Neck pain is a symptom that is often experienced by modern people, regardless of age and gender. The most common reason is working at the computer for a long time. And in general, a sedentary lifestyle greatly aggravates this problem. But this disease cannot be held back, because the neck is an important part of the body. It consists of seven vertebrae and contains many arteries, muscles, nerves, organs and glands.
Pain may occur due to a seasonal cold or a more serious illness, injury or sprain. There are other factors that can influence whether your neck and head hurt. We will analyze it in more detail in our review, and also consider methods of treating and preventing congestion in the cervical collar area.
Nature of pain
Sometimes the neck hurts so badly that it is difficult to understand in which direction the lesion is located. Nevertheless, analyze your situation and try to determine the nature and location of the pain. This will help you decide what to do next. There are different types of neck pain:
- Acute – indicates damage in body functions.
- Chronic - continues for a long time, subsides and develops again.
- Visceral – the cause is damage to internal organs.
- Superficial - usually these are small cuts on the skin.
- Deep is inflammation of the tissue.
- Central - associated with problems in the nervous system.
- Neuropathic – peripheral nerve disorders, but pain points are not affected.
Boring pain
Often the oppressive pain is the body's response to unusually heavy physical activity. You can feel it the next day after training. Under stress, lactic acid builds up in the muscles. It signals the nerve receptors, this process causes painful pain. When putting pressure on the upper body, not only does your neck hurt, your back and shoulders hurt too. But there are other reasons:
- rachiocampsis;
- myalgia;
- inflammatory process in the muscles.
Acute pain
Sharp, painful shooting attacks significantly complicate any movement. Living with these symptoms is very difficult, so start testing and treatment immediately. It can be:
- osteochondrosis;
- vertebral displacement;
- neuralgia;
- intervertebral hernia.
Why and what hurts?
Pay attention to which part of the neck hurts, whether there is discomfort when turning, maybe lumbago radiates to the head or back. Every detail is important before starting the treatment.
Only on one side
If the pain is localized only on one side, then there may be several factors:
- Hypothermia - drafts or walking without a scarf in winter can cause discomfort.
- Muscle cramps – Working hard in exercise or carrying heavy loads can cause your muscles to become overworked. Remember if you are carrying a heavy bag in the coming days - maybe this is why.
- The bed is uncomfortable - over time, the mattress may sag and the pillow may become uneven. And only improper posture during sleep can cause increased pain in the neck area. Maybe you need to change something in your sleeping area.
- Cervical radiculitis is a consequence of the development of osteochondrosis. With this disease, the activity of the spinal nerves is disturbed. The result is a sharp pain in the side of the neck.
- Tendonitis is an acute process that occurs in the shoulder joint and can cause pain on the right or left side.
- A retropharyngeal abscess is a complication that can develop with a severe sore throat. The purulent process spreads to nearby tissues, resulting in the formation of an abscess.
All these cases are not common, and the pain disappears in a few days. No need to see a doctor. But there are also more serious situations when the neck hurts on one side - this is an injury caused by a strong turn of the head. This condition is also often observed in the pathogenesis if the patient has a severe infectious disease, for example, tuberculosis.
back
The cervical region consists of vertebrae and is the most mobile part, at the same time the most exposed part of the spine. Therefore, if the back of the neck hurts, there may be several factors of different nature.
- Osteochondrosis - in this case, the neck hurts especially in the back. Spinal discs become fragile and deformed. Therefore: the appearance of cervicalgia - a disease from the neurological field. In this case, the patient experiences piercing and throbbing pain. Hands and back of head become numb.
- Spinal stenosis is a spinal disease that is often localized in the upper part of the spine, so it may be the reason why the back of the neck hurts. This disease develops due to the narrowing of the spinal canal and may be accompanied by numbness in the limbs.
In the back of my head
The neck and the back of the head are close together, so often these two parts of the body share diseases with each other. Pain in the back of the head can occur because:
- Sprained. The neck muscles are adjacent to the back of the head, so any damage will cause a headache in the back. This area of the body will react strongly especially during movements with a large amplitude, such as jumping or fast walking.
- Problems with the spine. As we have mentioned above, the neck consists of vertebrae and the back of the head is closest to the first. Therefore, often when there is a breach in the ridge
headache in the back of the head.
Causes headaches
The cause of headaches that arise as a result of pathology in the neck can be stagnation of blood flow in the ridge.
- Sedentary lifestyle - at work you sit motionless in front of the computer for several hours, and when you return home you do the same in a relaxed atmosphere. Many people live like this now. Therefore, neck pain that spreads to the head is not unusual. At the same time, feelings of weakness and apathy appear. At risk: drivers, office workers, programmers, operators.
- Sudden movement - a strong twist of the neck leads to a pinched nerve, which pierces and can radiate to the head.
- Pressure. Psychogenic factors also play a role in the onset of the disease. Constant anxiety and emotional load cause tension in the neck muscles and neuralgia.
A growing lump
Tissue proliferation, accompanied by high body temperature, indicates that an inflammatory process is occurring in the body. The lump is very painful, you cannot touch it, and the body becomes weak. A swollen lump on the neck is a sign of a serious illness.
- Infectious diseases - colds or sore throats can cause lumps to appear. Pain is a sign of purulent inflammation. One of the main symptoms: it hurts the patient to swallow.
- Oncology - a neoplasm process in the lymphatic system leads to a physically significant growth.
- A weak body - the immune system gives an alarm signal.
Pain in the neck and shoulders
Pain in the neck and shoulder girdle, combined with the growth of lumps, is the eternal companion of people who are constantly engaged in difficult physical labor. The main problem here, as in the previous case, is the growing lump. Only without high temperature. The formation causes pain when touched, but not very sharp. However, this factor has a negative effect on the neck and shoulders. You can get rid of the unpleasant sensation by changing your type of activity to something easier for the body. A lump may be a sign of:
- Fibrolipoma, lipoma or atheroma - the formation can grow from the size of a large wen to a noticeable bump. The growth process is mirrored in neighboring parts of the body.
- Tumor – to perform an accurate analysis, you need to contact an oncologist.
What to do?
If the pain does not subside in a few days, then you need to go to the hospital. The doctor will perform an examination, and to get a complete picture you may need to undergo additional examinations:
- Tomogram.
- Cardiogram.
- Ultrasonography.
- Blood analysis.
- X-ray.
After undergoing a series of examinations, the doctor will draw conclusions and prescribe the necessary procedures. In the treatment of the cervical collar area it helps:
- Therapeutic gymnastics - a health complex will help normalize the processes occurring in the cervical area, as well as in the body as a whole.
- Massage – only performed by specialists in manual therapy; self-massage can be done only after training with a massage therapist.
- Drug treatment - antibiotics and painkillers will help eliminate pain as a symptom and overcome the cause of the disease if it is infectious. In other cases, tablets are selected strictly individually.
- A course of injections - the active ingredient in the injection has better bioavailability, which means relief will come sooner than taking pills.
- Acupuncture is a type of oriental therapy where influencing certain points on the body can significantly improve the condition of the body. It is best to do it in combination with classical massage.
- Electrical stimulation is the use of pulsating currents, which help dilate blood vessels and invigorate the body.
- Treatment with leeches - these worms can fill a person's blood with useful components. Among them, hirudin is an anticoagulant - a substance that helps improve blood circulation and hematopoiesis.
Gymnastics for every day
Therapeutic exercise will be an effective preventive measure. Just 10 minutes of exercise in the morning and your neck muscles will be stronger and your back more flexible. Do all exercises 5-10 times.
- Sit up straight in your chair. Slowly and clearly turn your face to the right, then to the left.
- Lower your chin and reach the top of your head toward the ceiling. Tilt your head back and feel the front of your neck stretch.
- Keeping the back straight, tilt your head parallel to the floor. Take your chin with your right hand, turn your face to the right, feel how your neck is stretched. Do the same with your left hand to the left.
- In a standing position, straighten, lift your shoulders and leave your arms along your body. Freeze for 10 seconds, relax.
Folk remedies in the fight for neck health
Taking your grandmother's medicines to keep you healthy will only improve the results of your treatment. Especially in combination with other methods. Check out the recipe:
- Chicory infusion. Pour a glass of boiling water over a spoonful of herbs and leave for two hours. Strain and drink in small sips throughout the day.
- Compress mint. Pour mint leaves into a glass of water and leave for a few hours. Soak a cloth in the mixture and apply it to the sore spot.
- Mumiyo ointment. Mix honey, red pepper and mumiyo and simmer in a water bath for 30 minutes. Cool and apply as an ointment.
- Echinacea. Take the medicine three times a day to strengthen your immune system.
- Add 100 g of honey and the same amount of minced lard to a glass of warm milk. Take one spoonful with food.
The method described here will only help in mild forms of the disease. And prevention will protect you from them in the future. If the disease causes acute discomfort, do not self-medicate, consult a doctor as soon as possible.