vertebral blockade

Vertebral blockage: description

In vertebral blockade is understood a reversible disturbed joint function in the sense of a limited mobility. The term comes from manual medicine (manual therapy). The concept of vertebral blockage is not universally recognized outside this area.

Other synonyms for joint blockage include segmental dysfunction and reversible hypomobile articular dysfunction: “reversible” means temporary, “hypomobile” means restricted mobility, “articular” is derived from the Latin word for articulatio, and “dysfunction” means malfunction ,

Vertebral blockage can occur in different parts of the spine – cervical spine (cervical spine), thoracic spine (thoracic spine) or lumbar spine (lumbar spine). A special case is the blockage of the sacroiliac joint (sacral iliac joint, ISG).

Vertebral blockage: symptoms

Acute neck pain is typical of cervical spine symptoms. The pain is often dependent on movement and positioning and sometimes radiates. Due to pain, the head can often only move to a limited extent.

A thoracic blockage can also cause local pain that sometimes radiates (such as in the abdomen). The pain of such an ESPE blockage is often dependent on movement or respiration.

Blockage in the area of ​​the lumbar spine (blockage of the lumbar spine) may also be manifested by sudden pain. Sometimes these occur acutely during a movement (lumbago). In some cases, they radiate into the legs.

Due to the pain due to the blockage (back) patients often take a forced posture (restraint), which in turn can cause painful strain and tension in the long run.

Vertebral blockage: causes and risk factors

Each vertebra is connected at the top and bottom by two articular processes (facet joints) with adjacent vertebrae. One (or more) of these vertebral joints may “get caught” in a wrong move. Due to the triggered pain stimulus, the attaching muscles tense reflexively. The entanglement of the affected joint is thereby fixed.

Experts suspect that a vertebral blockage can have the following causes:

• pathological changes in the articular surfaces, such as overload, trauma, inflammation, lack of exercise or metabolic disorders
• Tension or shortening of the muscles belonging to the joint
• Painful stimuli (nociceptive afferents) in case of acute or repeated stress
• Pain stimuli from internal organs, which lead to a painful muscle hardening (Hartspann)

Vertebral blockage: examinations and diagnosis

If you feel that a vertebra (such as a thoracic vertebra) is blocked, you should first go to the family doctor. If necessary, he can refer you to a specialist (such as orthopedic surgeons).

The doctor will first ask you about your specific condition, for example, how long you have had the pain, exactly where you feel the pain and the blockage in your back, and if you suspect a possible trigger (such as a jerky wrong move).

After this anamnesis interview follows the physical examination. In doing so, the doctor checks, for example, the mobility of the spine in different sections.

Imaging procedures (such as X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging = MRI) are primarily used to rule out possible other causes of back pain, such as injuries, inflammation or tumors.

Vertebral blockage: treatment

A vertebral blockade is about loosening the painfully tight muscles. Slight movement can cause a blockage (such as a thoracic spine or cervical spine). A physiotherapist can guide the patient in choosing and performing the movement exercises.

If necessary, the pain of a vertebral blockade are alleviated by pain medication. This also contributes to muscle relaxation – as well as, for example, a heat application or muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants).

Solve vertebral blockage by means of manual therapy

Manual medicine (chirotherapy) recommends basically two therapeutic techniques for vertebral blockage – mobilization and manipulation:

During mobilization, the therapist or physician performs repeated slow movements of the joint in the restricted direction of movement, in the form of traction (longitudinal traction) and / or sliding movement. So the limited range of motion should be gradually expanded.

During manipulation, a short, fast, targeted movement impulse in the “free” (not painfully limited) direction of movement should solve the vertebral blockage. Sometimes there is a cracking sound. Manipulation may only be performed by a specially trained doctor. In certain situations, it is not allowed (contraindicated), such as in inflammatory processes, severe osteoporosis or mental disorders.

Vertebral blockade: disease course and prognosis

A manual treatment can be used to release a blockage in the back. But sometimes that’s not necessary, because there is one vertebral blockade often spontaneously resolves after a few hours or days.