Pain that radiates down the arm, and possibly into the hands and fingers, is frequently caused by cervical spondylosis (wear and tear of the neck bones) which causes narrowing of the spinal space through which spinal nerves exit. The medical jargon for the narrowing is stenosis. The stenosis pinches a nerve in the neck. The pain may be accompanied by numbness or tingling sensation  in the arms and/or hands. The symptoms may start suddenly or develop over time.

What every adult should know about pain from the neck /cervical discs, is that nothing lasts forever, especially the human body. Decades of bending, lifting, turning, and twisting can really take their toll on your neck. Considering all that repetitive stress, it is no surprise that about two-thirds of people will experience neck pain at some point in their lives.

Cervical spondylosis goes beyond just a pain in the neck, though. A degenerative process in the neck can cause radiating pain, as well as numbness and weakness in your shoulders, arm, and hand. That discomfort and loss of mobility can have a major impact on your career, family, and quality of life. As with other subjective experiences, such as love, fear, or anger, there’s no way to objectively measure pain.

“I never knew I could end up like this; not being able to use my hands to do anything again. I was a professional seamstress and I had lots of jobs. This made me spend greater number of hours sitting, slouching and sewing. Little did I know that there were accompanying hazards attached to this simple job of mine. Occasionally I would experience discomfort and pain on my back and would take pain killer drugs before I go to sleep. This I did frequently for years. Little did I know that the real problem was on its way, coming. As at then I was 32 years, now I am 52 and cannot effectively use my hand. There is this unpleasant feeling I get in my hands, especially when I touch cold objects. I no longer have a natural feel of objects with my hands. Doctors I went to told me my problem is from my neck but I could not find relief from their prescribed medicines. This has been on like this for years. Now I hardly can raise my hands above my head besides the abnormal feeling in the fingers. There is constant pain in my neck and stiffness. My children are contemplating taking me abroad for surgery, which I have always resented”.  This was Mrs. Ogueri Uche who had multilevel bulging on her spine according to the MRI. More worrisome, was the cervical region which has caused some level of disability in her arms. Nevertheless she was introduced to us at Omega physiotherapy and Back Pain Care Clinic, Owerri in the month of August 2017. With skillful physiotherapy the painful experience and abnormal feelings in the neck and upper extremities, diminished drastically. Her range of arm movement improved significantly and was advised to continue her therapy for more enduring benefits. Neck pain spreading to the shoulders and the arm can be so discomforting.   

Mrs. Nkechi sauntered into Omega physiotherapy and back pain care clinic with complaint of helter/skater pain on one side of the scalp (temporal side), noisy eardrum and numbness on same side of the jaw, neck and shoulder. According to her, she experiences great discomfort and this has long been a nuisance to her sleep. However, she commenced treatment. Her treatment involved intermittent traction, manipulation and use of physiotherapy adjuncts. Her treatment period lasted for two weeks and she came off the symptoms and could now sleep blissfully!   

   

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  An ex-banker had his head fall forward and could only keep the head upright with the support of the hand. He was helped into our clinic at Owerri branch of Omega physiotherapy & back pain care centre. His erector spinae tissues have been compromised and therefore could not stabilize the neck. The compromise is as result of nipping of the higher cervical nerve roots to the tissues, therefore disallowing impulses into the longitudinal tissues. Few days of dexterous therapy involving decompression with intermittent traction and the use of other physiotherapy adjuncts, the neck stabilized and accompanying symptoms on the neck and shoulder vanished!   

There are things we need to know about this pain in the neck. The cervical spine in your neck is made up of seven bones called vertebrae, which are separated by discs filled with a cushioning gel-like substance. Really, the cervical discs are natural shock absorbers.  Your cervical discs both stabilize your neck and allow it to turn smoothly from side to side and bend forward to back. Without discs, the spine would be very stiff.  Discs allow our body to move in the way that we want. They also provide cushion for the body, acting as a shock absorber as mentioned earlier.

Over time, these natural shock absorbers become worn and can start to degenerate. The space between the vertebrae narrows and nerve roots become pinched. This process is known as cervical degenerative disc disease. As degenerative disc disease progresses, the neck becomes less flexible, and you may feel neck pain and stiffness, especially towards the end of the day.

When the disc breaks open or bulges out, putting pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots, it is known as a herniated disc or “slipped disc.” Although cervical disc disease is generally a slow process, a herniated disc sometimes can occur quickly after an injury or trauma to the neck.

The most common and obvious symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease are neck pain and a stiff neck. When one of these conditions presses on one or more of the many nerves running through the spinal cord, you also can develop pain, numbness, or weakness radiating down your shoulder, arm, and hand.

Lest I forget, a partnership of back pain care foundation and Imo Broadcasting Corporation shall conduct  a 2-day free intervention physiotherapy to sufferers of neck pain, mid back pain and lower back (waist). The venue shall be at Omega physiotherapy & Back Pain Care Centre, Owerri, on the 27th and 28th October, 2017, by 8.30am daily. The foundation implores victims of the above health conditions to avail themselves of the uncommon exercise.