Neck Injury and Treatment
Neck injury, whether mild or severe, may affect other parts of the neck such as bones, soft tissues, joints and nerves since they are connected and thus work together to hold up and move the head. Although damage from neck injury is often limited to soft tissue, most neck injuries affect muscles.
Common neck injuries that affect soft tissues include neck strain, muscles strain and crick in the neck. “Crick in the neck” is a non-medical diagnosis used to describe the pain one wakes up with after sleeping the neck in an awkward position.
Neck sprains are injuries to ligaments and are mostly caused by falls or by sudden twists that overstretch or overload the joint. Sprains’ symptoms include reduced flexibility, swelling and pain. Muscle strains often occur in the low back but they also sometimes affect the neck. A common cause of muscle strain is bending over at one’s waist to lift up a heavy object.
Neck injuries that may affect the spinal cord and/or nerves include slipped disk in the neck (herniated disc), whiplash, stingers and burners.
Herniated disc occurs when the soft substance on the inside of the nucleus pulposis (the disc) is pushed out. When this soft substance lands on a root nerve, it causes pain and leads to symptoms such as numbness and weakness. Symptoms of herniated disc, however, depend on the exact spine’s level where disc herniation occurs and whether or not there is irritation of the nerve tissue.
Disc herniation can also be caused by tears in the outer fibers of the disc which can be brought on by forceful, sudden or repeated stress to the joint. Lifting a heavy load with a twisted spine can, for example, cause a disc to herniate.
Treatment for a herniated disc depends of the severity of the symptoms and includes muscle relaxant medications, pain and anti-inflammation medications, physical therapy and surgical operations.
Whiplash mostly occurs to a person’s neck after a sudden acceleration-deceleration force, often from car accidents. Although it is not a life threatening injury, whiplash can result in a prolonged period of partial disability. The most common symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and stiffness, ringing in the ears, headache, visual disturbances, shoulder pain and stiffness, dizziness among others.
Some of the more severe symptoms of whiplash include post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, anxiety, drug dependency, insomnia, litigation and social isolation.
The most important step in diagnosing whiplash is examining the patient in order to determine whether there are injuries which require treatment. The doctor may, based on the examination findings and symptoms either place a collar on the neck for additional support, or obtain x-rays of the neck to check for more serious injuries
Treatment for whiplash depends on the variety of symptoms present. However, the most important factor in managing whiplash is optimal education of the patient concerning their injury. This could include information on the cause, treatments and thee likely outcomes.
A soft cervical collar, which is often the initial treatment for whiplash, reduces the range of motion and prevents further injuries. But since loss of range of motion and excessive rest can lead to increased pain and stiffness, physical therapy is more appropriate as it strengthens muscles and increases blood flow.
Stingers and burners are temporary injuries to the nerve root and may be caused by abruptly tilting the head or forcing the head and shoulder in opposite directions at the same time. Symptoms include stinging, burning, weakness or numbness, and an electrical sensation down one arm. Football players, especially tacklers, and other contact sport athletes are the most likely to experience stingers and burners.
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