Neck pain is a very common symptom of modern people, regardless of age and gender. The most common reason is working on the computer for a long time. And in general, a sedentary lifestyle greatly aggravates this problem. However, this disease cannot be stopped because the neck is an important part of the body. It consists of seven vertebrae and contains many vessels, muscles, nerves, organs and glands.
The pain can be caused by a seasonal cold or a more serious illness, injury or sprain. There are other factors that can affect your neck and head pain. In our review, we will analyze them in more detail, as well as consider the methods of treatment and prevention of congestion in the cervical neck region.
Nature of pain
Sometimes the neck hurts so much that it is difficult to understand in which direction the injury 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 malfunctions in the body.
- Chronic - lasts for a long time, decreases and grows again.
- Visceral - the cause is damage to an internal organ.
- Superficial - usually these are small lesions on the skin.
- It is inflammation in the deep tissues.
- Central - associated with problems in the nervous system.
- Neuropathic - disturbance of peripheral nerves, but pain points are not affected.
It's a dull ache
Often excruciating pain is the body's response to unusually strenuous physical activity. You can feel it the day after the workout. Under stress, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. It sends a signal to the nerve receptors, this process causes a painful sensation of pain. When you put stress on your upper body, it's not just your neck that hurts, but your back and shoulders too. But there are other reasons:
- rachiocampis;
- myalgia;
- inflammatory processes in muscles.
Sharp pain
Attacks of sharp painful shots make any movement significantly difficult. These symptoms are very difficult to live with, so get tested and treated right away. Can be:
- osteochondrosis;
- displacement of the vertebra;
- neuralgia;
- intervertebral hernia.
Why and what does it suffer from?
Pay attention to which side of the neck there is pain, whether there is discomfort when turning, maybe lumbago 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 - in the cold season, walking without a draft or a scarf can cause discomfort.
- Muscle spasms – Overworking or carrying heavy loads during exercise can cause your muscles to overwork. If you have been carrying heavy bags in the coming days, remember - maybe this is the reason.
- Uncomfortable bed - over time, the mattress can sag and the pillow can become uneven. And simply unnatural posture during sleep can cause increased neck pain. Perhaps you need to change something where you sleep.
- Cervical radiculitis is the result of the development of osteochondrosis. With this disease, the activity of the spinal nerves is disturbed. The result is a sharp pain on one side of the neck.
- Tendonitis is an acute process that occurs in the shoulder joints and can cause pain on the right or left side.
- Retropharyngeal abscess is a complication that can occur with advanced sore throat. Purulent processes spread to nearby tissues, resulting in the formation of an abscess.
All these cases are not rare and the pain disappears within a few days. It is not necessary to consult a doctor. But there are more serious situations when the neck hurts on one side - this is an injury caused by a strong turn of the head. If the patient has a serious infectious disease, for example, tuberculosis, this condition is also often observed in the pathogenesis.
Behind
The cervical region consists of vertebrae and is the most mobile, but also the most sensitive part of the spine. Therefore, if the back of the neck hurts, there may be several factors of a different nature.
- Osteochondrosis - in this case, the neck hurts mainly in the back. Spinal discs are fragile and deformed. Thus: the appearance of cervicalgia - a disease from the field of neurology. In this case, the patient experiences piercing pain and throbbing. The hands and the back of the head go numb.
- Spinal stenosis is a disease that is often localized in the upper part of the spine, so it can be the cause of pain in the back of the neck. The disease progresses due to the narrowing of the spinal 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 in close proximity, so these two parts of the body often share diseases with each other. Pain in the back of the head can occur for the following reasons:
- Sprains. The neck muscles are adjacent to the back of the head, so any injury will cause a headache in the back. This area of the body will react particularly strongly during large-amplitude movements such as jumping or fast walking.
- Problems with the spine. As we mentioned above, the neck consists of vertebrae, and the back of the head is closest to the first. Therefore, often when there is a violation in the series
headache in the back of the head.
It causes headaches
The cause of headaches caused by pathology in the neck can be stagnation of blood flow in the spine.
- Sedentary lifestyle - at work, you sit motionless at the computer for several hours, and when you come home, you do the same in comfortable conditions. 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, office workers, programmers, operators.
- Sudden movements - a strong turn of the neck leads to a pinched nerve, which can be punctured and radiate to the head.
- Stress. A psychogenic factor also plays a role in the development of the disease. Constant nervousness and emotional overload cause tension and neuralgia in the neck muscles.
Growing bump
Tissue proliferation accompanied by high body temperature indicates the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the body. The bumps hurt a lot, you can't touch them and the body weakens. A swollen 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 to swallow.
- Oncology - neoplasm processes in the lymphatic system cause physically noticeable growths.
- A weakened body - the immune system gives alarm signals.
Pain in the neck and shoulders
Pain in the neck and shoulder girdle, along with the growth of a lump, is an eternal companion for people who are constantly engaged in hard 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 so sharp. However, this factor has a negative effect on the neck and shoulders. You can get rid of unpleasant feelings by changing the type of activity to something easier for the body. A symptom of a tumor may be:
- Fibrolipomas, lipomas or atheroma - the formation can grow from the size of a large wen to a noticeable hump. The growth process is reflected in the neighboring parts of the body.
- Tumor - you should contact an oncologist for an accurate analysis.
What to do?
If the pain does not subside within a few days, you should go to the hospital. Doctors will examine and for a complete picture it may be necessary to undergo additional tests:
- Tomogram.
- Cardiogram.
- Ultrasonography.
- Blood test.
- x-ray.
After passing a series of examinations, the doctor will draw a conclusion and prescribe the necessary procedures. Helps in the treatment of cervical neck area:
- Therapeutic gymnastics - a health complex will help to 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 be done only after training with massage therapists.
- Drug treatment - antibiotics and painkillers will help to relieve pain as a symptom, and if it is infectious in nature, it will fight the cause of the disease. In other cases, tablets are selected strictly individually.
- Injection course - active substances in injections have better bioavailability, which means that relief will come faster than taking pills.
- Acupuncture is a type of oriental therapy that can significantly improve the condition of the body by affecting certain points of the body. It is better to do it together with a classic massage.
- Electrical stimulation is the use of pulsed current to help dilate blood vessels and tone the body.
- Treatment with leeches - these worms can 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 strengthen your neck muscles and make your back more flexible. Perform 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.
- The back remains straight, bend your head parallel to the floor. Hold your chin with your right hand, turn your face to the right, feel how the side of your neck stretches. Do the same with your left hand to the left.
- In a standing position, straighten, raise your shoulders and leave your arms along the body. Freeze for 10 seconds, relax.
Folk remedies in the fight for neck health
Taking your grandmother's medicine to protect your health will only improve your treatment results. Especially in combination with other methods. Pay attention to the recipes:
- 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.
- Mint compress. 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 painful area.
- Mumiyo ointment. Mix honey, red pepper and mummy and boil in a water bath for 30 minutes. Cool and apply as an ointment.
- Echinacea. Take medicine three times a day to strengthen the immune system.
- Add 100 g of honey and the same amount of chopped lard to a glass of hot milk. Take a spoon 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 severe discomfort, do not self-medicate, consult a doctor as soon as possible.