Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Communication

Odynophagia in individuals with neck pain: the importance of differential diagnosis in physiotherapy practice: Massimiliano Polastri, Luca Di Marco, Ernesto Andreoli; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2023;40(Suppl):S129-S133. Published online November 14, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2023.00843

Abstract PDF: Odynophagia refers to painful swallowing caused by various underlying factors that must be excluded to determine the best treatment approach. Neck pain is a debilitating condition requiring treatment in rehabilitative settings. There are several circumstances in which odynophagia and neck pain coexist, such as tendinitis of the longus colli muscle and paravertebral calcification, prevertebral and retropharyngeal abscess, esophageal perforation, aortic dissection, thyroid cartilage fracture, thyrohyoid ligament syndrome, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema, and after physical exercise. Physiotherapists are professionals most likely to encounter individuals with neck pain and provide interventions such as massage, manual therapy, exercise, and electrotherapy. Therefore, it is important to recognize that neck pain can stem from different clinical conditions that require interventions other than physiotherapy. A differential diagnosis is crucial to ensure appropriate referrals for therapeutic interventions.

Original Article

The cervical spinal fractures : comparison of the sites and incidences according to the causes and the types of the injuries.: Jae Ho Cho, Kil Ho Cho, Woo Mock Byun, Sun Yong Kim, Bok Hwan Park; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 1993;10(1):114-126. Published online June 30, 1993; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.1993.10.1.114

Abstract PDF: The fractures of the cervical spine are relatively uncommon, but they may cause serious neurologic deficits temporarily or permanently. So, it is very important to treat the patients early by way of exact evaluation for the sites and the mechanisms of the injuries. The authors reviewed retrospectively 188 cervical spinal fractures in 100 patients from Sep. 1984 to Aug. 1990. Commonly involed levels were C5 and C6 in lower cervical level and C2 in upper cervical level and the sites in each spine were body; lamina and odontoid process. The hyperflexion injury was the most common type of the cervical spinal fractures occupying 53% of all cervical fractures and cause more multipe fractures(2.26 fractures/patient) than in hyperextension (1. 68 fractures/patient). In hyperflexion injuries, body, transverse and spinous process were commonly involved but lamina fracture was relatively common in hyperextension injury. The dislocations associated with fractures were developed most commonly in hyperflexion injury and 70% of these were anterior dislocation and the most commonly involved levels were C5-6 and C6-7. In conclusion, hyperflexion injury needs more close examination for the entire spinal levels than injuries of other mechanisms because it results in more severe fractures with or without dislocation and relatively frequent multiple fractures in different levels.

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