How is the cervical spine and vertigo related? What helps with vertigo?

Twisting of the head away from the cervical spine is a fairly common problem. What connects these phenomena?

Degenerative changes in the cervical spine are also just one of several causes of the difficulty. After the age of 70, they are present in every person.

The unflattering numbers suggest that cervical spine problems are a problem of the present and the future.

A lot of people have already experienced cervical spine pain. They may have also felt other associated symptoms and had no idea that they are associated with it. This article will focus just on the difficulties and the main symptoms that are related to the poor condition of the cervical spine.

The most common problems associated with the cervical spine

Spinal pain arises due to multiple causes and factors.

The most common causes of spinal problems (this includes pain) include functional and structural changes to the spine. Functional difficulties include blockages, overloading of muscles and ligaments and also internal organ disease = pain radiating into the spine.

Structural causes include degenerative diseases of the spine, congenital diseases, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, osteoporosis, rheumatic diseases, osteomyelitis, acquired deformities (e.g. scoliosis), tumours in the spine and trauma.

Psychology, stress and malingering (purposeful exaggeration of problems, for example when applying for a disability pension) can also have an impact on spinal problems.

How can cervical spine problems manifest themselves?

The main symptom that something is wrong with the cervical spine is pain. This is called cervicalgia or vertebrogenic algic syndrome (vertebrogenic - coming from the spine, algesia - sensitivity to pain).

The main entities are acute cervical segmental syndrome, subacute or even chronic cervical segmental syndrome, cervical vertigo, cervicocranial and cerbicobrachial syndrome and cervical root syndromes.

Acute cervical segmental syndrome

Its main cause is sudden head movement, congestion of the cervical spine, cold (draughts, air conditioning) and poor sleeping position. Subsequent onset of pain and limitation of cervical spine mobility, especially forward bending, flexion and rotation of the head.

Sometimes head movement is restricted completely, sometimes partially to one direction.

In acute cervical spine block or blockage, the head is seen to be held in an (analgesic) position, which brings relief from pain, usually with head flexion and rotation. The pain worsens with movement. The pain is sharp, most often unilateral and radiates to the back of the head.

Muscle contraction is present, and painful hardening of the muscles to the touch (myogelosis) is also present. Sometimes a sensation of nausea and vomiting is also present with blockage.

In younger people, the cause is usually a herniated (prolapsed) disc.

Degenerative changes of discs and vertebrae also occur in younger people, with manifestation after 40-50 years of age.

Degenerative process of the intervertebral disc = osteochondrosis.
Degenerative process affecting the whole segment = spondylosis.
Affection of the intervertebral articular surfaces = spondyloarthrosis.

Segments of the spine at the vertebral segment level are most commonly affected by intervertebral disc bulging:

• C6/C7
• C5/C6
• C7/Th1
• C4/C5
• L4/L5
• L5/S1

Subacute and chronic cervical segmental syndrome

The onset of trouble is usually slow, protracted, but can also be rapid.

The duration of the difficulties and their retreat is prolonged for weeks to months. The difficulties are not as pronounced as in the acute forms.

The pain is dull in character, most often radiating to the back of the head, neck and shoulders. There is usually a faulty posture and limited mobility in the cervical spine, but the impairment of mobility is not as marked as in acute complaints.

Vegetative symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, tinnitus, dizziness are sometimes present. Posterior cervical sympathetic syndrome (Barré-Lieou syndrome: headache, vertigo, ear ringing, blurred vision).

Cervical vertigo

Cervical vertigo or cervico-vestibular (CV) syndrome is a syndrome of cervical vertigo. It is caused by the position of the head and most often occurs when the neck is rotated.

The most common causes of vertigo (dizziness) are:

• Arteria vertebralis syndrome, compression (squeezing) of the artery vertebralis (Bow Hunter's syndrome). Most often in old people who have blood vessels affected by atherosclerosis.
• Pathological (erroneous) information from the cervical sensory receptors (proprioceptor - used to perceive position, movement)
• compression of the cervical spinal cord - most often by a disc, when the intervertebral disc is dislocated
• injuries
  • Whiplash injury, car accidents - when sudden head movement. Symptoms are sharp, stabbing pain in the cervical spine, radiating to the head, shoulders, upper limbs and lower limbs.
• leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (liquor) in traumatic root rupture with symptoms such as vertigo, nystagmus, visual disturbances, tinnitus, hearing impairment
• Barré-Lieou syndrome (headache, vertigo, tinnitus, blurred vision)
• in cervicocranial injuries, the German physician Claussen described a group of common symptoms
  • inability to steer a bicycle over cobblestones
  • pain behind the eyes, which patients describe as a feeling of pressure behind the eyes
  • inability to judge distance when driving at night
  • lack of precise spatial orientation

Cervicocranial and cervicobrachial syndrome

In cervicocranial syndrome (CC syndrome), the intervertebral joints are most often affected. Headaches are present, usually unilateral (head, temporal region, temple or forehead). Periods of rest alternate with periods of intense pain. Pain is provoked by changes in position and movement of the head.

The block is localized mostly in the upper cervical spine.

Cervicobrachial syndrome (CB syndrome), otherwise known as pseudoradicular syndrome, is characterized by pain in the neck with radiation to the shoulder and arm areas, without impaired muscle strength or sensation in the limb.

Read: interesting information about pseudoradicular syndrome.

Cervical root (radicular) syndromes

When it comes to root syndromes, there is usually a triad of symptoms:

• local pain in the cervical spine, impaired function (movement)
• segmental sensory dermatome symptoms (pain, paresthesia - tingling, hypesthesia, anaesthesia - reduced to absent sensitivity) - radiating the discomfort to the innervation of the corresponding nerves
• segmental motor symptoms in the upper limb (slight muscle paralysis with loss of mass, reduced muscle tension, possibly muscle twitching, reduced sensitivity to numbness in the area)

In most cases, the pain starts in the cervical spine and radiates to the upper limb. The pain may arise spontaneously (without cause), but it may also be provoked (increased strain, rapid movement, cold). Its intensity may vary.

Read also the article.

The most commonly affected roots are C7 - 70%,
C6 - 20%,
C5 and C8 - 10%.

For C5 root syndrome, the pain spreads from the neck to the outside of the shoulder.

For C6, the pain spreads along the radial side (on the side of the radius) to the thumb and index finger.

C7 is characterized by pain that spreads down the back of the shoulder to the middle fingers.

For C8, the pain spreads from the back of the shoulder through the ulnar (elbow) side to the little finger and ring finger.

Failed neck surgery syndrome (FNSS)

The term is used for patients who have had repeated cervical spine surgery and the resulting effect is insufficient, none or undesirable. Pain returns or persists. It is reported to be a risk in approximately 7% of cases.

Several factors are involved in its occurrence, such as the degenerative changes themselves, wrong indication for surgery due to wrong diagnosis, wrong timing of surgery, failure of fusion, wrong surgical method, individual condition of the patient, psychosocial factors, no or wrong rehabilitation.

The spine and articles related to it:
Vertebrogenic algic syndrome
Herniated disc
Spondyloarthritis
Facet syndrome

Summary

To give you a better overview and to help you understand, we list the symptoms that may be caused by a poor condition of your cervical spine:

• Cervical spine pain (cervicalgia)
• limitation of cervical spine mobility
• forced head position
• worsening pain on movement
• headache radiating from the cervical region (head, temple, forehead, temple, neck)
• muscle stiffness
  • neck stiffness
  • painful hardening(myogelosis)
• faulty posture
• feeling sick, vomiting
• sweating
• tinnitus(tinnitus), hearing impairment
• dizziness(vertigo)
• visual disturbances
• pain behind the eyes
• inability to estimate distance, lack of spatial orientation
• pain radiating to the upper limbs, shoulders, between the shoulder blades and into the fingers
• tingling in the upper limbs, sensory disturbances
• muscle paralysis, loss of muscle mass in the upper limbs, reduced muscle tension

How are cervical spine problems diagnosed?

During the examination, the main thing is the personal history of the patient. In it, the doctor learns about the difficulties, the origin and course, the location of the pain and its radiation, the relief position or what provokes its aggravation.

The general practitioner can send you for neurological, orthopedic, rehabilitation, neurosurgical, rheumatological, psychological examination. In case of injuries, he sends the patient for a traumatological examination.

The main imaging methods include X-ray, CT, MRI, angiography, USG, skiascopy. Electrophysiological examination EMG (electromyograph).

It is important to differential diagnosis of these difficulties. This means that it is necessary to think about other diseases that cause similar difficulties. And this can be migraine, Meniere's syndrome, cerebral hemorrhage and many other diseases.

Treatment

Spinal pain is one of the most common causes of disability.

In their treatment, various therapeutic mechanisms are used. In acute problems, it is important to rest. This means avoiding physical exertion and mental stress.

The application of heat is the main first aid. Direct application of warm compresses, paraffins, plasters or indirect application of heat by radiation, infrared radiation, hot air flow (e.g. with a hair dryer) is used.

Remember:
Avoid bathing or showering in hot water. This could worsen the problem.

At home you can use a thermophore, electric pillows, scarf. One of the cheap and available aids is also a cervical collar. It can be foam or cotton wool. It provides the effect of heat, immobilization of the cervical spine and also relaxation of the muscles.

If necessary, treatment with medication comes next.

Analgesics (pain control), non-steroidal antiphlogistics (anti-inflammatory drugs), opioid analgesics, myorelaxants (muscle relaxants), as an additional treatment groups of antiepileptics, neuroleptics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, antihistamines are used.

In the cervical spine area, infiltration techniques are also used, such as the so-called dry needle technique, intradermal bud treatment, infiltration treatment of muscles, ligaments and tendon tendons, facet blockades, periradicular sprays, cervical epidural infiltration, ganglion stellatum blockade, ozone therapy.

Physical treatment includes exercise, training in correct posture, electrotherapy, thermotherapy, hydrotherapy, magnetotherapy. Rehabilitation treatment (massage), spa treatment. The opposite of these treatment methods is the resort to surgery (neurosurgery).

Prevention of problems

Prevention should be the main focus.

Problems with the spine are a problem of our time. Sedentary work and sedentary lifestyle, little physical activity, overloading of the spine, poor spinal care in general.

Other negatively influencing factors are obesity, smoking, stress.

Correct posture, correct sleeping and sitting positions, avoiding injury. All of these affect the present and future condition of our spine. Therefore, long-term support from our side is important.

Ergonomics at home and at work.

Appropriate exercise and physical activity, choosing the right sports activities. Relaxation and wellness should also take up space in life.

An overall correct lifestyle positively influences the body's fitness, including the spine. Diet and a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals are important.

Vitamin C, E, D, B vitamins.
Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, manganese.