Neck pain is a symptom that modern people experience very often, regardless of age and gender. The most common reason is working on the computer for too long. And, in general, a sedentary lifestyle makes this problem much worse. But this disease cannot be postponed, because the neck is a significant 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 affect neck and head pain. We will analyze them in more detail in our review, and also consider methods of treating and preventing congestion in the cervical collar region.
Nature of the pain
Sometimes the neck hurts so much that it is difficult to understand in which direction the injury is located. Still, analyze your condition 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 dysfunctions in the functioning of the body.
- Chronic – continues for a long time, decreasing and growing again.
- Visceral – the cause is damage to an internal organ.
- Superficial – these are generally smaller lesions on the skin.
- Deep is the inflammation in the tissues.
- Central – associated with problems in the nervous system.
- Neuropathic – a disorder of the peripheral nerves, but the pain points are not affected.
It's a dull pain
Often, overwhelming pain is the body's reaction to unusually intense physical activity. You can feel it the day after your workout. Under stress, lactic acid builds up in the muscles. It gives signals to nerve receptors, this process causes a sensation of intense pain. When putting pressure on the upper body, not only does the neck hurt, but also the back and shoulders. But there are other reasons:
- rachiocampsis;
- myalgia;
- inflammatory process in muscles.
Acute pain
Sharp and painful gunshot attacks significantly complicate any movement. Living with these symptoms is very difficult, so start testing and treatment immediately. It could be:
- osteochondrosis;
- vertebral displacement;
- neuralgia;
- intervertebral hernia.
Why and what does it hurt?
Pay attention to which side of the neck hurts, if there is discomfort when turning, perhaps the low back pain radiates to the head or back. Every detail is important before starting treatment.
Only on one side
If the pain is only localized on one side, there may be several factors:
- Hypothermia - drafts or walking without a scarf in the cold season can cause discomfort.
- Muscle spasms – Working hard in a workout or carrying heavy weights can cause your muscles to become overworked. Remember if you carried heavy bags in the next few days - maybe this is the reason.
- Uncomfortable bed - over time, the mattress may sag and the pillow may become uneven. And simply an unnatural posture during sleep can lead to 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 spinal nerves is disturbed. The result is a sharp pain on one side of the neck.
- Tendon inflammation is an acute process that occurs in the shoulder joints and can cause pain on the right or left side.
- A retropharyngeal abscess is a complication that can form with advanced sore throat. Purulent processes spread to nearby tissues, resulting in the formation of an abscess.
All of these cases are not uncommon and the pain disappears in a matter of days. It is not necessary to consult 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 pathogenesis if the patient has a serious infectious disease, for example, tuberculosis.
Back
The cervical region is made up of vertebrae and is the most mobile and at the same time most vulnerable part of the spine. Therefore, if the back of the head hurts, there may be several factors of a different nature.
- Osteochondrosis - in this case, the neck hurts mainly in the back. Spinal discs become fragile and deformed. Hence: the appearance of neck pain - a disease in the field of neurology. In this case, the patient feels piercing and throbbing pain. The hands and back of the neck become numb.
- Spinal stenosis is a spinal disease that is usually located in the upper part of the spine, so it can be the reason why the back of the neck hurts. The disease progresses due to narrowing of the spinal canal and may be accompanied by numbness of the limbs.
In the back of my head
The neck and back of the head are close together, often these two parts of the body share diseases with each other. Pain in the back of the head may occur due to:
- Sprains. The neck muscles lie adjacent to the back of the head, so any damage will cause a back headache. This area of the body will react especially strongly during large-amplitude movements, such as jumping or walking quickly.
- Problems with the spine. As we have already indicated above, the neck is made up 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 headache
The cause of headaches that arise due to a pathology in the neck may be stagnation of blood flow in the ridge.
- Sedentary lifestyle - at work you sit motionless at the computer for several hours, and when you get home you do the same in a relaxed atmosphere. Many people live like this now. Therefore, neck pain radiating to the head is not uncommon. At the same time, a feeling of weakness and apathy arises. At risk: drivers, office workers, programmers, operators.
- Sudden movements - a sharp turn of the neck leads to a pinched nerve, which perforates and can radiate to the head.
- Stress. The psychogenic factor also plays a role in the onset of the disease. Constant nervousness and emotional overload cause tension in the neck muscles and neuralgia.
Rising collision
The proliferation of tissues, accompanied by high body temperature, indicates that inflammatory processes are occurring in the body. The swellings hurt a lot, you can't touch them and the body is weakened. A swollen lump on the neck is a sign of a serious illness.
- Infectious diseases - flu or sore throat can cause a lump to appear. Pain is a sign of purulent inflammation. One of the main symptoms: it hurts the patient to swallow.
- Oncology – neoplastic processes in the lymphatic system lead to physically noticeable growths.
- A weakened body – the immune system sends out alarm signals.
Neck and shoulder pain
Pain in the neck and shoulder girdle, combined with the growth of a lump, is an eternal companion for people who are constantly involved in heavy physical work. The main problem here, as in the previous case, is the growing lump. Only without high temperature. The formation causes pain to the touch, but not as sharp. However, this factor negatively affects the neck and shoulders. You can get rid of discomfort by changing your type of activity to something easier on the body. A lump may be a sign of:
- Fibrolipomas, lipomas or atheromas - the formation can grow from the size of a large wen to a noticeable bulge. The growth process is reflected in neighboring parts of the body.
- Tumor – to carry out an accurate analysis, it is necessary to contact an oncologist.
What to do?
If the pain does not subside within a few days, you will need to go to the hospital. Doctors will perform an examination, and for a complete picture, additional tests may be required:
- Tomogram.
- Cardiogram.
- Ultrasound.
- Blood analysis.
- X-ray.
After passing a series of tests, the doctor will make a conclusion and prescribe the necessary procedures. In the treatment of the cervical collar region it helps:
- Therapeutic gymnastics - a health complex that will help normalize the processes occurring in the cervical region, as well as in the body as a whole.
- Massage – performed only by manual therapy specialists; self-massage can only be done after training with massage therapists.
- Drug treatment - antibiotics and analgesics help eliminate pain as a symptom and deal with the cause of the disease if it is infectious in nature. In other cases, the tablets are selected strictly individually.
- A course of injections - the active substances in injections have better bioavailability, which means that relief will come much sooner than with taking pills.
- Acupuncture is a type of oriental therapy in which influence on certain points on the body can significantly improve the condition of the body. It is best to do it in combination with a classic massage.
- Electrical stimulation is the use of pulsed current, which helps to dilate blood vessels and tone the body.
- Leech treatment - these worms are able to saturate human blood with useful components. Among them, hirudin is an anticoagulant - a substance that helps improve blood circulation and hematopoiesis.
Gymnastics for every day
Therapeutic exercises will become an effective preventive measure. Just 10 minutes of exercise in the morning and your neck muscles will become stronger and your back more flexible. Perform all exercises 5 to 10 times.
- Sit up straight in your chair. Slowly and clearly turn your face to the right and 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.
- Your back remains straight, tilt your head parallel to the floor. Take your chin with your right hand, turn your face to the right, feeling how the side of your neck is stretched. Do the same with your left hand to the left.
- Standing straight, raise your shoulders and leave your arms at your sides. Freeze for 10 seconds, relax.
Folk remedies in the fight for neck health
Taking your grandmother's medicine to maintain your health will only improve the results of your treatment. Especially in combination with other methods. Write down the recipes:
- Chicory infusion. Pour a cup of boiling water over a spoonful of herbs and leave for two hours. Strain and drink in small sips throughout the day.
- Mint compress. Pour mint leaves in a glass of water and leave for a few hours. Dip a cloth in the mixture and apply it to the painful area.
- Mumiyo ointment. Mix honey, red pepper and mumiyo and cook in a double boiler for 30 minutes. Let it 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 chopped lard to a glass of warm milk. Take a tablespoon with meals.
The methods described here will help only with 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.