What Causes Degenerative Disc Disease in the Neck?

Degenerative Disc Disease in the NeckIf you have degenerative disc disease in your neck (or the cervical region of the spine), you should know that the condition is a fairly common cause of neck pain. It is characterized by the dehydration and weakening of your intervertebral discs over time and the normal wear and tear process. Although many individuals aren’t aware of it, most people in their 50s and 60s will have some evidence of disc degeneration, but this does not mean they will be diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. The condition also can affect patients in their 20s and 30s if other factors lead to the early deterioration of the discs.

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Spondylolisthesis in the Neck and Cervical Nerve Compression

Spondylolisthesis in the NeckSpondylolisthesis in the neck, or displacement of the cervical vertebrae, is usually a result of traumatic injury or the gradual development of small fractures within the vertebrae. Vertebral slippage is much more common in the lumbar (lower back) region of the spine than in the cervical (neck) region. However, fractures to a small bony segment (known as the pars interarticularis) adjacent to vertebral joints can cause one cervical vertebra to slip out of place on top of another. This can produce symptoms that include neck stiffness, focal pain, radiating pain, tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness in the upper body. Read more

Physical Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease in the Neck

Degenerative disc disease physical therapyOne of the most commonly prescribed treatments for degenerative disc disease in the neck is physical therapy. After degenerative disc disease (DDD) has been diagnosed, a physician usually will initiate a course of conservative treatment, which may include pain medication and other methods. The patient also is likely to be referred to a physical therapist, who will provide training to help improve overall health, as well as guidance to manage specific symptoms through exercise, stretching, weight training, and other low-impact physical activity.

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A Bone Spur in Your Neck Can Cause Two Sets of Symptoms

Neck painIf your doctor tells you that you have bone spur in your neck, or cervical region of your spine, this condition has likely been caused by the onset of osteoarthritis. This is a degenerative condition, also called wear-and-tear arthritis, that should not be confused with rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory autoimmune disease. Spinal osteoarthritis develops in people as they age and as the cartilage surrounding the vertebral facet joints begins to deteriorate. This can lead to uncomfortable symptoms of stiffness, joint instability, spontaneous joint lockage, and bone-on-bone friction. Read more

Epidural for Neck Pain Safer Using Ultrasound

epdiural neck injections using ultrasound

Epidural neck injections appear safer using ultrasound to avoid nerve or blood vessel injury.

Epidural steroid injections for neck pain are not always a preferred treatment as there are concerns about accidental damage to the complex structures in the cervical spine. Lumbar epidural steroid injections are more common for pain relief however and are also often used to determine the exact site of nerve irritation prior to back surgery. Recent research suggests that ultrasound guidance can reduce the risks associated with epidural steroid injections in the cervical spine and so many neck pain sufferers may now consider this a viable treatment option. Read more

Neck Pain, Depression, and CBT

neck pain depression cbt

Could CBT break the vicious cycle of chronic neck pain and depression?

Neck Pain and depression are often interlinked with some studies showing a four-fold increase in the risk of depression in those with chronic pain. The connection between the two conditions is often extremely complex, involving the immune system, endocrine system, and neurotransmitters, as well as psychosocial factors and other problems that may go unrecognized and, therefore, unaddressed. Many patients feel that their doctor has simply given up on identifying the cause of their pain if they suggest that it has a psychological root but oftentimes this is the case and may provide the answer where countless medications, physical therapies, and even neck surgery have failed to resolve the chronic neck pain. Read more

Exercise for Fibromyalgia – New Research

exercise for fibromyalgia

Low-intensity water therapy for fibromyalgia can help with pain relief.

Exercising with fibromyalgia can be both difficult and rewarding so whilst many patients understand that living with fibromyalgia might be easier with regular exercise it is often hard to get going when fatigued and in pain. Research by Georgetown University scientists presented at the Society for Neuroscience’s latest conference might help provide a little extra motivation for patients however as they reveal that six weeks of aerobic exercise helps relieve pain in patients discontinuing their analgesics medications. Fibromyalgia and neck pain are connected in some patients although such pain should not simply be attributed to fibromyalgia without proper investigation; in some cases neck pain may be due to an additional problem such as spinal stenosis which could be treated using alternative interventions to those suitable for fibromyalgia. Read more

Neck Pain and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

neck pain ehlers danlos syndromeEhlers-Danlos Syndrome may be the cause of neck pain in some patients and at least three of the most common types of the disorder can contribute to chronic pain in the neck. EDS is a group of ten or so connected disorders affecting the connective tissues in the body and is passed down through families through a defect in the genes controlling the metabolism of collagen. As such, ligaments, blood vessels, joints, internal organs, skin, and the inter-cellular matrix are affected by the defect leading to a variety of symptoms. In 1997 a new classification system was introduced delineating six types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome although it is well understood that individual experiences of the disease are extremely variable. Read more

Tendonitis Neck Pain and Curcumin

curcumin neck painTendonitis and neck pain are frequently connected, particularly amongst computer users and checkout clerks. Rest and recuperation is the usual advice, but a common cooking spice, turmeric, and the active ingredient, curcumin might be able to give sufferers of tendonitis a helping hand. Typing, scanning barcodes, and many other aspects of people’s work use the tough, rope-like structures, tendons, which connect the muscles and bones to carry out the same movements over and over again. Tendons, whilst strong, are susceptible to injury and often become inflamed and tender through acute trauma, or from friction resulting from repetitive motion of the tendon over the muscles. Common sites of tendonitis include the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, hips, and heels and tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and Achilles tendon injuries will be familiar to many. In an ageing population where many are experiencing inflammatory illnesses, tendonitis is often connected to other arthritic conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, and even diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Certain antibiotics and other drugs are also connected to an increased risk of tendonopathy. Read more

Reirradition for Head and Neck Cancer

neck cancer hpvA new set of guidelines published by the American College of Radiology suggest that reirradiation for head and neck cancer is the only potential cure for cancer cases where further surgery is not an option. Head and neck cancer usually begins in the squamous cells that line the mucosal surfaces in the head and neck and are normally associated with smoking or chewing tobacco, and alcohol consumptions. Initial neck cancer symptoms and signs include a lump in the neck, or a sore in the mouth or nose that does not heal, a chronic sore throat, huskiness or other persistent change in the voice, and problems swallowing. Not all symptoms arise in all cases however and patients should get any potential metastatic squamous neck cancer symptoms investigated straight away. Read more