Summary
The cervical spinal column is the portion of the spinal column that comprises the neck. According to the University of Southern California (USC) Center for Spine Surgery, cervical spinal column fractures are relatively common and, together with cervical spine dislocations, represent around half of all spine injuries. Cervical spine fracture complications differ, depending on the degree of damage. They can cause symptoms varying from minor discomfort to lethal complications.
How Cervical Spine Fracture Affects to Your Body/Health?
Neck Discomfort
An individual with a minor cervical spinal column fracture may have discomfort near to the area of injury. According to the USC Center for Back Surgery, many people report a great deal of neck pain after a cervical spinal column fracture. The neck may likewise hurt to the touch. Cervical spine fractures may also cause neck tightness due to swelling around the site of injury.
Radiating Pain
Pain following a cervical spinal column fracture is not always localized, especially if a nearby nerve is inflamed or damaged. Pain might radiate from the neck into the shoulder, down the arm or perhaps into the fingers. The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) reports that radiating pain triggered by pressure on the cervical nerve roots can vary in intensity from a dull pains to an intense burning feeling.
Trouble Breathing
Cervical spine fractures better to the skull can cause breathing problems. High cervical spine fractures may disrupt the body’s neurological breathing control center. Following such a fracture, an individual may take more shallow breaths and may have problem managing his breathing.
Reduced Neck Motion
The neck is created to move forward, backward and side to side. Nevertheless, a cervical spinal column fracture decreases an individual’s capability to move her neck in one or more instructions. A person with a cervical spine fracture normally has difficulty turning her chin from side to side and might experience pain and muscle convulsions when attempting to do so. She may also have difficulty tilting her direct or down.
Muscle Weakness
A severe cervical spinal column fracture can cause nerve inflammation or damage. If the nerves that control the muscles are interrupted in any method, muscles might feel weaker. In some cases, they might even end up being partially or totally paralyzed. If the cervical spine fracture affects the nerves leaving the spinal cord, the arms or hands may feel weaker. Nevertheless, if the fracture affects the nerves in the spine itself, weak point or paralysis may be present anywhere below the level of injury.
Sensory Issues
Back fractures that cause damage to sensory nerves might alter what an individual can feel. Sensory problems following a cervical spine fracture can vary anywhere from pins and needles to complete numbness. The areas affected depend upon the area of the fracture and the degree of nerve damage. Feeling modifications might be present in the shoulder and arms, or might reach down into the legs.
