Cervical spine syndrome and nausea

introduction

A cervical spine syndrome is understood to be a very large field of diseases that ultimately only serves to describe pain in the cervical spine (cervical spine). Together with the lumbar spine syndrome and the thoracic spine syndrome, it belongs to the spinal column syndromes. The symptoms that can be caused by the cervical spine syndrome are complex. Sore throat, neck pain and headache are typical, as well as dizziness and tension (myogelosis). However, other symptoms such as nausea may also occur.

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Cause of the cervical spine syndrome

The causes of Cervical spine syndrome are as diverse as its symptoms. One of the most common is simply one bad posture. In a society where most people spend their everyday lives, be it at work or in their free time, seated, bad posture is not uncommon. These ultimately lead to Muscle tension and Blockages of the vertebral joints.

A second cause of the cervical spine syndrome is related to this: degenerative changes in the spine. Especially arthrosis and the wear, as well as Inflammation of the facet jointswhich connect the vertebrae with each other lead to local pain. Post-traumatic, i.e. accident-related, causes should also be mentioned. Especially Whiplash injuries often cause permanent damage to the cervical spine, leading to pain and other symptoms.

Background of nausea

Nausea from cervical spine syndrome

Feeling sick (nausea) can have many causes. Next Poisoning and a multitude mental disorders it also occurs in the context of Diseases of the internal organs, such as the gastrointestinal tract, the brain, the kidneys or the liver. Disturbances and unfamiliar stimuli of balance can also cause nausea and vomiting. It is also typical pain as a cause of nausea, as well as strong fear and excitement as a normal reaction of the body to states of tension.

Some of the connections between the cervical spine syndrome and nausea have already been mentioned. Since the cervical spine syndrome can sometimes cause very severe and long-lasting pain, it is not uncommon for nausea as a result. Nausea is one of them normal vegetative response on painful conditions. Furthermore, in the case of the cervical spine syndrome, nausea can also be associated with dizziness.

Another explanation for the nausea can also be one Irritation of the autonomic nervous system by Muscle tension which runs in close proximity to the spine. This can reaction like Sweats, nervousness or nausea causes. The influence of our psyche on our physical well-being is also not to be neglected. Like other chronic diseases, the cervical spine syndrome is a heavy burden in everyday life. Fears and depressive moods as a result of these stresses can then also lead to nausea.

Headache with a cervical spine syndrome

Probably one of the most common symptoms of cervical spine syndrome is a headache. In this case, these have their origin mainly from an unphysiological one Neck cramping and Shoulder muscleswhich occurs as a result of the pain. They can also get through Circulatory disorders which can occur when misalignments and tension in the spinal column impair the blood supply to the brain and its meninges.

Physiotherapy for targeted muscle building is particularly important for treating this headache. Over-the-counter medication such as Ibuprofen doer Diclofenac be applied.

Dizziness in cervical spine syndrome

In a cervical spine syndrome, dizziness and nausea can occur together. This is because severe or prolonged vertigo attacks often cause nausea, as the equilibrium organ, which is located in the inner ear, does not adequately transmit information about the location and position to the brain or that the transmission is disturbed, e.g. through muscular problems in the cervical spine.

There is a discrepancy (mismatch) between the information that reaches the brain from the balance organ and from the eyes. The body reacts to this with nausea and dizziness. Other reasons are other symptoms, such as pain and visual disturbances. However, strong mental states of tension must also be considered as the cause, as these can also lead to cramps and excessive activation of the autonomic nervous system, and can trigger dizziness and nausea.

Read more on the topic: Cervical spine syndrome and dizziness

Visual disturbances in a cervical spine syndrome

If a visual disturbance occurs with a cervical spine syndrome, this can often also occur in combination with nausea. The visual disturbances occur due to a reduced blood supply to the eyes via one of the supplying arteries. This can e.g. be one of the vertebral arteries that run along the back of the cervical vertebrae in the neck and in their course also give off a vascular branch to supply the eyes. If there is a restriction here, e.g. If a hardening occurs in the course of a cervical spine syndrome, then sufficient oxygen may no longer reach the eye via the blood and visual disturbances arise.

These, in turn, can result in nausea and dizziness. This is because the centers in the brain that are responsible for vision, hearing, and balance cannot connect the information. One could say that this forces the person to lie down, which would again ensure better blood flow to the eyes, since the heart and eye are in a horizontal plane. In addition to the organic causes, stress and tension can also be an intensifying factor here.

For more information, see: Cervical spine syndrome and visual disturbances

More symptoms

In addition to symptoms such as headaches with nausea, the cervical spine syndrome can also trigger a whole range of other complaints. Dizziness in particular is commonly reported. Tingling and numbness in the area of ​​the neck, shoulder or neck may also be a sign of irritation of the nerve fibers. In severe cases, paralysis of the arms can even occur. In addition, myogeloses (muscle calluses in the context of tense muscles) occur. Visual disturbances and ringing in the ears can also be symptoms of the cervical spine syndrome.

You can read more about other secondary diseases under: Cervical Spine Syndrome - Effects and Consequences

Therapy of nausea

The easiest way to treat nausea (at least acutely) is this Taking an anti-emetic. This is understood to mean Nausea medication. These include over-the-counter funds such as Dimenhydrinate (Vomex) or prescription such as Domperidone (Motilium), United States (Alizaprid) and Ondansetron (Zofran).

Since the pain caused by the cervical spine syndrome is often the cause of the nausea, in most cases there is one adequate pain management necessary to be able to achieve an improvement in nausea quickly. For this purpose, over the counter should first Pain relievers (analgesics) how Paracetamol, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen and Naprofen be taken. Diclofenac, ibuprofen and naprofen offer the advantage that they not only pain reliever, but also anti-inflammatory Act. Since inflammation is often part of the symptoms of the cervical spine syndrome, this makes sense. At the same time promote this to the group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) Drugs belonging to gastric secretions. This makes them potential gastric damaging and can cause nausea. You can only take it in combination with a gastro-protective drug such as Pantozol makes sense for a long time.

If the pain medication with over-the-counter drugs is not sufficient, theoretically you can stronger analgesics how Metamizole (Novalgin) or weak opiates (Tramal, Tilidin) be used. In practice, however, opiates in particular are not very useful, as they promote nausea at the level of the central nervous system. The last choice is one Local anesthesia to Pain therapy on. A long-acting local anesthetic (for example Bupivacaine) is injected into the spinal muscles or near the nerve exit points next to the spine. This usually achieves an effective elimination of the pain.

In addition to pain management, however, supportive therapies should always be used. The inclusion of different therapeutic concepts is called multimodal therapy. This includes above all Massages and physical therapywhich on the one hand serve to relieve pain, but on the other hand also aim to build muscle and learn a healthy posture. Thermotherapy in the sense of a Heat treatment be helpful. For example, red light or warm pillows and compresses are used.

Read more about this under Nausea medication