Cervical Injury
Cervical injury describes damage to the highest and most critical levels of the spinal column. Most soft tissue
neck injuries
are minor and usually result in mild to moderate
neck muscle pain.
Other spinal injuries can be severe and might threaten the mobility or actual life of an affected patient. It is crucial to achieve an accurate diagnosis when it comes to neck injuries, since the anatomical location is ultra sensitive and vital to human functionality. Any injury to the spine can potentially affect all the structures and processes which occur below the level of trauma. Being that the neck is so high in the anatomy, injury here can be dire, possibly enacting wide-ranging consequences which may alter life forever.
Severe Cervical Injury
Significant trauma can result in a serious
neck pain
condition. This injury might take the form of
whiplash,
vertebral fracture or spinal cord damage.
Whiplash neck pain
is not usually serious, but can sometimes do enough damage to necessitate medical or even surgical treatment.
Fractured vertebrae
can occur from any considerable force applied to the cervical region. Luckily, a
broken neck
does not always indicate inherent spinal cord damage. Many people can break one or more cervical bones without doing any neurological damage whatsoever.
Spinal cord injury
at the cervical level is disastrous for the patient, since it will affect all the bodily processes which occur below the vertebral level of injury.
Complete spinal cord injuries
in the neck can result in paralysis from the neck down or even death.
Perceived Cervical Injury
The neck is an area very prone to the effects of
psychosomatic pain
and many cases of unresolved symptoms are either caused or perpetuated by psycho-emotional factors.
Mindbody medicine
has proven the link between
chronic back pain
and repressed troublesome emotional issues. It is important to remember this if you suffer from severe pain due to a seemingly insignificant accident or longterm pain which has defied all attempts at treatment. Of course, trauma can cause real physical pain. In most instances, this pain will heal on its own or with proper medical treatment. Pain which does not heal is usually due to 2 possible scenarios: * The actual injury does heal, but the mind chooses to perpetuate the pain for some psychological reason. This type of pain can last for years or even an entire lifetime and is generally blamed on the original accident. Patients with this type of pain often end up enduring unnecessary
back surgery,
which generally demonstrates abysmal curative results. * The traumatic injury is not serious, but still acts as a convincing
back pain trigger
to begin the start of a psychosomatic condition. The injury is completely perceived and not actual, although the physical symptoms are 100% real. This type of
psychological back pain
has grown to
epidemic
proportions since it is rarely correctly identified for what it really is.
Cervical Injury Recommendation
Consider all aspects of an injury when trying to discover the best plan for treatment. Remember that an accurate diagnosis is key, but can not be taken for granted. Many
doctors
do not have the training or belief in mindbody medicine to help patients
recover
from the vast number of psychogenic pain syndromes which have made a mockery of the medical system. In cases of actual physical damage, make sure to learn about every possible treatment option, so that you and your doctor can create a plan which will lead to probable permanent symptomatic relief. Do not be afraid to ask your doctor too many questions and make sure you clearly understand the answers. When it comes to your health, any doctor who will not take the time to thoroughly answer your inquiries is not worth patronizing. Medicine is a business, so exercise your right to choose...
Cervical Injury to Back Pain
4/11/08 Revised 11/29/11
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