Conservative Treatment
- Improve living habits: Avoid keeping your head down for a long time and working at a desk for extended periods. Move your neck regularly. Choose a suitable pillow and seat, and maintain correct sitting and sleeping postures.
- Physical therapy: It includes hot compress, massage, traction, acupuncture, physiotherapy, etc. Hot compress can promote blood circulation in the neck. Massage and traction can relieve muscle tension and reduce the compression of the intervertebral disc on the nerves. Acupuncture and physiotherapy also help to relieve neck discomfort.
- Drug treatment: Commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium can reduce inflammation and pain. Muscle relaxants such as chlorzoxazone and etperisone can relieve muscle spasms. Nerve-nourishing drugs such as mecobalamin help to promote nerve repair and regeneration.
Surgical Treatment
- Decompression surgery: When conservative treatment is ineffective and the condition seriously affects the quality of life, such as the appearance of severe nerve or spinal cord compression symptoms, surgical treatment can be considered. Surgical methods include anterior decompression and fusion, posterior decompression, etc. By removing the tissues that compress the nerves or spinal cord, the symptoms can be relieved.
- Minimally invasive surgery: Such as intervertebral foraminoscopy discectomy, etc., which has the advantages of small trauma and quick recovery, and is suitable for some patients with appropriate conditions.
During the treatment process, patients should follow the doctor's advice, actively cooperate with the treatment, and carry out appropriate neck rehabilitation exercises to enhance the strength of neck muscles and maintain the stability of the cervical spine.
