After massage and relaxation, she turned her neck and she actually had a herniated disc! Doctor: This posture of 3C people is also dangerous
Her muscles were sore and she went to a massage parlor to relax. She had a herniated cervical disc and her arms were weak.
If you use too much force during massage, will it injure the cervical spine and affect the central nervous system? A 51-year-old hairdresser had shoulder and neck pain due to raising her hands, bending her neck, and maintaining certain postures for long periods of time. She would massage her neck an average of 2 or 3 times a month and even “turn her neck.” After a massage more than a month ago, not only the soreness in my shoulders and neck did not improve, but the pain extended to my left upper arm and forearm. I once “dropped a pair of scissors” at work and developed symptoms of weakness. Only then did I discover that the fifth and sixth cervical discs were herniated and compressing the nerves.
Dr. Cai Mingcheng, director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Shin Kong Hospital, pointed out that the cervical spine mainly bears the weight of the head and is a highly mobile structure. It is divided into seven segments and provides the functions of forward, backward, left and right bending and rotation of the neck. It is also responsible for Protect the central nervous system. When subjected to instantaneous external force impact, it may cause intervertebral disc herniation and cause nerve compression.
Intervertebral disc herniation is not a single factor. It is also dangerous to lie down for a long time and watch dramas and scroll through mobile phones.
Dr. Cai Mingcheng said that cervical disc herniation is often not a single factor. Age, poor posture, maintaining a fixed posture for too long, and common lifestyles of modern people such as lying down to read, watching TV shows, and scrolling on mobile phones may all lead to a higher proportion of disc herniation. There are more and more reasons.
Will massaging too hard injure cervical joints and affect nerves? Dr. Cai Mingcheng believes that massage can accelerate the elimination of lactic acid, relax muscles and activate blood circulation, help blood circulation, and alleviate muscle fatigue to a certain extent. However, it is important to avoid “turning the neck” during the massage process to avoid cervical spine injury and bone displacement. In particular, the cervical spine controls the central nervous system. Once injured, it may cause unavoidable damage. People with degenerated cervical spine joints should pay more attention.
Removable artificial disc replacement that allows 360-degree movement without wearing a cervical collar is reimbursed
Dr. Cai Mingcheng took the hairdresser as an example. The patient may have degenerated cervical discs, and the momentary external force torsion during massage led to disc herniation and neurological symptoms such as numbness and weakness in the arms. After cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging and electromyography (EMG) examination, it was decided to undergo surgery to remove the cervical disc and replace it with a “movable” artificial disc.
Artificial intervertebral discs are mainly divided into “fixed” and “movable”. Dr. Cai Mingcheng explained that the advantage of the fixed artificial intervertebral disc is that it has high stability, but the forward and backward angles are slightly limited, and the pressure on the upper and lower joints is also greater; the movable artificial intervertebral disc can move 360 degrees and has a better angle of movement. It can also relieve the pressure on the upper and lower joints and reduce the chance of future intervertebral disc herniation due to premature aging of adjacent joints.
Dr. Cai Mingcheng said that minimally invasive surgery to remove cervical discs (commonly known as bone spurs) is the best choice for these patients after drug and rehabilitation treatments fail. While removing bone spurs to resolve painful symptoms, you also need to rebuild the support and mobility of the cervical spine, which means implanting an artificial intervertebral disc to avoid future nerve damage due to instability or slippage of the cervical spine. In comparison, the movable artificial intervertebral disc can maintain joint mobility and is not easily displaced. Although it is expensive, it has been included in health insurance benefits in December 2021.
After the hairdresser underwent minimally invasive surgery to replace the movable artificial disc, the pain in his left upper limb disappeared instantly and he was able to resume his hairdressing work with scissors. Dr. Cai Mingcheng pointed out that most patients who undergo minimally invasive cervical discectomy and movable artificial disc replacement do not need to wear a cervical collar and can move freely.
Xinguang Hospital’s statistics on single-level cervical disc herniation in the past ten years found that patients who underwent this surgery were discharged from the hospital after one to two days of hospitalization, and all experienced significant improvement in pain symptoms within three days after surgery. Sections 5 and 6 increased the most, followed by sections 4 and 5. After three years of follow-up, the patient can still maintain good cervical spine mobility, even better than before surgery.
If cervical spine degeneration is not treated, muscle atrophy may occur. Safety should be paid attention to during massage and chiropractic treatment.
Dr. Cai Mingcheng reminds that when the intervertebral disc herniation due to cervical spine degeneration is not treated, it may lead to nerve damage, progressing from simple muscle soreness to neurological problems such as paralysis, weakness, and even muscle atrophy. At that time, “decompression” can be adopted. There is no point in having a discectomy.
People with poor posture are reminded to exercise appropriately and seek medical advice as soon as possible if they find neurological symptoms. Before undergoing massage, chiropractic and other therapies, it is best to avoid strenuous activities such as rotating the neck, and pay more attention to the safety of your cervical spine.
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