Cervicalgia: symptoms and how to treat it

By Cristiano Antonino On Mar 29, 2023

Neck pain or cervicalgia, what we often simply call ‘cervicalgia’, is a disorder associated with inflammation of the muscles, joints or tendons of the neck, which can affect people of any age, and which is related to various triggering issues

It can develop from simple contractures and incorrect postures, for example during working hours or night rest, or be caused by more complex pathologies, such as herniated discs, trauma, or the consequences of surgical treatment.

Because of this multiplicity of possible causes, neck pain may present itself in an acute episode or in a chronic form worsened by exacerbations.

Suffering from neck pain is very common, but the presence of neck pain should not be ignored, as it is a delicate joint complex in which various organs and structures are located.

Neck pain: symptoms of cervicalgia

Cervicalgia can manifest itself either as pain localised in the neck area or as pain involving the shoulder, arm or upper back, characterised by a feeling of stiffness and heaviness and exacerbated by movement.

It is therefore a particularly disabling disorder for sufferers because, by preventing simple neck movements and head rotations, it interferes with the performance of the simplest daily activities.

Another symptom associated with cervical pain is headache: it is called cervicogenic headache and is musculoskeletal in nature.

This type of headache causes a pulsating, oppressive or persistent pain of moderate intensity, which is localised particularly in the fronto-temporal and occipital area and increases when movements are performed.

In the presence of herniated discs, moreover, the neck pain becomes more severe: the nerve roots are compressed, and the patient may experience deficits in sensitivity or strength in the arms, which are associated with the typical tingling sensation or electric shock.

At a more severe stage, the cervical cord may suffer, causing an increase in symptoms, which also involve the lower limbs, leading to balance and motor disturbances and possible incontinence.

Cervicalgia: what causes it

When we speak of cervicalgia, no matter whether acute or chronic, in most cases we must refer to alterations of the muscular component, caused by a sudden and violent mechanical stress that causes a contracture, or by a minor but prolonged stress that causes an overload and thus a reflex muscle spasm.

One of the most common traumas with which neck pain is associated is whiplash: a sudden movement, usually due to traffic accidents or strenuous work, that causes consecutive and abrupt extension and subsequent flexion of the neck muscles.

However, cervicalgia can also be caused by arthrosis of the contact joints between the vertebrae.

In all these cases, the simplest joint movements cause pain, or the presence of herniated discs. Finally, more rarely, certain infections (rheumatological, neurological, vascular or tumour-related) can also cause neck pain, but cervicalgia, in these cases, is a secondary symptom.

How to prevent neck pain

It is not possible to avoid sudden traumatic events such as whiplash or infections, but to alleviate neck pain or delay its onset, when it is caused by muscular disorders, there are some good practices that can be simply implemented.

The first rule concerns posture, which should be kept correct, for example during the working hours that occupy most of our day.

In particular, the neck should be straight, in line with the rest of the figure, and not bent forward or downward.

For some, it may be comfortable to use a pillow to lean on, always at neck or head height.

Instead, when sleeping, it is best to favour supine positions and avoid sleeping on your stomach with your neck turned to one side.

There are also various stretching exercises that are useful for getting used to a correct posture and strengthening the muscles that protect our spinal column, but before doing them, it is best to consult a specialist, because every patient has different clinical problems and exercises suitable for one person may not be recommended for another.

Regular motor activity or sports are also essential to maintain good muscle tone and elasticity, both of which are protective factors for the onset of painful spasm.

Cervicalgia: what to do?

If for musculoskeletal neck pain it is usually sufficient to set up a stretching exercise programme with the specialist, in addition to the necessary postural changes; in the case of acute neck pain episodes, however, it may be necessary to resort to drug therapy.

In these cases one tends to use anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants, or antalgic mesotherapy, in which the drug is administered by subcutaneous injection and acts directly on the painful tract.

In certain cases it may be appropriate to combine spinal mobilisation sessions, massage therapy or physiotherapy, which will be determined with the referring specialist depending on the severity of the neck pain.

An innovative treatment to reduce the symptoms of cervicalgia is represented by ultrasound-guided procedures, thanks to which it is possible to intervene on the structures from which the pain radiates in a targeted manner and without the aid of health-damaging radiation.

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