My Spine - Cervical
What are the symptoms?
The muscles that tear can trap nerves in the scar tissue that forms during the
healing process of the torn muscles and this can cause chronic headaches and
neck pain. However, the main cause for neck pain is the damage that the
joints suffer. The damage to these joints cause ongoing mechanical neck pain
and referred pain. Sometimes symptoms appear over a period of time after the
accident took place.
Damage to the facet joints between the second and third cervical vertebrae
can cause referred headaches. Damage to the joints between the fifth and
sixth vertebrae are usually responsible for neck pain, arm pain and pain
between the shoulder blades. Cervical facet joint pain is typically a unilater-
al (one-sided), dull and aching neck pain with referral into the back of the
neck and between the shoulder blades.
Shortly after the accident, neck pain may be minimal with an onset of symp-
toms during the subsequent 12 – 72 hours. If the damage also caused disrup-
tion of the intervertebral disc, then there could be compression of a nerve root
and radicular pain (nerve root pain) that may extend down the whole length
of the arm.
Some patients experience dizziness which may result from injury to facet
joints that are supplied with balance nerves which can cause confused feed-
back to the midbrain and brainstem, where balance is controlled.
There is a grading system that is used to define the seriousness of the injury.
Grade 0 – No neck pain complaints, no physical signs.
Grade 1 – Neck pain complaints, stiffness and/or tenderness, but no other
physical signs.
Grade 2 – Neck pain complaints and musculoskeletal signs (decreased range
of motion and point tenderness).
Grade 3 – Neck pain complaints and neurologic signs (weakness, sensory
and reflex changes).
Grade 4 – Neck pain complaints with fracture and/or dislocation.
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