Cervical and Thoracic Spine Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Question 1 

Many studies have found that cervical mobilization and manipulation are beneficial in reducing the intensity, duration and frequency of headache pain (Garcia et al ., 2016; Dunning et al. , 2016; Shin & Lee, 2014). There is a growing body of evidence to support that cervical mobilization and manipulation have therapeutic effects on patients with cervicogenic headache. They have been shown to reduce cervical and thoracic spine pain. Existing research proposes that these techniques induce afferent input that stimulates the neural inhibitory pathways in the spinal cord. At the same time, they activate the descending inhibitory pathways in the midbrain, this managing cervicogenic headache (Garcia et al., 2016). Therefore, there is enough evidence that mobilization and manipulation to the cervical and thoracic spine is an appropriate treatment for the patient in this case. 

Question 2 

Successful treatment of cervicogenic headache often necessitates a multidimensional method. The patient, in this case, should be put on regular analgesics like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen to manage the pain since it recurs occasionally. Research has also shown that physiological and behavioral interventions like relaxation and biofeedback can be beneficial for people with cervicogenic headache (Biondi, 2005). Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be a crucial adjuvant treatment in managing the kind of pain that this patient is going through. The reasoning behind this is that successfully managing pain is a psychological process. The patient should resume exercising under the supervision of a professional to avoid straining too much. One study found that combining exercising with cervical manipulation is effective at relieving pain for a significant period because it does physical conditioning (Biondi, 2005). 

Question 3 

In my line of work, I have come across several people with an issue like Coors'. One of them was a 45 years old woman with cervical and thoracic spine pain. The first thing we did was to put her on regular NSAIDs to relieve the pain and handle the other treatment methods. After this, we put her on physical therapy, which begins with gentle stretching of the back and neck muscles. It was combined with cervical manipulations. During this time, a therapist worked closely with her to deal with any mental issues and stress that she had. 

References 

Biondi, D. M. (2005). Cervicogenic headache: a review of diagnostic and treatment strategies. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 105(4_suppl), 16S-22S. 

Dunning, J. R., Butts, R., Mourad, F., Young, I., Fernandez-de-las Peñas, C., Hagins, M., ... & Cleland, J. A. (2016). Upper cervical and upper thoracic manipulation versus mobilization and exercise in patients with cervicogenic headache: a multi-center randomized clinical trial. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 17(1), 64. 

Garcia, J. D., Arnold, S., Tetley, K., Voight, K., & Frank, R. A. (2016). Mobilization and manipulation of the cervical spine in patients with cervicogenic headache: any scientific evidence?. Frontiers in neurology, 7, 40. 

Shin, E. J., & Lee, B. H. (2014). The effect of sustained natural apophyseal glides on headache, duration and cervical function in women with cervicogenic headache. Journal of exercise rehabilitation, 10(2), 131.