Those of you who are used to looking down for a long time when using a smartphone often feel pain and stiffness in your neck. Pain and stiffness occurs because the nerves in your neck are under pressure. If the pressure is large enough and occurs repeatedly, you can experience a pinched nerve.
A pinched neck nerve is quite common. Even so, a pinched nerve should not be underestimated because the pain it causes can interfere with your daily productivity. For that, let's find out more about the causes, symptoms, treatment, and how to prevent a pinched neck nerve.
Everyday Habits That Trigger a Pinched Neck Nerve
A hunched posture while using a smartphone is just one of several daily habits that can cause a pinched neck nerve. The following are other habits that cause a pinched neck nerve:
- Crouched sitting position
Sitting for a long time in front of the computer with a hunched posture puts a lot of pressure on your neck. Therefore, it is not uncommon for you who are office workers to experience pain and stiffness in your neck. If it continues, you can experience a pinched neck nerve.
- Prone sleeping position
Prone position when we rest or sleep at night can also trigger a pinched nerve. The reason is, the neck is experiencing great pressure to support your head position.
- Excessive sports movements
Another trigger factor is sports movements that are not done properly and are also excessive, for example lifting weights that are too heavy.
Besides daily habits, there are several other factors that can pinch the nerves in your neck. Physical trauma from accidents, being overweight or obese, and arthritis or arthritis in the neck can also be causes of a pinched neck nerve.
Pain in the neck is not the only symptom of a pinched nerve. Other symptoms are tingling, hot or burning sensations, and numbness. In certain cases, people with a pinched neck nerve can experience paralysis. If you or someone close to you experiences these symptoms, you should not do stretching movements such as turning your head or straining your neck. This movement can aggravate the condition of your nerves.
How to Overcome a Pinched Neck Nerve
Now, there are many procedures and therapies to treat a pinched nerve in the neck. To reduce pain, you can do massage therapy, physiotherapy, and take medication. However, not all of them are effective in treating pinched nerves completely. Pain and stiffness in the neck may come back.
But, you dont have to worry. As medical technology develops, there are now more effective methods for treating a pinched neck nerve. Not only effective, this latest method also includes minimally invasive surgical procedures. That is, doctors do not need to perform major surgical operations. It only takes a few small incisions in the body to reach the affected neck nerve. Because the incision is small, the resulting wound is also small so that the recovery process will be faster than major surgery.
The minimally invasive surgery that is usually performed to treat pinched neck nerve patients is Percutaneous Endoscopic Cervical Discectomy (PECD). The goal of PECD is to relieve swelling that is putting pressure on the spinal cord.
To perform the PECD procedure, the doctor will open 3-4 small incisions measuring 4-8 mm. Through this incision, the doctor inserts operating tools along with a small camera that will display the inside of your body on a connected monitor. Through the images on the monitor, the doctor performs surgery on a pinched neck nerve. After the doctor has finished treating the problematic nerves, the doctor will sew up a small incision where the operating instruments and camera enter.
The whole procedure only takes about 45-90 minutes. Because the incisions and sutures are small, the recovery process is fast. You don't need to be hospitalized. After recovering, you can immediately return to your daily activities.
Even though the treatment process for a pinched neck nerve is fairly quick and minimally risky, the best way to keep your nerves healthy is to take precautions. To avoid pinched nerves, make sure you don't slouch when sitting, reduce your head when using a smartphone , don't sleep on your stomach, and exercise diligently with the right methods. If you and those closest to you experience symptoms indicating a pinched nerve in the neck, consult your family doctor immediately so that treatment can be carried out immediately. #LiveExcellently