First of all, if we need to describe what cervical hernia is, the cartilage tissue between the vertebrae that serves to hold the 7 cervical vertebrae together overflows from its normal position and compresses the nerves going to the spinal cord itself or to the arms coming out from here. consists of.
In the answer to the question of what causes neck hernia; Traumas come first. Especially traffic accidents are in the foreground. Sometimes, even when the cars touch the bumper bumper, the front and back movements of the drivers’ necks can cause neck hernia in the future. In addition, it can occur as an occupational disease due to posture and sitting disorders or in occupations that require the neck to be extremely still. Carrying a heavy object in one hand for a long time, even if it is not a direct cause, can disrupt the neck posture and prepare the ground for neck hernia.
The first symptom in neck hernia; It may start with neck pain that occurs from time to time, then become continuous and severe, and may be severe enough to limit neck movements. Afterwards; By starting to choose sides, pain radiating to the right or left arm or both arms, numbness in different parts of the arms appear. In a more advanced stage; Due to weakness in the arms, disruptions in the use of arms and hands begin. Patients have difficulty holding certain items and begin to drop them frequently. In addition, there may be feelings similar to electric shock during neck movements. We cannot say that all neck pains are caused by neck hernia. It can cause neck pain due to reasons such as spasm of muscles, calcifications, osteoporosis, stress, exposure to cold.
If those who have the complaints we just mentioned are the doctor who should apply before the event goes too far; is a neurosurgeon or physical therapist. The thing to do after going to the doctor is to do the techniques to confirm the diagnosis, following a good neurological examination, as soon as possible. These are simple neck film, tomography, neck MRI, and in cases where these are not sufficient, EMG technique should be performed to establish the diagnosis. Although MRI is the most important diagnostic tool today, simple film and tomography are very useful for us, especially when it is necessary to distinguish between trauma and bone tissue, depending on the patient’s complaints and history. If the technique we call EMG is; it shows us the nerve and whether there is any damage to it.
Well, when the diagnosis is made, drug treatment is started in patients who do not have surgical findings in the examination and techniques performed at the stage of how to treat. The aim here is to reduce the pain by removing the muscle spasm in the neck, to relieve the neck movements, to remove the edema in the area around the pinched nerves, to provide comfort and facilitate the relief of the pain. Drug therapy usually eliminates the complaints in the majority of patients. In patients who have flattening due to spasm in the neck muscles or for other reasons, the use of a neck brace to keep the neck in the ideal position is also recommended.
It can be used in physical therapy for patients whose drug therapy is partially beneficial but whose complaints continue without adequate pain relief. Physical therapy can be applied in 10 or 15 sessions following the evaluation of the physical therapist.
In patients with surgical findings in their examination and techniques; Surgical treatment should be applied. The surgical treatment to be applied is performed by the neurosurgeon who will perform the surgery as a result of the evaluation of the patient. The surgical method, which is generally applied in many centers, is to remove the pressure by cleaning the cartilage tissue that compresses the nerve that goes to the spinal cord and arm by protruding microscopically between the vertebrae with hernia and if there are disorders in the neck posture; It is an application that involves placing a material called a cage in this space.
If we want to talk about the things to be considered in patients who have complaints about drug therapy, physical therapy or drug therapy, we can say that patients should do neck movement exercises that will strengthen their neck muscles and provide support to the spine. Also like swimming; It is necessary to add sports activities. Working conditions should be designed in accordance with the anatomical posture of the neck, the neck should be protected in cold and humid environments, and care should be taken especially in air-conditioned environments. In women, it should be dried so that wet hair does not come into contact with the neck.
