Neck injuries, also known as cervical spine injuries come in a variety of types and can range from mild to severe. They may come from an accident or long term wear and tear. Below you can find information about some of the most common neck injuries defined and described, as well as specialized and various anatomical, diagnostic and symptomatic detailed information. This may come in handy while trying to determine a type of neck injury or define the cause for one.
Please, keep in mind that damage to one anatomical part in your neck often means damage to others. For example one of the most usual cases – a whiplash - may result in one or several diagnoses, including ligament sprain, muscle strain and/or disc injury. The reason behind this is simple - all parts of your neck are connected, and all muscles and tendons are connected as well. Bones, joints, soft tissue and nerves – they all work together as one to hold up and move your head and connect to the rest of the upper body (but not only).
What are neck injuries
Since many critical organs and structures remain at risk from neck trauma, clinical manifestations may vary greatly. The presence or absence of symptoms can often be misleading and is generally serving as a poor predictor of underlying damage. For example, only 10% of patients with blunt vascular damage develop symptoms within the first hour. When trying to help an injured person, use all available sources to establish the mechanism of injury, and always inform your doctor through all gathered detail.
Background
Speaking of neck injury, there is a multitude of organ systems (for example: neurological, airway, vascular, gastrointestinal, etc.) that are tightly compressed into a compact conduit. For that reasons few emergencies pose as great a challenge as neck trauma and a single penetrating wound is capable of serious and considerable harm.
Furthermore, seemingly innocuous wounds may not manifest clear signs or symptoms. Keep in mind that airway occlusion and exsanguinating hemorrhage pose the most immediate life risks. Potentially lethal injuries could be easily overlooked or discounted. In any case you should consult a doctor and trained medical staff. Certain neck injuries can cause damage to the nervous system.
This is caused by irritation of the nerve roots, impact on the spinal cord, pinch or stretch of a nerve. Neck injuries that affect the nervous system are quite complicated to diagnose, treat and cope in comparison with soft tissue trauma or mild to moderate joint injuries. Injury to the spinal cord is dangerous and often results in life long disability, paralysis, even death.