Many vital musculoskeletal, nerve, and arterial plexuses pass through the cervical regions. Various types of neck pain, caused by mechanical stress or neurological damage. Also, the neck can hurt after prolonged static stress. We consider the most likely situations that provide pain in the cervical spine, establish the symptoms and signs of neurological diseases, and also determine how to get rid of pain with the most effective methods of treatment, including at home.
Reasons: Why does the neck hurt?
The cervical spine is made up of seven vertebrae, of which the seventh is distinguished by its greater mobility from the other osteoarticular segments of the vertebral column. In addition, the fragile intervertebral cervical regions are constantly subjected to strong pressure from the heavy head, and therefore all prerequisites for pain in the cervical spine, shoulder girdle and back are created. The anatomical cervical structure is not only muscles and ligaments, articular cartilage, nerve fibers and vascular plexuses, but also other life support organs: larynx, esophagus, trachea, lymph nodes and thyroid. Any regional inflammation or injury causes varying degrees of neck pain.
Thus, it is possible to conditionally divide the reason why the cervical spine hurts:
- mechanical injuries of the back and neck;
- systemic diseases of vital organs;
- defeat by infectious agents;
- degenerative transformations of the spinal region;
- symptoms of reflex pain;
- the result of a qualitative change in life or work.
Neurological disorders that determine the cause-and-effect relationship, why the back muscles hurt and why the spine in the neck hurts, include:
- state of deformation of the vertebral discs;
- intervertebral hernia;
- compression of the spinal nerve;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Systemic etiology, why the neck can hurt:
- psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis;
- fibromyalgia;
- neuropathy of a diabetic nature;
- the formation of tumors of a benign or malignant nature.
If the neck hurts a lot due to an infectious lesion, the following clinic is determined:
- meningitis;
- an acute or chronic form of thyroiditis explains why the anterior neck hurts;
- tuberculosis;
- it hurts to swallow, and sometimes the neck and ear hurt with inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes - lymphadenitis.
Other etiological factors include:
- passive lifestyle;
- excessive overload of muscle regions;
- nervous breakdown;
- improper arrangement of a sleeping place, when the neck hurts even after an orthopedic pillow.
In addition, the neck constantly hurts after seemingly insignificant cervical bruises, for example, after an accident in an accident, after a fall or collision.
Causes of neck pain can occur with alcoholic syndrome. After enough alcohol drunk, there is also a sharp pain in the cervical vertebrae, which often radiates to the ear, head (to the base of the skull and temples).
Symptoms
If the neck hurts due to osteochondrosis or its complicating neurological pathology (intervertebral hernia), the pain symptoms are expressed as follows:
- pain begins to spread aching or pulling to the sides of the cervical vertebrae;
- the back and neck hurt violently, especially in the collarbone area;
- tilting and / or turning the head cause acute or acute pain in the cervical regions;
- have difficulty swallowing;
- there is a strong rigidity of movements;
- with pain, there are general signs of neck pain.
With an infectious lesion of the cervical segments of the spine, discomfort is expressed by the following symptoms:
- there is a local increase in temperature with a cold in the neck, a temperature of 37 ° and above;
- due to metabolic disorders, abdominal pain sometimes occurs;
- metabolic processes affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach can get sick, sometimes nausea and vomiting appear);
- neck damage can be expressed by tonic muscle syndrome;
- there is increased irritability and rapid fatigue of the body.
Often, painful symptoms affect a teenager or young child, in the case of cervical lymphadenitis or mumps, when the salivary glands in the ear become inflamed. A small patient begins to ache behind the ear, difficulty swallowing and pains radiating to the base of the skull, while the neck hurts not only laterally, but also along the entire periphery. Parents should pay attention to the clarity of the cervical contours, which are noticeably changed, swell, and a slight compaction of the skin is felt on palpation. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion.
The listed symptoms of possible complications provoked by painful cervical attacks seem too scary for an uninformed person, so you should not engage in self-diagnosis, but you should immediately consult a doctor. Often, these pain symptoms are most actively manifested during pregnancy in women. Only a qualified specialist will determine what to do with neck pain and how to treat this or that clinical pathology.
What to do?
Excluding all possible clinical pathologies of neck pain, we will consider the methods of treatment of the most common neurological problem - osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
The classic medical definition of a neuralgic state is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the articular cartilage of the cervical-mobile segment of the spine. It is possible to correct the situation with drugs, physiotherapy methods, special exercises, massage and treatments with folk remedies at home. In case of severe exacerbation, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug treatments are used.
After completing the mandatory drug treatment course, complex rehabilitation therapy can be continued at home.
Gymnastics for the neck
The main rule when performing physiotherapy exercises for the cervical spine are unhurried, slow and smooth movements. The medical and rehabilitation complex consists of the following simple physical exercises:
- You should start by tilting your head back and forth, with a gradual increase in amplitude. Enough for the first session 3-5 times.
- The next exercise is circular movements and turns of the neck to the right and left.
- The next exercise will require effort. A gymnastic stick is applied under the chin and, with force, you should press it as hard as possible. Exercise is performed 2-3 times.
Attention!In the event that neck pain radiates to the arm, shoulder girdle, or collarbone, exercise should be stopped and reported to the treating physician.
Massages are also an effective way to relieve pain in the cervical vertebra. The goal of the therapeutic and prophylactic measure is to restore blood circulation and weaken muscle spasm. The massage therapist should start the treatment with light stroking movements along the neck. However, you shouldn't get too carried away, exercising on your neck and rubbing it intensely, as sometimes the neck hurts after the massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Pain relief according to the method of the academician
There is a special author's method of dealing with pain in cervical osteochondrosis, developed by an academician. As a functional solution, a conventional pencil is used, which acts on the so-called cervical region, represented in the thumb area. This area is located between the palmar crease and the upper joint crease of the thumb. The distance between these segments, the author calls the cervical space. The pain is relieved by intense rubbing with a pencil, until the appearance of stable heat, the projection of the cervical spine. Such treatment and prophylactic procedure can be performed in almost any condition, even outside the home. Some medical experts reject the effectiveness of this method, however, many patients, using this development, believe that such a procedure brings some relief.
What to do at home?
To relieve muscle tension, ensure healthy blood flow in the cervical canals, facilitate the work of the articular elements of the spine, the following homemade recipes will allow:
- Salt baths containing magnesium sulfate are an effective way to relax narrow neck areas.
- A decoction of pine buds. For 100 grams of forest product, 200 ml of water are taken. The whole composition is brought to a boil and stored for another 4-5 hours in a dark place. Healing medicine is used as a cervical compress.
- Decoctions of dill seeds and / or parsley root are very useful. Making homemade medicine is quite easy. For 50 grams of any of the herbal products, you need to take a glass of boiling water. The healing broth is infused for 1-1. 5 hours, after which it is used for internal or external use.
- Denatured alcohol based on iodine and camphor oil. For 200 ml of 96% alcohol, 10 drops of iodine and the same amount of camphor oil are taken. The medicine is mixed and used as a neck wrap.
- An equally effective way to get rid of pain is a blend of 150ml of vodka and 100ml of natural honey.
- You can make a homemade healing recipe with grated potatoes and honey. Hot potatoes boiled in "uniform" are ground with the addition of a spoonful of honey. This lozenge should be applied to the inflamed area of the neck.
it is important to know,that any compresses give a therapeutic effect only after 30-40 minutes.
The given examples of traditional medicine are suitable only in the initial stage of osteochondrosis. In case of aggravating symptoms, for example a cervical intervertebral disc herniation, the proposed recipes must be agreed with the attending physician. Also, if there is an allergic dependence on certain treatment products, they should not be used.
Pain prevention
There is no single therapeutic and prophylactic action against all types of pain in the cervical spine. It is possible to protect your body from various causative factors of the onset of symptomatic manifestations, perhaps only if you observe a healthy lifestyle (exclude alcohol, smoking, etc. ) and an annual preventive examination by a therapist or specialist specialized.