What should I do if the cervical spine is uncomfortable? Orthopedic surgeons talk about practical suggestions such as inflatable traction devices and pillow selection

Although orthopedic surgeons have been reminding "people with their heads down" to try their best to avoid such postures, in fact, due to professional reasons, many medical staff are also plagued by cervical spondylosis.

Mr. Ye, a 28-year-old dentist at a clinic in Hangzhou, is doing well, with almost full schedules four days a week, sometimes working overtime on weekends.

A few months ago, he suddenly felt pain in his arm and numb fingers at work, and he almost couldn't hold the instruments, and he rested for nearly half an hour without relief, so he could only ask a colleague to come and help.

"After that time, I felt pain in my right neck and shoulder on and off, sometimes all the way to my arm, and my fingers were so numb that I couldn't use it. "Mr. Ye has done massage a few times, but it can only relieve the pain for a short time, and the effect is not ideal, and as time progresses, the frequency of his pain attacks is getting higher and higher, and he can't sleep even at night.

Vertebral prolapse compresses the spinal cord

The neck is like a "time bomb"

Mr. Ye went to the orthopedic department of the hospital for examination and was diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy and cervical disc herniation. The doctor said that conservative treatment can still be considered at present, but it is necessary to rest more and lower your head less to reduce the burden on your neck.

Mr. Ye bought a cervical collar to fix the cervical spine, and asked for leave from the clinic, and after a week of medication and physiotherapy, the numbness of his fingers was relieved, but his shoulders and arms still had occasional pain.

He was soon back at work, and several old patients were waiting for him to return. That week, Mr. Ye worked 2-3 hours of overtime almost every day. "Our work is characterized by always having to bow my head, I can't avoid it, I actually feel wrong when I come home from overtime, one shoulder hurts and stiffs, and my head hurts badly. ”

After working for a period of time, Mr. Ye's symptoms worsened explosively, and he was dizzy and nauseous when he woke up in the morning, and he almost couldn't stand up. He went to the hospital again for a check-up and found that a vertebral body had prolapsed and had compressed his spinal cord.

"Cervical myelopathy is considered the most severe type of cervical spondylosis, and surgery is recommended. The doctor told him that although conservative treatment is okay, "treating the symptoms but not the root cause", and if the problem is not solved, the neck is like a "time bomb", and the consequences may be very serious once the attack occurs, such as accidentally being hit by an external force, it is possible to be paralyzed.

Mr. Ye thought about it for a long time and finally decided to undergo surgery. Last month, he underwent anterior cervical fusion surgery and the operation went well. The doctor told him to pay attention to his posture and keep his neck warm every day, and come back for a follow-up examination in three months.

Orthopedic surgeon

How do you take care of your cervical spine?

Chief physician Huang Yazeng, director of the Department of Orthopedic Spine Surgery of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, said that maintaining a posture of bowing his head for a long time is particularly prone to cervical spondylosis. It is not uncommon to encounter fellow doctors with a bad cervical spine in the outpatient clinic, especially dentists, surgeons and other people who need to bow their heads for a long time.

As an orthopedic surgeon, how does Huang Yazeng usually maintain his cervical spine?

"We usually have a lot of surgeries, and I will use the interval between surgeries to adjust my posture and relax my cervical spine. Usually pay special attention to the Xi of sitting posture and looking at mobile phones and computers, try to avoid leaning on the bed to read books and play mobile phones, usually sit on the hard kind of back chair, and try to sit on the sofa as little as possible. ”

Huang Yazeng said that in fact, the best prevention and treatment measures for cervical spondylosis are to pay more attention to the posture of using the cervical spine in daily life, raise the computer on the desk, pay attention to the cervical spine form of playing with mobile phones, and try to avoid becoming a "bowed head", and other treatment methods can only be used as an auxiliary means.

To relieve cervical spine pain, Director Huang mentioned the current popular inflatable cervical traction device. The principle of the inflatable cervical traction device is to stretch the neck through tension, expand the cervical intervertebral foramina, open the cervical intervertebral space, reduce the compression symptoms of nerve roots, improve the recovery of the physiological curvature of the cervical spine, and slow down the symptoms caused by the cervical spine.

"It's very convenient to use, just like an old-fashioned blood pressure monitor, press and inflate, and if it's too troublesome to inflate, you can take off the inflatable balloon. Huang Yazeng introduced that the inflatable cervical traction device is chosen by many patients with cervical spondylosis because of its cheap and portable advantages. In the past, many patients with cervical spondylosis needed to go to the hospital regularly for cervical traction treatment, but with the inflatable cervical traction device, the inconvenience of coming to the hospital is avoided, and the discomfort of the cervical spine can be relieved anytime and anywhere, whether walking or watching dramas.

The reporter searched for inflatable cervical traction devices on e-commerce shopping platforms, and the monthly sales of many products were tens of thousands. A netizen who bought it commented: "Since I bought it, I have basically insisted on using it every day, and the effect is really good for relieving cervical spine pain caused by sitting for a long time." Insist on using it for about 15 minutes every day, and after using it, the cervical spine obviously feels very comfortable, and the pressure is released. ”

Director Huang also reminded that when you first start using the inflatable cervical traction device, you should not inflate too much, and you need a gradual process, otherwise it may backfire. Also pay attention to the traction for about 10 minutes before deflating to avoid too long support to hurt the skin.

Which pillow has a protective effect on the cervical spine?

6 practical tips from experts in spine disorders

People spend 1/3 of their day in bed, so choosing a good pillow is also crucial for the protection of the cervical spine.

At present, the pillows sold on the market mainly include memory foam pillows, down pillows, latex pillows, wormwood pillows, buckwheat pillows, etc. Search for "pillow" on online shopping software, and the search keywords that pop up more often are "suitable for the physiological curvature of the cervical spine", "soft", "lying flat and lying on the side are very solid", "the wrapping feeling is very good" and other descriptions.

What is the effect of pillows of different materials, hardness and height on the cervical spine? How to choose a pillow suitable for oneself if the cervical spine is not good? Professor Qian Yu, vice president of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and an expert in spine diseases, gave suggestions on pillow selection from the perspective of human mechanics research:

1. How to choose the height of the pillow that suits you? (Note: The height here refers to the actual height after compression)

There are two ways to quickly judge whether the height of the pillow is suitable for you: (1) When lying on your back, put the pillow on your head and neck and your shoulders on the bed, then put your hand into the space between the cervical spine and the pillow, if there is a large gap, it proves that the pillow is too low, and if it is laborious to reach in, it proves that the pillow is too high. A suitable height should be to reach in and be slightly pressed against the neck. (2) When lying on the side, the head and neck are resting on the pillow, so that relatives and friends can see from behind, and the head and neck are in a straight line, which is the height of the pillow that suits you.

At this point, you may find one thing: the height of the pillow required for the supine and lateral positions may not be consistent. At present, the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine is also researching a memory pillow that can automatically switch the height between the supine and lateral decubitus positions.

2. The hardness of the pillow is also particular.

I often hear people say that patients with cervical spondylosis should sleep on a harder pillow to support their shoulders and neck. This concept is actually wrong, patients with cervical spondylosis can not choose pillows that are too hard, from this point of view, more elastic pillows are more suitable for patients with cervical spondylosis.

3. In terms of material, different materials represent different levels of compressibility, elasticity, support and memory of pillows. Latex and natural plant pillows (buckwheat, down pillows) are more recommended. In particular, buckwheat pillows are a good choice because they can change shape according to the crumbs.

4. Many people's pillows at home are often used for many years without being replaced, and the service life of the pillow is also what we need to pay attention to. The expiration date of different pillows is different. It can be replaced by a collapse from a hygienic point of view and in actual use, as well as a non-conformity to the curve of the human body.

5. Many patients with cervical spondylosis may place a small cloth strip at the junction of the pillow and the shoulder and neck as a support for support. Is this way scientific?

In fact, it is difficult to fit the natural curve of the cervical spine, and we will constantly adjust and change the sleeping position in the process of sleeping.

6. Is there a pillow that can treat cervical spondylosis?

A good pillow can help us protect the cervical spine, and a pillow that is not suitable for us can hurt the cervical spine. Up to now, there is no pillow that can treat cervical spondylosis.

The pillow that makes you feel comfortable is not necessarily the best for you. It is recommended to go to a physical store to try sleeping according to the above pillow selection criteria, and choose a pillow that really suits you.

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In the near future, orthopedic surgeons and massage doctors will be invited to join the group to answer questions