Your semispinalis capitis muscles are a group of muscles in your neck that run from the bottom of your skull to a few different areas on your cervical and transverse spinal bones. They help make it easier for your neck to extend and rotate, and they also provide some balance and stability to your head atop your neck. Needless to say, if a problem develops with these muscles, it will be a real pain in the neck! In today’s blog, we take a closer look at treating injuries to your semispinalis capitis muscles.
Causes And Symptoms Of Semispinalis Capitis Muscle Injuries
There are three main causes of injury to your semispinalis capitis muscles, which are overuse, acute injury and poor posture. If you regularly stress these muscles with activity, you suffer acute trauma to these muscles or you constantly have poor posture with your head extended forward, which forces more strain on your cervical spinal muscles, you may do damage to your semispinalis capitis muscles.
Some of the most common symptoms that suggest there is a problem with your semispinalis capitis muscles include:
- Neck pain
- Decreased neck mobility
- Neck tenderness
- Pain that radiates to your forehead or eyes
- Headaches
- Numbness
Treating Semispinalis Capitis
How the condition developed may dictate your best path forward for treatment. For example, if you’re dealing with minor symptoms that are likely the result of poor posture or short-term overstress, you may be able to calm symptoms by pursuing a few simple conservative techniques. For many people with minor symptoms, a combination of rest, posture improvements, stretching exercises, anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy can lead to symptom improvement in a matter of days or weeks.
However, if you suffered a more significant injury to your neck, you may want to connect with your primary care physician or a spine specialist. If you were involved in a collision during athletics or believe you may have suffered whiplash during a car accident, you’ll want some more hands-on care. Even if your injuries turn out to be minor, significant trauma to the neck region should always be professionally evaluated. Your doctor will likely give you some individual advice based on your specific injuries, but odds are they will follow a similar course of treatment, with a heavy dose of rest followed by a gradual progression through a physical therapy program.
The vast majority of patients will experience great results with the help of a conservative care program, and surgery is only reserved in situations where significant trauma has disrupted the stability of your head and neck, which is very rare. Odds are you’ll be able to restore normal function and reduce or eliminate your neck pain by sticking to a personalized conservative care plan.
For more information about semispinalis capitis or other neck conditions, reach out to Dr. Jackman and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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