Vertebral blockage
Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.
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In the case of a vertebral blockage (vertebral blockage, vertebral joint blockade), a vertebral joint is temporarily (reversibly) restricted in its mobility. This can happen in the area of the thoracic spine (thoracic spine blockade) or the cervical spine (cervical spine blockade). Read more about back blockage here: What exactly is a vertebral block? How is it created? How can you, for example, solve a cervical or thoracic spine blockage?
Vertebral blockage: description
A vertebral blockage is a reversibly impaired joint function in the sense of restricted mobility. The term comes from manual medicine (manual therapy). The concept of vertebral block is not widely accepted outside of this range.
Other terms for joint blockage are segmental dysfunction and reversible hypomobile articular dysfunction: "reversible" means temporary, "hypomobile" means restricted mobility, "articular" is derived from the Latin word for joint (articulatio), and "dysfunction" means malfunction .
The vertebral block can occur in different parts of the spine - the cervical spine (cervical spine block), thoracic spine (thoracic spine block) or lumbar spine (lumbar spine block). A special case is the blockage of the sacroiliac joint (sacrum-iliac joint, SIJ).
Vertebral blockage: symptoms
Acute neck pain is a typical symptom of cervical blockage. The pain is often dependent on movement and position and sometimes radiates. Due to the pain, the head can often only be moved to a limited extent.
A thoracic spinal block can also cause local pain that sometimes radiates (such as in the abdomen). The pain caused by a thoracic spine blockage is often dependent on movement or breathing.
A blockage in the lumbar spine (lumbar spine blockade) can also manifest itself as sudden pain. Sometimes these occur acutely during movement (lumbago). In some cases they radiate into the legs.
Due to the pain as a result of the blockage (back), patients often adopt a forced posture (relieving posture), which in the long term can in turn lead to painful incorrect loads and tension.
Vertebral blockage: causes and risk factors
Each vertebra is connected to neighboring vertebrae on the top and bottom by two articular processes (facet joints). One (or more) of these vertebral joints can "get stuck" in the event of a wrong movement. As a result of the pain stimulus triggered, the attached muscles tense reflexively. The hooking of the affected joint is thereby fixed.
Experts suspect that a vertebral blockage can have the following causes:
- Pathological changes in the joint surfaces, for example due to overload, trauma, inflammation, lack of exercise or metabolic disorders
- Tension or shortening of the muscles belonging to the joint
- Pain stimuli (nociceptive afferents) in the case of acute or repeated inappropriate stress
- Pain stimuli from internal organs that lead to painful muscle hardening (hard tension)
Vertebral blockage: examinations and diagnosis
If you feel that a vertebra (such as a thoracic vertebra) is blocked, you should see your doctor first. If necessary, he can refer you to a specialist (such as an orthopedic surgeon).
The doctor will first ask you about your exact symptoms, for example how long you have had the pain, where exactly you are feeling the pain and the blockage in your back and whether you suspect a possible trigger (such as a jerky wrong movement).
This anamnesis discussion is followed by a physical examination. For example, the doctor checks the mobility of the spine in different sections.
Imaging procedures (such as X-ray examinations or magnetic resonance tomography = MRI) are primarily used to rule out other possible causes of back pain, such as injuries, inflammations or tumors.
Vertebral Block: Treatment
A vertebral block is about loosening the painfully tense muscles. Such a blockage (such as thoracic or cervical spine blockade) can be loosened by slight movement. A physical therapist can guide the patient in choosing and performing the movement exercises.
If necessary, the pain of a vertebral block is relieved with pain medication. This also contributes to muscle relaxation - as does, for example, the application of heat or muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants).
Release vertebral blockage using manual therapy
Manual medicine (chirotherapy) generally recommends two therapeutic techniques for a vertebral blockage - mobilization and manipulation:
During mobilization, the therapist or doctor makes repeated slow movements of the joint in the restricted direction of movement, in the form of traction (longitudinal pull) and / or sliding movement. The aim is to gradually expand the restricted range of motion.
During the manipulation, a short, fast, targeted movement impulse in the "free" (i.e. not the painfully restricted) direction of movement is intended to release the vertebral blockage. Sometimes a crack can be heard. A manipulation may only be carried out by a specially trained doctor. In certain situations it is not allowed (contraindicated), such as inflammatory processes, severe osteoporosis or mental disorders.
Vertebral blockage: disease course and prognosis
A blockage in the back can be released with the help of manual treatment. Sometimes this is not necessary at all, because a vertebral block often resolves spontaneously after a few hours or days.
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