Cervical Fracture is Broken Neck

Cervical Fracture is also commonly called “Broken Neck”. It is made up of 7 connected bones called vertebrae. The vertebrae are connected to each other above and below through strong discs and joints on either side called facet joints. Your discs protect your spine by acting like shock absorbers to distribute weight evenly through your neck. The facet joints on the other hand not only control but allow the movement of your neck. 

Due to the durable nature of your cervical spine a substantial force is needed to cause a cervical fracture. In most instances cervical fractures are the result of car accidents or severe falls where there is a direct blow or impact to the head and neck. These types of fractures are commonly seen in the elderly as often their bones are weakened by osteoporosis. There is normally an immediate onset of extreme pain after the injury occurs and will be accompanied by swelling and bruising at the back of the neck. 

The doctor will most likely prescribe anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers for pain relief and to reduce any swelling. The Doctor will most likely provide you with a neck collar to help stabilise the neck as it heals. Treatment for a Cervical Fracture is directed by the severity of the break:

• For a break that doesn’t affect the spinal cord, a simple neck brace and rest with some pain management is preferred.
• If the break is more severe, surgery may be required to fix the bones and set them back into the correct place. A stronger neck brace will be used.
• For breaks that also damage the spinal cord, options are severely limited. Your spinal cord is unable to heal itself and there are no treatments available yet to fix the spinal cord.

Broken necks may be simple breaks that can heal within just a few weeks, or they can be life-altering injuries. Because of this, all neck breaks should be treated as medical emergencies #cervicalfracture #cervicalinjury #spineinjury #spine #spinalcord #fracture #broken #neck #pain #spinalcord #specialist #doctor #neurologist #winnielimkhoo #familydoctor #doctor #nerve #nervedamage #health #healthylife