What is unstable cervical spine?
What is unstable cervical spine?
Cervical instability is an orthopedic condition characterized in part by hypermobility of the cervical vertebrae. In patients with cervical instability, these neck vertebrae are able to move beyond their normal range of motion due to ligaments that have become loose or overly stretched out.
What is the most common injury to the cervical spine?
Trauma is the most common cause of cervical injury, and this can include motor vehicle accidents, falls, penetrating or blunt trauma, sports-related or diving injuries. [4][5] Nontraumatic causes can include compression fractures from osteoporosis, arthritis, or cancer and inflammation of the spinal cord.
What does cervical spine instability feel like?
Tightness or stiffness in neck muscles. Tenderness. Headaches. Shaking or unstable feeling in neck/head.
Is cervical spine injury serious?
Cervical spinal cord injuries often involve permanent complete or partial loss of sensory function , and many associated complications. As is the case with all injuries of the spinal cord, injuries located higher on the spine will be more severe, with high cervical spinal cord injury often being fatal.
What are the symptoms of cervical spine injury?
Symptoms include:
- Neck or arm pain.
- Numbness and weakness in the upper extremities hands.
- Unsteady gait when walking.
- Muscle spasms in the legs.
- Loss of coordination in arms, hands, finger.
- Loss of muscle tone in arms and/or hands.
- Dropping items or loss of dexterity of hands.
What can be done to relieve pain in the cervical spine?
An injection of corticosteroids into the joints of the cervical spine or epidural space be used to temporarily relieve pain. The patient may be a candidate for surgery if: There are several different surgical procedures that can be utilized, the choice of which is influenced by the specifics of each case.
Why do I have neck pain with cervical spondylosis?
If you do experience symptoms related to cervical spondylosis, neck pain or stiffness may be the main sign. Pain may get worse when you move your neck. As the vertebral discs wear away with time, the spinal cord (and the nerves around it) can be put under increased pressure. This compression can result in worsening neck pain and other symptoms.
Which is the correct position of the cervical spine?
Patient position. patient is standing erect with either the left or right posterior side closer to the image receptor. the thorax and cervical spine is at 45 degrees to the image receptor. the face is in a lateral position with the interpupillary line perpendicular to the image receptor.
What are the symptoms of cervical spinal stenosis?
Symptoms may include one or more of the following: Cervical radiculopathy, which includes neurological deficits such as numbness, reflex problems, and/or weakness in the shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers. Cervical spinal stenosis does not always cause symptoms.