Neck pain is a common symptom that everyone has encountered at least once in their life. It may indicate a disease of the internal organs, stretching of muscles and ligaments, or appear against the background of hypothermia. If your neck hurts, you should see a doctor. Only after examination and other diagnostic measures can the cause of the disease be determined and the correct treatment selected.
Neck pain can occur for many different reasons. If your neck hurts, you need to see a doctor
Why do adults have neck pain?
Pain in the neck area is divided into 2 types:
- cirvicalgia - a spasm occurs in one place, is characterized by a gradual course and varying intensity;
- cervicago - manifested by unexpected pain when moving the head suddenly or when staying in one position for a long time.
Doctors identify the following causes of neck pain:
- Cervical osteochondrosis. The disease develops with a sedentary lifestyle and improper diet. Patients complain of pain in the neck and head from behind, tinnitus and dizziness appear, it becomes difficult to turn the neck, movements are accompanied by a crunch.
- Disc prolapse. With such a pathology, the neck on the left side hurts, the intervertebral disc sticks out, causing pain in the lower back. A hernia can be cured with vacuum therapy and acupressure.
- Dislocate. After intense physical exertion, a person may experience acute pain in the neck. The affected area swells, it becomes impossible to turn your head, the risk of fainting increases. To relieve the condition, the patient is given an anesthetic, a hot or cold compress is made, and the stretched area is massaged.
- Cervical spondylosis. A dangerous disease that often leads to disability. It is often diagnosed in athletes with trauma or in the elderly. They complain that there is constant pain in the neck and back of the head, and there is discomfort when the head is turned. To relieve inflammation and pain, it is necessary to take medication, physiotherapy in combination with physical therapy exercises to restore the ability to work.
- Cervical myelopathy. It develops after a narrowing of the spinal canal. the person feels weakness and pain in the neck. His speech slows down and movement coordination is impaired. The cause of the pathology can be a traffic accident or a fall from a height. The patient is recommended to undergo physical therapy, wear a soft neck brace, and do strengthening exercises.
- Whiplash. Occurs after a fall, accident, or fight. It is accompanied by a sharp pain in any area of the neck. In the case of whiplash, the ligaments are damaged, which leads to the loss of the cervical lordosis and the protruding position of the head. Treatment can last from 1 month to six months.
- Injury to the cervical spine. A person notices that their neck is constantly sore and bruises appear. In this case, it is necessary to wear a special collar for 3 to 6 months.
- Infectious diseases. Skin infections cause acute pain and inflammation. With rubella or a sore throat, the lymph nodes in the neck expand and become painful.
- Diseases of the internal organs. If the pain syndrome occurs in the right hypochondrium and the throat hurts on the right side, the cause may be cholecystitis. If the neck hurts and gives off the whiskey in the morning, it is a symptom of high blood pressure. With angina and myocardial infarction, the neck and arms are painful. Neck cramps and anterior pain may indicate esophageal and thyroid disease. In the event of poisoning with toxic substances, nerve damage is observed. If there is severe pain in the cervical spine, jumps in blood pressure are possible. If the throat is sore on the right and cannot be moved, these are signs of meningitis. With laryngitis and pharyngitis, pain can be localized both on the right and on the left.
Often the neck hurts after sleep due to an uncomfortable posture or a hard pillow.
Frequent stress and psycho-emotional stress can lead to discomfort in the neck and back area. Pain and tingling in the neck and shoulders requires an injection or an anesthetic.
If the neck hurts under the jaw, it could indicate a fracture, osteomyelitis of the jaw, or dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint. With a broken lower jaw, the patient feels a severe pain syndrome, his soft facial tissues swell, it becomes painful or impossible to chew. Osteomyelitis is accompanied by an infectious and inflammatory process, fever, headache and chills.
Causes of Neck Pain in a Child
In a child, neck pain can occur against the background of such reasons:
- Muscle overexertion or sprains while exercising.
- Pain after a fall or car accident.
- An uncomfortable position when sleeping or sitting at the computer.
- Meningitis: accompanied by increased irritability, headache, fever, sensitivity to light, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting. If left untreated, the disease can lead to serious complications and death.
- Lyme disease. The pathology often spreads through tick bites, so it is necessary to examine the neck outdoors for signs of a bite.
Pain relievers are prescribed to treat neck pain and inflammation in children. Placing a heating pad on your neck for 20 minutes can help reduce muscle spasms. In addition, the child should sleep with a towel around their neck or a padded collar to avoid frequent head movements.
diagnosis
To determine why the muscles of the neck hurt, the doctor conducts an examination with palpation, after which additional methods of examination are used:
- Roentgen;
- Myelography;
- neurological examination of reflexes and sensitivity;
- Computed tomography of the spine;
- MRI;
- Nuclear magnetic resonance.
If you suspect osteomyelitis of the jaw, you need to see an ENT doctor and dentist. In addition to the X-ray, the patient will need to do a blood test to identify the source of the infection.
Medication
If there is severe pain in the neck with osteochondrosis, the doctor prescribes complex therapy, including a special diet, a series of exercises, drugs and preventive measures. To relieve pain and treat the disease, the following groups of drugs are used:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Antispasmodics.
- Antioxidants: ascorbic acid, vitamins E and N.
- Means to improve blood circulation.
- Preparations for the prevention of degenerative changes in cartilage tissue.
Medicines can be used in several forms. A nerve block is required for acute complications. There are different types of blocks: intraosseous, paravertebral, faceted and epidural blocks. All of them help relieve muscle tone syndrome.
In combination with medication, it makes sense to carry out physiotherapeutic procedures. They relieve pain and increase the therapeutic effect of drugs. Magnetic field therapy, laser therapy and treatment with low-frequency currents are considered to be the most effective methods. Movement and physiotherapy exercises are prescribed to correct posture and strengthen the ligamentous apparatus. If you exercise regularly, metabolic processes normalize, the position of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs are restored, the load is evenly distributed on the musculoskeletal system.
The principle of nutrition in osteochondrosis is to add to the diet foods that contain large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants to improve metabolic processes. Meals should be fractionated up to 6 times a day.
It is recommended to include the following products in the menu:
- lean meat and fish;
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- Milk products and fermented milk products;
- Grain;
- Nuts;
- Seed;
- Mushrooms;
- Olive oil.
It is advisable to steam, boil or bake the food. You should also limit your consumption of flour products, spices, smoked meats, canned foods, saturated meat broths, confectionery and fruits with high sugar content.
Important!It is necessary to replace strong black tea with herbal decoctions, unsweetened fruit drinks and dried fruit compote. Limit alcohol and carbonated drinks completely.
Persistent pain often makes the patient irritable, so the doctor prescribes sedatives and antidepressants. If the left neck is sore, you can relieve the symptom with a warm heating pad or wrap a scarf around your neck.
Decongestant and anti-inflammatory drugs are used in cervical myelopathy. When the nerve endings are compressed, injections of steroid hormones are required. If an infectious agent is detected in the body, antibiotics are included in the treatment.
Notice!In ischemic cervical myelopathy, it is effective to use neuroprotectors and drugs that have a vasodilating effect.
If a patient is diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, they are prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors. For severe pain, analgesics are used, for severe muscle spasms, muscle relaxants are used. Manual therapy and gentle massage are also indicated. With a sharp pain syndrome, blocking the affected areas is recommended. In combination with drugs, it makes sense to conduct physiotherapeutic procedures - electrophoresis with novocaine, ultrasound treatment and special complexes of physiotherapeutic exercises.
Complications
If the neck hurts due to osteochondrosis, improper treatment or its absence can lead to serious complications:
- Intervertebral hernia;
- Kyphosis;
- Protrusion of the intervertebral disc;
- Radiculitis;
- Salt build-up in the spine;
- spinal stroke;
- Circulatory disorders;
- Amyotrophy;
- Paralysis of the lower extremities.
prophylaxis
To prevent neck pain, a number of guidelines should be followed:
- Avoid hypothermia.
- Stop smoking.
- Correct weight.
- Do physical therapy exercises daily.
- Take a contrast shower.
- Visit the swimming pool.
- Do not jerk weights.
- Monitor your posture.
- Warm your neck in the cold season.
- If you are in a static position for a long time, take a break every 50 minutes and restore blood flow with a warm-up.
- Choose an orthopedic mattress and pillow to sleep on.
- Wear comfortable shoes to relieve the spine.
- Walking barefoot on uneven surfaces in summer to strengthen the foot muscles and relieve the musculoskeletal system.
- Stick to proper nutrition.
- Take massage classes.
- Get to know methods of relaxation with increased fear and emotionality.