a pain in the neck after neck strain, and pain in the arm in the following days.
There is no need to consult a physician for simple pain that lasts 3-4 days.However, in some special cases stated below, a doctor should be consulted.
- If the neck pain is severe and does not disappear within a few days,
- If the pain interferes with daily activities and causes sleep disturbance
- If there is pain and numbness spreading to the arm,
- If weakness has started in the arms and legs,
- If there is an incident of incontinence.
Has. The most common of these is the narrowing of the neck spine canal. The canal in the spine through which the spinal cord passes may narrow at birth or with age. As a result, neck pain, numbness and loss of strength in arms and legs may occur.
Pain in the neck and arm, the shape, severity, course of pain and sensory loss, and other accompanying conditions suggest cervical disc hernia or neck spine canal stenosis. A thorough and careful neurological examination reinforces this conviction. Nowadays, neck spine MRI is performed to confirm the diagnosis.
Today, it is the main diagnostic method used in the diagnosis of cervical hernia and other spinal diseases. MR provides detailed information about vertebrae, disc pads, nerve roots and spinal cord.
Some radiological examinations such as neck x-ray and neck tomography make it easier for us to see some bone details. On the other hand, in some cases, EMG examination is required.
While radiological examinations such as MRI and tomography provide images of neck hernia and nerve compression, they do not reflect the extent to which the functions of the said nerves are affected by this compression. EMG examination examines how much nerves and muscles are affected by compression.
In neck pain, the treatment method is determined by considering the cause of the pain. For this purpose, patients are tried to be treated with many medical and surgical treatment options. If medical treatment methods are insufficient, surgical options will come to the fore.
Painkillers, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxants and, in some special cases, depression medications should only be used with the doctor's recommendation. Rarely, injection therapy may be required to the area that causes pain.
In the treatment of simple pain, rest and neck collar are recommended as well as medicinal treatment. Both the rest and the duration of use of the collar should be determined by the doctor. Long-term neck collars are not recommended as it may cause laziness in the neck muscles.
In cases where neck pain does not improve with medication and rest, physical therapy may be required. For this purpose; cold therapy, superficial and deep heat therapy, ultraviolet, electric therapy, pull, laser and magnetic field therapy are applied.
Surgical treatment is applied in cases of inadequate medical treatment, deterioration of quality of life and loss of strength and sensation due to compression in spinal diseases.
Many different methods are used in the surgical treatment of neck hernia? These methods are determined according to the size and location of the hernia.
In this method, a needle is inserted into the intervertebral pillow. A radiofrequency electrode is passed through the needle. Thanks to this electrode, the disc is broken down and evaporated with the energy given. As a result, the volume of the disc decreases, which results in less pain. This treatment is applied in mild and some moderate hernias. The procedure is completed in 10 minutes without general anesthesia. The patient is discharged after 1-2 hours and the patient can return to work in a short time.
In this method, the nerve root is relieved by removing the neck hernia under the microscope through a short incision made on the front of the neck. After the disc cushion is emptied, a bone or artificial joint is placed in its place. The patient is standing up on the same day or the next day after the operation, walking and discharged.
While there is rarely any structure placed in the place of the removed disc cushion, a bone or a cage + bone wedge is placed in many patients to fill the gap. It causes the bone piece to fuse between the two vertebrae over time.
In this method, which has become widespread recently, an artificial disc is applied instead of the removed disc pad. The aim here is to eliminate the limitation of movement after the removal of the pillow.
In the operation performed on a good and experienced hand, the entire hernia is removed. There is no recurrence.