Following years of drug usage, a 23-year-old man who is yet unnamed has developed an uncommon disorder known as “dropped head syndrome”. Iranian doctors recorded his upsetting state in which his neck lacked the force to support his head.
Medical experts say the young man’s use of amphetamines, sometimes known as speed, resulted in a “fixed kyphotic neck position,” which caused his chin to rest against his chest for protracted lengths of time. Regular use of a dangerous combination of drugs—including heroin, opium, and speed—caused a notable curvature in his neck.
The doctors wanted to find out whether the man’s extreme neck misalignment would have occurred without drug misuse. They soon came to the conclusion that the man would not have come across such a disorder before then. “We found that drug abuse played a role in the unusual onset of severe complicated cervical kyphosis [excessive rounding of the upper back],” co-authors Dr. Majid Rezvani said.
He clarified, “Muscles’ alterations are not directly affected by the medicine itself. Rather, there is an indirect effect: long-term drug usage causes the patient to keep a specific posture for longer durations, which over time might lead to musculoskeletal changes resulting in kyphoscoliosis.”
Furthermore sometimes referred to as floppy head syndrome, dropped head syndrome is usually found in the neck muscles’ extreme weakening. Although it is usually connected to neuromuscular diseases such as motor neurone disease, drug usage can also aggravate it. According to reports, the Iranian guy had been suffering with paraesthesia and persistent neck discomfort for almost 15 months.
His arms felt tingling, numbness, and pins and needles; none of the therapies he regularly employed seemed to help with these symptoms. Looking back, it would seem clear that the man had a seriously twisted spine; yet, a CT scan showed otherwise. Conversely, when he received general anaesthesia, the doctors observed that his condition showed some symptoms of recovery.
He finally had to have surgery to fix his spine’s severely misshapen bones. Although the surgery was complex, fortunately the man recovered well and was able to walk his first steps the very following day using a supportive collar that created unique difficulties. Having struggled greatly in his life, he committed himself over the next months to receive treatment for his drug habit.
His physicians gave him positive news as he worked through his recovery. A few months following surgery, they were happy to see that his spine had been effectively straightened, therefore signifying a pivotal turning point in his path towards both physical health and general well-being.
