A human's neck, like any animal, is an amazing part of the body, quite fragile but powerful.
The cervical spine, along with all the muscles and ligaments, supports and moves the skull, absorbs shock when walking, protects the brain from concussions, protects the blood vessels that supply it, and also protects the spinal cord.
If your neck hurts, the reasons can be very different.Some of these can go away on their own within a few days, while others can cause chronic illness and pain.
Why does pain occur?
The most common reason for neck pain is poor posture.With a curved back, the head no longer occupies a position exactly above the body and moves forward.In this position, the muscles and ligaments of the neck experience increased tension.The development of stooping and neck pain is promoted by prolonged work without changing position, sleeping on a soft bed or high pillow and prolonged static stress.
Other causes of neck pain include injuries caused by falling head first, in a traffic accident or while playing sports.When suddenly accelerating and then braking, the cervical spine performs a whip-like movement.This can cause ligaments and muscles to become overstretched, displacement or compression fractures of the cervical vertebrae can occur, and an intervertebral fracture can form.
Neck pain can occur as a secondary manifestation of other medical conditions.For example, during a heart attack, when a heart attack causes severe pain that radiates through the nerve plexuses to the upper limbs, chest and neck.Neck pain during a heart attack is just one part of a large complex of symptoms - shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, vomiting.If your neck or jaw hurts or other signs of a heart attack are observed, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Neck pain is also considered a diagnostic sign of meningitis.This disease causes hypertonicity of the neck muscles, i.e. stiffness.When I try to tilt my head toward my chest, my neck hurts a lot.
The spine in the neck area hurts with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, spondylosis and arthrosis, hernia or bulging, with compression of the nerve roots or spinal cord due to infectious edema, abscesses, tumors or benign neoplasms.
Special cases
Degenerative diseases
Osteochondrosis, i.e. degenerative diseases of the intervertebral discs, causes people to constantly suffer from neck pain.This is usually a mild aching pain that is often accompanied by numbness and pain in the shoulder girdle and head.
The collar zone affected by osteochondrosis can lead to the development of cerebral artery syndrome.If the intervertebral distances in this area are reduced, pressure damage occurs to the vertebral arteries that run through the openings of the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae.The pressure on the vessel leads to reduced blood flow to the brain, resulting in dizziness and reduced vision and hearing.On the other hand, mechanical irritation of the artery due to the pressure of the vertebrae leads to a reflex spasm, which is manifested by a burning, throbbing pain in the head.
Treatment
If your neck hurts constantly due to osteochondrosis, therapy begins with eliminating the pain syndrome.The second mandatory direction of treatment is to stop the degenerative processes in the cervical vertebrae.
Pain relief can be achieved with the following groups of medications:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – directly block the cascade of mediators that signal pain;
- Muscle relaxants – eliminate muscle spasms that occur reflexively with severe pain;
- Sedatives – calm and inhibit the nervous system and the transmission of pain impulses, including (valerian, antidepressants, sleeping pills);
- Vasodilators – help eliminate vertebral artery syndrome and the pain associated with it.
To eliminate the cause of neck pain due to osteochondrosis, chondroprotective drugs that prevent the destruction of cartilage and vertebrae, as well as multivitamin-mineral complexes are prescribed.
Pain management also includes exercise therapy, physical therapy, massage, traction, reflexology, and taping therapy.During an exacerbation, to relieve pain, the patient is recommended to wear a special collar that protects the neck from excessive mobility.
Muscle pain
Neck pain can occur due to inflammation of the neck muscles, called myositis.Such pain should be distinguished from neuritis (inflammation of the nerve trunks with loss of sensitivity) and pain caused by osteochondrosis.Myositis occurs suddenly after exposure to predisposing factors – hypothermia, vibration, prolonged overexertion, especially with prolonged, repetitive movements of the same nature.
Cervical myositis is characterized by acute pain that occurs when the inflamed muscle contracts.The severe intensity of pain leads to difficulties in performing certain types of movements.Usually the long muscles of the neck on the anterolateral surface or the sternocleidomastoid muscles, which pull the head back when contracted bilaterally and rotate it when contracted unilaterally, are painful.The deep muscles that surround the spine and move the entire neck and back are often inflamed.
When the muscle is palpated, its increased tone and dense nodal areas are noticeable.Disturbance of microcirculation and local trophism leads to the gradual replacement of myocytes with connective tissue.As a result, the neck muscles are weakened, their symmetry on the sides of the spine is disturbed, "wry neck" can occur and the patient finds it difficult to keep his head straight.
Treatment
Treatment begins with reducing strain on the neck.This is followed by a series of physiotherapeutic procedures - UHF warming, electrophoresis with medications, paraffin warming, ozokerite wraps, diathermy, massage, acupuncture.Such procedures restore blood flow to the neck muscles.Medications include injections of B vitamins, anti-inflammatory and pain relievers, ointments and rubs.
Traditional treatment recommends using cabbage or burdock leaves as pain-relieving compresses, making an ointment from crushed willow buds in butter, and rubbing with a mixture of turpentine, apple cider vinegar, and egg yolk.The neck is also rubbed with lava oil and then wrapped.The main key to the success of any treatment is to allow the sore neck to rest until its muscles are fully restored.Then you should begin to put them back “into service” through special gymnastics and massage.
Radicular syndrome
Severe pain in the neck, spreading to the muscles of the head, shoulder girdle and upper limbs, can occur when the roots of the spinal nerves are pinched due to a herniation, protrusion or herniated disc.
In this disease, the inner core of the intervertebral disc protrudes towards the spinal canal or its lateral horns.A hernia and its symptoms usually occur on one side.When pressure is applied to the roots of the spinal nerves, a burning, stabbing pain occurs in the innervated muscles (cervical lumbago).The patient feels numbness in the lower jaw, the area around the ears, the back of the head, the shoulder blades and the arms.When changing position from horizontal to vertical, dizziness and stabbing pains in the neck occur.The gradual protrusion of the disc nucleus leads to injury to the surrounding tissue, its inflammation and swelling.This creates the conditions for inflammation of the nerve endings with the development of radiculitis and the mobility of the neck and upper limbs is gradually limited.Long-term entrapment of the spinal nerves leads to paresis or paralysis of the limbs.
therapy
What to do if your neck hurts due to a hernia?At home, painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs and muscle relaxants are taken to relieve spasms.
In the hospital, severe neck pain is eliminated with the help of “blocks” - the injection of painkillers into the sides of the spine.
Swelling and inflammation are eliminated with steroid medications that can be injected directly into the hernia area.Muscle soreness is eliminated by taking muscle relaxants.
In addition, to prevent further development of the hernia, I use drugs that strengthen the cartilage tissue - chondroprotectors.
In many cases, therapeutic exercises and traction of the cervical spine help with protrusion or mild protrusion.By increasing the intervertebral space, the intervertebral disc is “pulled back” and the nerves are relieved of pressure.
In the case of a true hernia with rupture of the fibrous ring and prolapse of the nucleus into the spinal canal, surgery is necessary.There are several ways to get rid of neck pain through surgery:
- anterior cervical discectomy – removal of an excess piece of disc that is pressing on the spinal nerves;
- Replacing a damaged disc with an artificial joint that protects the cervical spine from further destruction;
- microendoscopic disectomy through a posterior approach and removal of small areas of the hernia through an endoscope;
- Posterior cervical disectomy through an incision in the neck.The working channel is specially enlarged so that jamming will no longer occur in the future.
neoplasms
If there is constant pressing pain in the neck, you may suspect the appearance of a foreign formation in this area.
Benign tumors (lipomas, fibromas, neuromas, osteomas, hemangiomas) usually have a regular shape and are clearly defined;They rarely cause pain.Discomfort is mainly associated with the compression of the surrounding tissue by the tumor.Malignant tumors (osteogenic sarcoma, myeloma, lymph node or thyroid cancer) have no borders and leave many metastases in neighboring tissues.Their destructive effect on the organs causes a painful feeling and a general deterioration of the condition.Larynx, pharynx, oral cavity or thyroid cancer can cause pain in the front of the neck.The patient experiences difficulty swallowing, swelling in the neck and face, and a change in voice.When the cervical spine hurts due to a bone tumor, this condition is often accompanied by damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots on the side of the spine, which is accompanied by the development of paralysis.
Treatment
Treating tumor-related pain is primarily about eliminating the cause – reducing or removing the tumor.For this purpose, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, sclerosis of the vessels supplying the tumor and surgical removal of the pathological formation are used.
Pain relief depends on the severity of the pain:
- weak medications;
- moderate painkillers;
- as pain increases, they switch to weak opiates;
- If the pain is severe, analgesia is only possible with the help of opiates.To enhance analgesia for neck pain due to neoplasms, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants and corticosteroids are used.
Pay attention!Neck pain can occur for various reasons.In order not to miss serious illnesses, you must first consult a doctor to consult about the occurrence of pain and accurately determine its cause.