- anaesthetic awareness
- birth injury
- brain haemorrhage
- cancer misdiagnosis
- cauda equina syndrome
- cerebral palsy
- cosmetic surgery
- dental negligence
- gynaecology errors
- laparoscopy surgery
- medical negligence solicitors
- neonatal conditions
- obstetric cholestasis
- surgery negligence
- gastric band surgery
- prescription errors
Neck Injuries
Thousands of clinical compensation claims are initiated every year in the United Kingdom by medical negligence solicitors on behalf of people from all walks of life. A multitude of operations and procedures are executed successfully however a small percentage do go wrong, laying the grounds for medical negligence solicitors to take legal action in order to claim compensation. Both legal aid and the no win no fee scheme are available to pursue medical negligence compensation claims.
Please contact us for help pursuing your claim.
The neck can be damaged in overuse injuries or traumatic injuries, such as falls or car accidents. An injury to one part of the neck almost always means another part of your neck is also involved with injury. For example, if you receive a whiplash injury to the neck, you often strain the muscle, ligaments and/or discs in the vertebrae. This happens because the bones, soft tissue, joints and nerves all work together to hold up your head and move your neck around.
Soft tissue neck injuries include getting a muscle strain. It can be mild, moderate or severe. Muscle strains of the neck often cause tendon or ligament damage, too. Muscle injury causes spasm of the muscles so that they cause a reduction in the flexibility and pain in the neck and shoulders. Generally, over the counter medications and muscle relaxants, along with local ice and/or heat, take care of a simple muscle strain to the neck.
You can get a neck sprain, which involves the injury to the ligaments of the neck. Ligaments connect bones to other bones and there are a lot of ligaments in the neck. Sudden twisting of the neck or a fall can cause damage to the ligaments and a neck sprain. There can be a localized swelling to the affected area as well as a loss of complete flexibility of the neck. If the sprain is severe, immobilize the neck and seek medical attention. If the sprain is minor, you can use anti-inflammatory medications along with local ice and rest. This can ease the pain and heal the ligaments.
There can be neck injuries that affect the spinal nerves or the spinal cord. The nerve roots can simply be stretched or irritated, causing pain and a possible loss of function of a body area, which is temporary. There are whiplash and whiplash associated disorders. This happens when the head is thrown backwards in a hyperextension injury and then thrust forward. It happens most commonly in a car accident but can be caused by a sports injury or other traumatic injury. There can be strains of the ligaments and/or muscles as well. Discs in the neck can be damaged. Symptoms include neck pain, upper arm pain with tingling down the arm, weakness of the arm, stiffness of the neck and dizziness. There can be a delay of a day or two following the actual injury. Pain medications, muscle relaxants and the wearing of a collar can help this sort of condition.
A herniated disc happens when the soft nucleus pulposis inside the vertebra is pushed outside of the vertebral disc. It can put pressure on one or more nerve roots, causing nerve pain, numbness and tingling of the area the nerve supplies. If the outer fibers of the disc become damaged, a herniation can occur. It can occur as a result of a repeated stress or a single severe stress on the vertebral joint. Sometimes the disc problem heals itself but often surgery to remove the herniated disc is necessary.
There can be injuries to the brachial plexus or to a single nerve root. This happen often in football players who get struck during a tackle. It feels like a burning or stinging sensation down the arm or a weakness and numbness of the affected extremity. It happens when there is a sudden tilt of the head, such as during a tackle. The symptoms often last only a few minutes; should they last longer than that, you should see a doctor for further evaluation. It is more common in athletes that have a narrowing of the nerve root canal, called a stenosis.
A fracture of a cervical vertebra can be very serious. It can be caused by trauma to the neck, degeneration of the neck bones or a sports injury. It is a particularly severe fracture if it also causes a dislocation of the vertebral bodies as this can impact the spinal cord. If the fracture is what's called a destabilizing fracture, you may need to wear a halo to protect the bone until it heals. If there is a cervical dislocation, it often destabilizes the neck. You can get a dislocation without a fracture. Trauma is the most common cause of cervical dislocation. Ligaments are disrupted and it takes many weeks for the joint to heal. Spinal injury or stretching of the spinal cord are common complications.
The most serious injury to the neck is a spinal cord injury. It can happen with a fracture or dislocation. If the third cervical cord level or above is damaged, the patient may die or may need to live off a respirator. Lower cervical levels of spinal cord injury cause varying degrees of quadriplegia. All extremities are involved to some extent in quadriplegia.