Whiplash: Whiplash is the hyperextension injury to the neck. This usually
happens when the head is suddenly jerked back and forth beyond its normal
limits during a car accident, rough contact sports, or in a fall. The jerking
motion can cause over stretching and tearing of the neck muscles and ligaments
and can cause the discs between the neck vertebrae to bulge, tear or rupture.
Seat belts and seats with headrests help to prevent or minimize serious neck
injuries in car accidents. The pain as a result of whiplash is due to
tightened muscles that are either reacting to muscle tears or are trying to
act as a splint for the neck. These tightened muscles can lead to headaches or
pains radiating down the back of the neck and shoulder blades. Treatment
consists of hot or cool packs, massage and stretching exercises.
DiscHerniations: The material in the center of the disc
pushes out from where it is normally present resulting in a disc herniation. A
herniated disc can put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves to the arms and
legs. When a disc ruptures quickly e.g. in an accident, the nerve does not
have time to adjust to the increased pressure and it ceases functioning. As a
result the patient may feel numbness or tingling in the arms or legs, and
their muscles become weak. When the nerves stop functioning it causes
paralysis below the level of the injury. A patient with a traumatic cervical
disc herniation may require surgery, but sometimes the symptoms resolve on
their own. If the symptoms stay the same or start getting worse surgery may be
needed in order to relieve pressure on the nerves. Patients who have a history
of an accident and develop numbness, tingling, or weakness in their arms or
legs need emergency surgery and may also need special care to be taken to a
hospital.
Spinalcordinjuries: Spinal cord injury occurs when
the cord is crushed, stretched or torn by accident. More than half of spinal
injuries involve the cervical spine and most of them happen to young men.
Spinal cord injuries are classified according to the level of the spine where
it is damaged. The first 7 vertebrae in the cervical spine are called C1 to C7
and the next 12 vertebrae are part of the thoracic spine, called T1 to T12.
The lumbar spine has five vertebrae L1 to L5. The higher the injury is along
the length of the spine the worse is the outcome as this paralyzes more of the
body. Injuries that occur T1 and lower normally leave the arms intact.
Injuries that occur in the cervical spine paralyze the arms and hands.
Injuries at the level of C1-C2 usually result in death. If the patient
survives the accident they require a ventilator to breathe for the rest of
their life. Quadriplegia is present in injuries above the level of C5. Below
the level of C5 some arm function is preserved. C6 injuries does not effect
the biceps, which means that the patients can move their hands up to their
face. However, they are unable to use their triceps, because the nerves to
these muscles have been damaged. Injuries at the C7 level often spare the
triceps which means that the patient can use a wheelchair, transfer themselves
from a chair to a bed, and use a knife and fork.
Fracturesanddislocations: Treatment should be
quickly introduced in order to reduce pain, stabilize the neck and prevent
pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Fractures and dislocations of the
cervical spine are serious injuries because of the potential for damage to the
spinal cord if the patient is not taken care of very carefully. The type of
fracture that occurs depends on the magnitude of the force, spacial
orientation, location of the fracture. Stable fractures are those in which the
posterior ligaments remain in tact, while instable fractures results from
tears of the posterior ligaments. A vertical compression fracture with central
decompression is like a simple compression fracture but the force has a
greater magnitude. A tear drop fracture is as a result of a high magnitude
force. There is significant cord damage caused by vertebral
fragments being driven into the spinal cord. Dislocations
of the spine is referred to as
a subluxation. In this situation there is no side by
side position between the joint surfaces. Extension dislocations in the cervical spine are often missed on
an X-ray. In an extension dislocation the
posterior ligaments remain intact making the dislocation stable. In a extension dislocation there
is a tear
in the anterior longitudinal ligament.
Often a simple fracture without neurologic complications can heal by bed rest.
How do you find out what is causing your Neck Pain? Doctor's diagnose the causes of
neck pain by taking a comprehensive medical history by asking you a series of detailed questions about the
neck pain, your general health, your family history, your health risks, and much more. Based on this they then order a series of tests to further investigate what the think might be the problem, known as their differential diagnosis.
You can store all your Personal Health Information securely online and
access your medical records 24 hours a day 7 days a week from anywhere in the
world using MyNetRecord.com
For sharing and discussing your health concerns with people
around the world use YourHealthForum.com
YourDiagnosis takes a very comprehensive medical history online using easy to understand questions which you can answer by just clicking on the relevant answers. Once completed it provides a comprehensive list of differential diagnoses as well as a detailed Personal Health Summary
which you can take to your physician. You can also use it to store your medical
history and symptoms history that can be used by your physician(s) at a later
date. This would help you as you will not miss providing important information
to the different doctors you visit.
