Long hours on laptops and phones, two-wheeler rides on bumpy roads and simple wear and tear with age have made neck problems one of the most common reasons people visit a spine OPD. Most neck pain settles with time, posture correction and exercise. The picture changes when pain, tingling or weakness starts running down the arm, or when the hands become clumsy.
Dr. Gaurav Sharma, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon, treats cervical spondylosis, neck disc prolapse and spinal cord compression at his OPDs in Sector 21 and Sector 22, Panchkula.
It is the age-related wear of the discs and joints of the neck. Discs lose water and height, and small bony spurs form along the edges. Almost everyone over fifty shows some of these changes on an X-ray, and most of them have no symptoms at all. So the word "spondylosis" on a report is not a diagnosis to panic about. What matters is whether those changes are pressing on a nerve or on the spinal cord.
Stiffness and pain in the neck and shoulders, often worse after long screen time. This almost always responds to physiotherapy, posture changes and short courses of medicine.
Pain shooting from the neck into the shoulder blade and down the arm, with tingling in particular fingers. A disc prolapse or bony spur pinching the nerve is the usual cause. Many patients improve without surgery over several weeks.
This one is easy to miss. Hands feel clumsy, buttoning shirts or writing becomes difficult, things slip from the fingers, and walking feels unsteady, as if on cotton. There may be little neck pain. Because cord damage can be permanent, myelopathy usually needs surgery once it is confirmed on MRI.
Soft cervical collars should be used only for short periods; wearing one for weeks weakens the neck muscles.
Surgery is considered for myelopathy, for progressive weakness in the arm or hand, and for arm pain that remains severe despite proper non-surgical care.
Most patients are up and walking the next day. Swallowing may feel sore for a week or two after front-of-neck surgery. Desk work typically resumes within a few weeks.
Lower back problems are covered on the slip disc treatment page.
A sudden jerk of the head, as in a rear-end collision or a fall from a two-wheeler, can strain the neck muscles and ligaments. Most such whiplash injuries settle in a few weeks. However, neck pain after an accident with numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms, or pain that is severe in the midline of the neck, should be checked with imaging before returning to normal activity. In older people with existing spondylosis, even a minor fall can injure the spinal cord without breaking any bone. The spine trauma page explains how these injuries are managed.
| Location | Days | Timings |
|---|---|---|
| Advaith Brain & Spine Clinic, 1842, Sector 21, Panchkula – 134112 | Monday – Saturday | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Paras Health - Panchkula, near Nada Sahib Gurudwara, Sector 22, Panchkula – 134109 | Monday – Saturday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Panchkula OPDs | Sunday | By appointment |
Phone / WhatsApp: +91-9780703819
The wear changes don't reverse, but symptoms can be controlled very well in most people with exercise, posture changes and short courses of medicine.
Tingling in particular fingers often comes from a pinched nerve in the neck, though carpal tunnel at the wrist can cause similar symptoms. An examination tells them apart.
Every operation has risks, which are discussed in detail before surgery. ACDF is a well-established procedure, and most patients go home within a few days.
Only for short periods during severe pain or after certain operations. Long use weakens the neck muscles.
