Nicky Snazell's award-winning Physiotherapists Stafford, we have a deep understanding of Neck Pain Treatements and the causes of pain. On this page you can read about the most comment types. If you have any questions please get in touch.
Cervical myelopathy occurs when there is pressure on or damage to the spinal cord itself. Cervical spondylosis is a common cause of this condition, as the wear and tear to the vertebra can narrow the canal through which the spinal cord runs.
Prolapse of a cervical disc can also cause myelopathy if the disc prolapse is into the central canal of the vertebra. Although it is very rare for either a tumour or infection to be the cause, a medical opinion and MRI is very important to have. As the nerve fibres run from the brain to the extremities, there can be many symptoms of cervical myelopathy, including:
Do you have pain and numbness in your arms and/or hands?
If symptoms of pain, pins and needles, numbness, and weakness can be felt anywhere from your shoulder to your fingers, you may be told you have cervical radiculopathy (nerve pain down the arm). This provisional diagnosis can be given by a spinal specialist physiotherapist or your chosen physical therapist such as a chiropractor or osteopath.
Radiculopathy is the irritation of the nerve roots at the spinal cord, sufficient enough to cause pain, pins and needles, or weakness across the shoulder and down the arm to the fingers. Radiculopathy can be caused by wear and tear, disc herniation, muscle spasm, or osteophyte growth.
It usually gradually resolves over a few weeks, and the treatment that I would give would be spinal specialist physiotherapy, including modalities such as Acupuncture, Gunn IMS dry needling, laser, soft tissue work, gentle facet joint mobilisations, postural advice, and gentle exercise to progressively strengthen the muscles. The GP can also offer meds to help you through the worst of the pain.
If your symptoms don’t improve, your therapist will refer you back to your GP. In more severe cases, where your hands feel clumsy, you have problems with walking, or problems with bladder function start occurring, this may be due to pressure from a worn vertebra or disc damaging the spinal cord, which is cervical myelopathy. A spinal surgeon will check this out with the aid of MRI scans.
Book to see your GP urgently if:
Both cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy can develop from spondylosis (disc wear and tear).
Osteoarthritis (OA) – the most common type of arthritis – is wear and tear in the smooth cartilage that protects the bones in joints, eventually leading to bone erosion, bone spurs, and unsightly bony end thickening. The joint juice – the synovial fluid – swells and becomes inflamed and sticky, and the attacked bone haemorrhages precious calcium. By the time we are 50 years old, 8 out of 10 of us have OA, and by 60, this goes up to 9 out of 10. Left untreated, OA can have a massive negative impact on quality of life and will eventually need surgery.
Provisional diagnosis is by a physical assessment with a physiotherapist, a GP with specialist interests in arthritis, an osteopath, chiropractor, rheumatologist, or orthopaedic surgeon. Then, you will need confirmation with bloods and X-ray, or MRI.
Personally, my favourite treatment modalities that I use include: physiotherapy-prescribed exercises, electro-acupuncture to give some immediate pain relief with TENS, ultrasound, laser and pulsed shortwave, Gunn IMS assessment for any neuropathic pain overtures, and in less severe cases, shockwave for joint stiffness.
In order to firefight the pain, we can use GP prescribed medicines, then a long-term nutritional assessment from a nutritional expert with advice on food and supplements.
