Neck pain
Neck and arm pain has many causes. Often there can be more than one cause. It is important to find the root cause of the pain, but it is not essential to find the true cause of the pain to begin treatment. Osteophytes (calcification) in the neck vertebrae, slips, disc herniations, spasm in the neck muscles, some anatomical abnormalities can cause pain in the neck, arm and head by pressing on the nerves going to the arm and spinal cord.
Spinal cord compression is a rarer but much more serious condition.
Although rare, some diseases arising from the spinal cord can cause neck and arm pain (ms, syringomyelia, myelitis). Rheumatic diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis and RA can also cause neck pain and stiffness.
Every wrong movement and posture that is not suitable for neck health in daily life; It causes wear and degeneration in the spine, disc, joint and connective tissue. This is especially common among those sitting at a desk, students preparing for exams, using a keyboard device, and those who do a lot of manual work.
Loss of the natural lordosis (neck cupping) in the neck is the most important finding of abuse of the neck. This is seen as a flattening in the neck axis on X-ray. This situation paves the way for neck hernias and osteoarthritis (calcification).
Neck injury
As a result of a greater strain than the normal movement allowed by the anatomical structure of the neck; There may be injuries to the disc, bone, ligaments and joints. In general, after an in-vehicle traffic accident, increasing neck and arm pain may occur due to excessive movement and strain in the neck. This is called the Whiplash injury. This condition occurs as a result of excessive movement of the neck forward and backward.
Stiff neck, Muscle spasm
It is usually caused by excessive stretching of the muscles that support the neck. Lifting something heavy, excessive sports, work activity, improper desk work can cause muscle spasm. In addition, sleeping in the wrong position, high pillows and bad travel conditions can also cause stiff neck. Most of the time, spasm and stiffness are resolved with simple and easy treatments. In long-term muscle pain, also called "Myofascial pain, Fibromyalgia, Fibrocytes and Myositis", there are points that trigger pain in the muscle and stiffness that can be felt by the hand. Long-term permanent curvature of the neck is called torticollis. Klippel-Feil, Turner Syndrome, disc agenesis are congenital problems and can cause severe neck pain.
Neck hernia
It is the overflow of the cartilage disc tissue, which acts as a flexible cushion between both neck vertebrae, towards the nerves that go to the spinal cord and arm. Depending on the size and location of the pressure, neck and arm pain, shoulder pain, headache, pain spreading between the shoulder blades, loss of strength in the arm muscles, numbness in the hands, numbness and clumsiness can be seen. Rarely, if there is pressure towards the spinal cord, difficulty in walking, weakness in the legs and urinary complaints can also be seen. It responds well to physical therapy. If the complaints do not go away despite conservative treatment and there is severe spinal cord and nerve pressure, surgical treatment is recommended.
