The neck is considered the vital part of the human body. Major blood vessels, veins, capillaries and nerve fibers pass through it, forcing the entire body to function properly. The blood channels that supply the brain supply nutrients and oxygen, without which the most important organ of the nervous system cannot function properly. If a person suffers from neck pain, you need to find the cause of the disorder and eliminate them as far as possible.
Types of neck pain
Pain syndromes are divided into two main groups:
- Cervical pain (low back pain) - often, with varying strength and dynamics, spreads to the shoulder and beyond. Often it is of a pulling, painful nature. This is caused by a painful spasm of the neck muscles.
- Cervicago is a sharp pain that occurs suddenly with an unexpected, prolonged turn of the head in an uncomfortable position. At the same time, a person cannot freely turn his neck, nod his head due to severe pain. "Shoot" at, shoulder, chest, hand. This pain is related to the effects of stimuli on nerve endings that run near the brain.
Cause of the disorder
Often the patient has cervical pain. Sometimes back spasms are caused by unintentional head movements. Sometimes, there is discomfort in the occipital region. It is especially annoying when the pain syndrome manifests itself in the morning due to an uncomfortable sleeping position.
With a combination of unfavorable circumstances, pain can arise as a result of untreated infectious diseases. They are so unbearable that they cannot think of the reason for their appearance.
Neck pain occurs for many reasons:
- No specific.
- Vertebrogenic.
- In the case of internal organs malfunction.
- With the development of cancer forms of both benign and malignant nature.
- In case of injury.
- With inflammation of the bone tissue (subacute osteomyelitis, purulent lymphadenitis, spinal paralysis, meningitis, paroxysmal thyroiditis).
The reason is not specific
Patients often experience nonspecific pain. They arise as a response to overwork of the cervical muscles and are considered a natural response of the body. Usually, this feeling occurs when a person lies in an uncomfortable position for a long time or is overworked.
Neck pain caused by severe loads of a dynamic nature. To get rid of unpleasant sensations, the body must be sufficiently rested. This pain is not too intense, does not last long, and goes away on its own without special treatment.
With prolonged overload, physiological pain takes on a chronic form - a degenerative-dystrophic process begins. It is necessary to remove harmful factors immediately when the alarm symptoms appear, not wait for the disease to develop.
Statistical causes of pain can be:
- Wrong position when sleeping.
- Frequent head movements.
- Firm high cushion.
Causes of vertebrae
The decline in function of the cervical vertebrae, discs, joints, ligaments and muscles is the answer to the question of why the neck hurts. When a persistent pain syndrome is observed, degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine are noted in these patients on radiological examination. The neck is susceptible to this disease due to its anatomical structure:
- The neck joints are extremely mobile.
- The vertebrae have a very fragile structure and small size.
- They take huge loads per second, support cranium.
- Nerve fibers are located inside the vertebrae.
Degenerative-dystrophic diseases include:
- Bone tumor.
- Spinal hunch.
- Spondylolisthesis (listez).
- Lord.
- Cervical spondylosis.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal.
- Disc herniation. For her, her neck hurts, mostly on one side.
With such disorders, complications can occur in the form of scoliosis, disc protrusion, compression of spinal cord tissues, progression to sciatica, spinal deformity, persistent headache, dizziness. and ear noise.
Internal affairs
Neck pain that occurs in the front is related to thyroid activity. They usually manifest in inflammatory lesions of the gland (thyroiditis), which are acute, subacute, chronic or autoimmune in nature. The disorder is indicated by:
- Increase body temperature.
- Coma, somnolence.
- Red, possibly swollen skin at the front of the neck.
- Choking, difficulty swallowing.
Thyroiditis causes systemic throbbing pain. It develops when swallowing, turning the head, probing the gland.
Sudden neck pain from the side portends inflammation of the lymph nodes in diseases of the ENT organs. Provocateurs of this condition may be:
- Ear, nose and throat diseases of different nature (pharyngitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, otitis media).
- Caries.
- Gum disease.
- Pharyngeal abscess.
- Diseases of an infectious nature.
The neck can swell significantly, losing shape. The temperature rises rapidly, symptoms of the development of the underlying disease are noted.
Growth of cancerous tumors
Neck pain causes cancer of the vertebral tissues, blood vessels and internal organs in the neck. Spinal tumors can be:
- Primary (mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, osbolithosarcoma, lymphatic).
- Secondary (myeloma, lymphomagranulomotosis).
It happens that the cause of neck pain lies in tumors of the spinal cord and nerve fibers.
Neck Injury
The spine in the neck region is quite fragile and vulnerable, which means it is susceptible to injuries of varying degrees of severity, such as:
- Broken bones, bumps, bruises.
- Dislocation, misalignment.
- Sprains, tearing ligaments and muscles.
- Tear disc fragment.
- Widespread hematoma, bruising.
- Compression of the tissues of the spinal cord.
Neck injuries are extremely dangerous. This area contains the vital centers that allow the spinal cord to function. 1st and 2nd degree cerebral depression in cervical vertebrae leading to immediate death. Injuries to the lower segments can prevent a person from being able to feel their body below the neck and move. Injuries to the 7th and 8th vertebrae affect the lower extremities.
Inflammation of the bone
The cervical spine can become inflamed. Usually they are of the nature of systemic connective tissue diseases:
- Limban-Sachs disease.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Nodular inflammation around the uterus.
- Wagner's disease.
- MCTD (Sharpe syndrome).
- Progressive systemic sclerosis.
- Inflammation of blood vessels.
- Ankylosing spondylitis
When people have neck pain, the cause is often related to ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis). In this case, the vertebral joints become inflamed, deformed, and lead to complete immobilization of the cervical vertebrae.
Neck pain in children
In children, unlike adults, cervical pain is not caused by a failure of vertebral tissues and structures but by:
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Bone tuberculosis.
- Zaushnitsa (pig).
- Meningitis.
- Tetanus.
- Pneumonia.
- Pharyngeal abscess.
- Rheumatic diseases (polyarthritis, oligoarthritis).
When a child has neck pain and discomfort, it cannot be ignored. It is necessary to consult a pediatrician, as the cause of this condition can be extremely serious.
Treatment and diagnosis
You can completely get rid of pain by identifying its root cause. You may be able to relieve symptomatic pain with the following medications:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
- Muscle relaxants help reduce spasms and muscle tone.
- Glucocorticoid agents. They are used to enhance the effects of pain relievers.
- Chondroprotectors are used for a long time to restore cartilage tissue and prevent its breakdown.
- Decongestants, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, vitamin therapy to eliminate chronic pain.
An experienced specialist should be involved in the treatment of this disorder. First you need to see a therapist. According to the complaint, he will assess the general condition of the patient, tell you why the neck hurts, how to treat the pathology, what triggers to avoid.
Depending on the cause of the disease, the specialist will recommend you to visit a narrow specialty such as:
- Rheumatologist Doctor.
- Orthopedic doctor.
- Trauma doctor.
- Neurologist.
- Massage therapist, chiropractor.
- Physiotherapist.
For cervicitis, such research methods are prescribed as:
- General blood analysis.
- Determine ESR.
- Check for low form factors.
- X-ray of the spine.
- CT and MRI (computer and magnetic resonance imaging) of the spine.
When an adult or child has pain in the neck, it could be a sign of osteonecrosis, meningitis, a result of stress, or a side effect of taking certain medications. Doctors need to determine exactly why their patients have persistent neck pain.
If, after examination, it is found that inflammation of the lymph nodes has become the main cause of neck pain, they are prescribed:
- UHF.
- Massage the back and base of the skull.
- Corrective exercise.
- Medicine.
You cannot ignore this disease. At a later stage of its development, surgical intervention will be required to open the lymph nodes and clear them of pus accumulation.
Non-drug treatment
Complex therapy strengthens the cervical muscles, eliminates spasms, makes them flexible and elastic, improves blood flow, restores mobility of the cervical vertebrae, prevents exacerbations anddevelopment of the disease. To do this, use:
- Physical therapy.
- Acupressure.
- Manual therapy.
- Physical therapy.
- Wear a collar brace.
- Spa treatment.
- Acupuncture.
- Traction of the spine.
In the acute phase, it is forbidden to use physiotherapy, massage, gymnastics until the pain is gone. Modern methods of physical therapy allow you to achieve successful results without the need for strong drugs and surgical interventions. It:
- Hardware system Hilamat (Elgos).
- Laser therapy.
- Electrophoresis.
Doctors advise patients to do when they have neck pain. Necessary, needs:
- Sit up straight, do not slouch when reading, writing, or eating.
- The office chair must have a comfortable backrest.
- Monitor your posture while walking.
- Sleep on a small orthopedic pillow.
- Rub your neck with a prescribed pain-relieving ointment or gel three times a day.
- Self-massage to eliminate pain.
For acute neck pain or soreness, you must not:
- Push your head back hard.
- Frequently turn to the affected side.
- Continuously working, reading, writing in a crouched position.
- Abuse of wearing collar brace.
- Sleep on a large, high pillow.
What to do if your neck explodes
Severe pain in the back of the neck accompanied by myositis on prolonged exposure to cold air. Sometimes people complain that they blew their necks off. Doctors call this condition myositis. At the same time, the patient cannot calmly rotate, tilt, tilt the head back, the neck is very painful.
Your doctor will help you recover quickly and effectively. Before heading to his office, there are a few steps you can take to ease discomfort and pain:
- The painful area should be lubricated with a warm ointment (usually such ointments have an unpleasant odor and cause a burning sensation on the skin).
- Massage the neck area with gentle movements.
- Apply dry heat to the inflamed area (wrap a woolen towel, wrap a cotton towel).
- Try not to make sudden movements.
Do not take pain relievers without consulting your doctor. Only a doctor can prescribe and determine the dosage.
Treatment of osteonecrosis of the neck
Neck problems caused by osteonecrosis are more common in the lower back. Most often, the lower segments of the vertebrae are affected - 5-6 or 6-7. The pain manifests in the back, spreads to the left neck, and is especially intense during an exacerbation.
Osteoma is a chronic disease, presenting with cyclic exacerbations, which may have vague symptoms for a long time. For treatment, patients are assigned:
- Physical therapy (hydrotherapy is especially effective for this condition).
- Analgesic.
- Are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are recommended to be taken within 3 weeks. The patient's condition is then assessed and a decision is made about the further use of drugs in this class.
- Special tutoring gymnastics.
- Manual therapy.
- Along with conservative medicine, treatment with folk remedies is welcome: topicals, compresses, decoctions, infusions, homemade ointments and creams.
If it is possible to get rid of osteonecrosis in the first stages, one should not forget about prevention to prevent the recurrence of the disease.
Folk recipes
Neck pain can be eliminated using folk recipes:
- The infusion of a series of drugs perfectly reduces inflammation. For the drug, 1 tbsp is required. l. dry ingredients, fill a cup of boiling water. After 3-4 hours of infusion and straining, the drug can be taken half a glass before meals.
- An effective ointment made from a mixture of St. John's wort, pine buds, eucalyptus leaves, mint and snake root. All ingredients are ground into powder. Then pour in 100 ml of boiling water and boil for about 4-5 minutes. 75 g of melted butter (vegetable or butter can be used) is gradually added to the broth. Ointment is applied after it hardens. Store it in the refrigerator.
- In the same way, you can prepare ointments with yarrow, hops, burdock, lavender, marshmallow, dandelion, yarrow.
- An excellent healing composition is possessed by an ointment based on dandelion roots, birch buds, the fruits of sown coriander.
Surgical treatment is applied in emergencies and for strict indications - if complications of spondylosis develop, the patient has severe chronic pain that cannot be eliminated by conservative treatment insix months. Surgery to relieve neck pain carries huge risks. Therefore, from the outset, all existing treatments should be taken to combat the disease.