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 a long time. And in general, a sedentary lifestyle significantly aggravates this problem. But this disease cannot be held back, because the neck is a significant part of the body. It is made up of seven vertebrae and contains many arteries, muscles, nerves, organs and glands.
The pain can occur due to a seasonal cold or a more serious illness, injury, or sprain. There are other factors that can influence 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 neck area.
Nature of pain
Sometimes the neck hurts so much that it is difficult to understand which direction the injury is located. However, 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 malfunctions in the functioning of the body.
- Chronic – continues for a long time, decreasing and increasing again.
- Visceral: the cause is damage to an internal organ.
- Superficial: These are usually minor lesions on the skin.
- The inflammation in the tissues is profound.
- 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 aching, crushing pain is the body's reaction to unusually strenuous physical activity. You can feel it the next day after training. Under stress, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. It gives signals to nerve receptors, this process causes a sensation of aching pain. When you put stress on your upper body, not only your neck hurts, but also your back and shoulders. But there are other reasons:
- rachiocampus;
- myalgia;
- inflammatory process in the muscles.
Sharp pain
Painful and sharp shooting attacks greatly complicate any movement. Living with these symptoms is very difficult, so start testing and treatment immediately. 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 localized only on one side, there may be several factors:
- Hypothermia - a draft or walking without a scarf in cold weather can cause discomfort.
- Muscle spasms: Working hard during a workout or carrying heavy weights could cause your muscles to overwork. Remember if you are carrying 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 the spinal nerves is disrupted. 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, causing the formation of an abscess.
All these cases are not uncommon and the pain disappears within a few days. It is not necessary to consult a doctor. But there are also more serious situations in which the neck hurts on one side: this is an injury caused by strong rotation of the head. This condition is also often observed in the pathogenesis if the patient has a serious infectious disease, for example, tuberculosis.
Behind
The cervical region is made up of vertebrae and is the most mobile and at the same time most vulnerable part of the spinal column. Therefore, if the back of the neck hurts, there may be several factors of a different nature.
- Osteochondrosis: in this case the neck hurts especially the back. Spinal discs become brittle and deformed. So: the appearance of cervicalgia - a disease in the field of neurology. In this case, the patient feels excruciating, throbbing pain. The hands and back of the head become numb.
- Spinal stenosis is a disease of the spine that is often located in the upper part of the spine, so it could be the reason why the back of your neck hurts. The disease progresses due to narrowing of the spinal cord canal and may be accompanied by numbness of the limbs.
In the back of my head
The neck and the back of the head are directly close, so these two body parts often share disorders with each other. Pain in the back of the head can occur due to:
- Distortions. The neck muscles are adjacent to the back of the head, so any damage will cause back headaches. This area of the body will react particularly 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 violation of the ridge
headache in the back of the head.
Causes headaches
The cause of headaches resulting from neck pathologies can be stagnation of blood flow in the ridge.
- Sedentary lifestyle: At work you sit still 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 radiating to the head is not uncommon. At the same time, a feeling of weakness and apathy appears. At risk: drivers, employees, programmers, operators.
- Sudden movements: Strong rotation of the neck leads to a pinched nerve, which perforates and can radiate to the head.
- Fatigue. 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.
Growing bump
Tissue proliferation, accompanied by high body temperature, indicates that inflammatory processes are occurring in the body. The bumps hurt very much, you can't touch them, and the body is weakened. A swollen lump on the neck is a sign of a serious disease.
- 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 engaged in hard physical work. The main problem here, just like in the previous case, is the growth of the nodule. Only without high temperature. The formation causes pain when touched, but not as sharp. However, this factor negatively affects the neck and shoulders. You can get rid of unpleasant sensations by changing your type of activity to something easier on the body. A lump can be a sign of:
- Fibrolipomas, lipomas, or atheromas: The formation can grow from the size of a large wen to a noticeable hump. The growth process is reflected in nearby 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 go away within a few days, you need to go to the hospital. Doctors will perform an examination, and for a complete picture you may need to undergo additional tests:
- Tomogram.
- Cardiogram.
- Ultrasound.
- Blood analysis.
- X-ray.
After passing a series of tests, the doctor will draw a conclusion and prescribe the necessary procedures. In the treatment of the cervico-collar area it helps:
- Therapeutic gymnastics - a health complex will help to normalize the processes taking place in the cervical region, as well as in the body as a whole.
- Massage – performed only by specialists in manual therapy; self-massage can only be carried out after training with masseurs.
- Drug treatment: antibiotics and painkillers will help eliminate pain as a symptom and deal with the cause of the disease if it is infectious in nature. In other cases, tablets are selected strictly individually.
- A course of injections: The active ingredients contained in the injections have better bioavailability, which means that relief will come much sooner than taking pills.
- Acupuncture is a type of oriental therapy in which by influencing certain points on the body it is possible to significantly improve the condition of the body. It is best to do this in combination with a classic massage.
- Electrical stimulation is the use of pulsed current, which helps dilate blood vessels and tone the body.
- Treatment with leeches: these worms are able to saturate 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 exercises will become an effective preventive measure. Just 10 minutes of exercise in the morning will make your neck muscles stronger and your back more flexible. Perform all exercises 5-10 times.
- Sit up straight in the chair. Slowly and clearly turn your face to the right, then to the left.
- Lower your chin and reach the top of your head towards the ceiling. Tilt your head back and feel the front of your neck lengthen.
- 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.
- In a standing position, straighten up, raise 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 remedies to keep you healthy will only improve the results of the treatment. Especially in combination with other methods. Take note of the recipes:
- Chicory infusion. Pour a glass of boiling water over a spoonful of herbs and leave for two hours. Filter and drink in small sips throughout the day.
- Mint compress. Pour the mint leaves into a glass of water and leave for several hours. Dip a cloth in the mixture and apply it to the sore spot.
- Mumiyo ointment. Mix honey, chilli and mumiyo and simmer in a bain-marie 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 chopped lard to a glass of warm milk. Take a spoonful with meals.
The methods described here will help only 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.