Causes of Cervical Spine Pain

spinal stenosis

If you are having cervical spine pain, or neck pain, then you should consult your doctor or qualified health professional. A pain like this, if left untreated, may cause serious health problems. It is critical that you get a proper evaluation and diagnosis. Sometimes cervical spine pain is accompanied by weakness in the arm or leg. Some patients also experience changes in bladder or bowel control along with cervical spine pain. The common conditions producing this type of pain are degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, pinched nerves, neck strains and other neck injuries such as in whiplash etc. Infections can also cause neck pain. If you are suffering from a virus infection then your lymph gland may swell and cause pain. A person suffering from tuberculosis or a bone infection in the spine may also experience neck pain. Another cause may be conditions like fibromyalgia and polymyalgia rheumatic which directly affect the muscles of the neck.

Common Types of Cervical Spine Pain

Pain that Radiates Down the Arm
Neck pain that radiates down the arm to hand and fingers is caused by a cervical herniated disc, or foraminal stenosis, pinching a nerve in the neck. The symptoms which may develop over time are numbness or tingling in the arms and hands. The treatment is done on the basis of how long the pain lasts, the pain intensity, and after examining the degree to which the cervical nerve and spinal cord are affected. A surgery is not needed if the pain can be cured within 6 to 12 weeks and non surgical care like medication and physical therapy can aid in the treatment of neck pain that radiates down the arm.

Pain that is related to Certain Activities or Positions
Some pains which occur during or after particular activities (routines we may have been doing for many years) or having the neck in certain positions can be frequently caused by cervical foraminal stenosis. The symptoms include impingement of a nerve root on one side of the spine. Old age is a major cause of this neck pain due to weakening of facet joints and discs. We can diagnose the pain by MRI or a CT scan or a myelogram. If the pain is significant enough then a surgery is recommended to open up the disc space and give the nerve root more room.

Arm Pain with Lack of Coordination
Neck pain that radiates down the arm can cause difficulty in the movement and coordination of arms and legs. Sometimes occasional intermittent shooting pains may be experienced, and this is commonly caused by cervical spinal stenosis with myelopathy. The symptoms of decreasing of the patient's motor skills can only be noticed after many years of the progression of the disease. The progression of the disease may stop for years and then slowly starts again so the symptoms may not be easily identified. Surgery is needed to decompress the spinal canal.

Pain that is worse in the Morning and at the End of the Day
Some patients may experience chronic cervical spine pain in the early hours of the day and at evening after work hours. This can be due to arthritic changes in the facet joints. The degeneration in the cartilage of the facet joints causes a lot of fiction and there is loss of motion that in turn causes the pain. Motion exercises and physical therapy can easily cure this type of pain.

Pain that Persists for More than a Few Months and May Fluctuate
Symptomatic cervical disc degeneration occurs when we do certain activities even though we were suffering from a low level of chronic pain in the neck that sometimes "flares" and gets worse. Depending of the tension caused by the activity the more pain is experienced. Meditation and rest is usually advised by doctors in this case.

Neck Pain from Cervical Spine Conditions
There are several other cervical spine conditions that may cause neck pain, but these are the main causes.