Many vital musculoskeletal, nerve and arterial plexuses pass through the cervical regions. Different types of neck pain caused by mechanical stress or neurological damage. In addition, the neck may ache after prolonged static stress. Consider the most likely situations that cause pain in the cervical spine, determine 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 consists of seven vertebrae, the seventh of which is characterized by the greatest mobility of other osteoarticular segments of the spine. In addition, the fragile intervertebral cervical regions are constantly under strong pressure from the heavy head, so all the preconditions for pain in the cervical spine, shoulder girdle and back are created. The anatomical structure of the cervix is not only muscles and ligaments, articular cartilage, nerve fibers and vascular plexuses, but also other life-sustaining organs - larynx, esophagus, trachea, lymph nodes and thyroid gland. Any regional inflammation or injury causes varying degrees of neck pain.
So, it is possible to conditionally divide why the cervical spine hurts:
- mechanical injuries to the back and neck;
- systemic diseases of vital organs;
- defeat by infectious agents;
- degenerative transformations of the spinal region;
- reflective symptoms of pain;
- the result of a qualitative change in life or work.
Neurological pathologies that determine the cause-and-effect relationship, why the back muscles hurt and why the spine hurts in the neck include:
- condition of spinal disc deformity;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spinal nerve compression;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Systemic etiology, why the neck can hurt:
- psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis;
- fibromyalgia;
- diabetic neuropathy;
- tumor formation of benign or malignant nature.
If the neck is very sore due to an infectious lesion, then the following clinic is determined:
- meningitis;
- acute or chronic form of thyroiditis explains why the front neck hurts;
- tuberculosis;
- pain swallowing, and sometimes pain neck and ear with inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes - lymphadenitis.
Other etiological factors include:
- passive lifestyle;
- excessive strain on muscle regions;
- nervous exhaustion;
- improper arrangement of sleeping places, when the neck hurts even after an orthopedic pillow.
In addition, the neck constantly hurts after seemingly insignificant bruises on the cervix, for example, after an accident, after a fall or collision.
Causes of neck pain can occur with alcohol syndrome. After drinking a lot of alcohol, there is acute pain in the cervical vertebrae, which often radiate to the ear, head (at the base of the skull and temples).
Symptoms
If the neck hurts due to osteochondrosis or its complicated neurological pathology (intervertebral hernia), then the symptoms of pain are expressed as follows:
- the pain begins to ache in a painful or pulling way from the side to the cervical vertebrae;
- back and neck very sore, especially in the area of the collarbone;
- tilting and / or turning the head causes acute or sharp pain in the cervical regions;
- have difficulty swallowing;
- there is a strong stiffness of movement;
- in addition to pain, there are general signs of cervical pain.
In infectious lesions of the cervical segments of the spine, discomfort is expressed by the following symptoms:
- there is a local increase in temperature with a cold on 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 (stomach can get sick, sometimes nausea and vomiting occur);
- neck damage may be expressed by tonic muscle syndrome;
- increased irritability and rapid body fatigue occur.
Often painful symptoms affect a teenager or young child, in the case of cervical lymphadenitis or mumps, when the ear salivary glands become inflamed. The small patient begins to ache behind the ear, swallowing with difficulty and radiating pain at the base of the skull, while the neck hurts not only from the side, but also along the entire periphery. Parents should pay attention to the clarity of the contours of the cervix, which are noticeably changed, swell, and on palpation you feel a slight tightness of the skin. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion.
The listed symptoms of possible complications caused by painful attacks of the cervix seem too frightening for an uninformed person, so you should not deal with self-diagnosis, but you should consult a doctor immediately. Often, these symptoms of pain are most actively manifested in 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 methods of treatment of the most common neurological problem - osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
The classic medical definition of a neuralgic condition is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the articular cartilage of the cervical-mobile segment of the spine. The situation can be corrected with medication, physiotherapy methods, special exercises, massage and folk remedies at home. In case of acute exacerbation, anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacological treatments are used.
After completing the mandatory course of drug treatment, complex rehabilitation therapy can be continued at home.
Neck gymnastics
The main rule when performing physiotherapy exercises for the cervical spine are leisurely, 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, gradually increasing the amplitude. Enough for the first session 3-5 times.
- The next exercise is circular movements and turns the neck right and left.
- The next exercise will require a little effort. A gymnastic stick is placed under the chin, and it should be pressed as hard as possible. The exercise is performed 2-3 times.
Attention!If the pain in the neck spreads to the arm, shoulder girdle or collarbone, the exercise should be stopped and the doctor should be informed.
Massage treatments are also an effective way to relieve pain in the cervical spine. The goal of therapeutic and prophylactic measures 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 should not get too carried away, exercising your own neck, and rub it intensively, because sometimes the neck hurts after the massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Pain relief by academic methods
There is a special author's method of resolving pain in cervical osteochondrosis developed by an academic. As a functional solution, a conventional pencil is used that acts on the so-called cervical region, represented in the thumb area. This area is located between the palmar fold and the upper articular fold of the thumb. The distance between these segments is called cervical space by the author. The pain is relieved by intensive rubbing with a pencil, until the appearance of stable heat, projection of the cervical spine. Such treatment and prophylactic procedure can be reported in almost all conditions, even outside the home. Some medical experts reject the effectiveness of this method, however, many patients who use 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 home recipes will allow:
- Salt baths that contain magnesium sulfate are an effective way to relax the crampy neck area.
- Decoction of pine buds. For 100 grams of forest product, take 200 ml of water. The whole composition is brought to a boil and kept for another 4-5 hours in a dark place. The drug is used as a cervical compress.
- Decoctions of dill seeds and / or parsley roots are very helpful. Making a home remedy is simple enough. For 50 grams of any of the herbal products, you must take a glass of boiling water. Medicinal broth is infused for 1-1, 5 hours, after which it is used for internal or external use.
- Iodine-based rubbing alcohol and camphor oil. For 200 ml of 96% alcohol, take 10 drops of iodine and the same amount of camphor oil. The medicine is mixed and used as a neck compress.
- An equally effective way to relieve pain is a mixture of 150 ml of vodka and 100 ml of natural honey.
- You can make a homemade medicinal recipe from grated potatoes and honey. Hot potatoes cooked in a "uniform" are ground with the addition of a spoonful of honey. This paste should be applied to the inflamed area of the neck.
It is important to knowthat any compresses give a therapeutic effect only after 30-40 minutes.
The above examples of traditional medicine are suitable only in the initial stage of osteochondrosis. In case of worsening of symptoms, for example, herniated intervertebral cervical disc, the proposed recipes should be agreed with the attending physician. In addition, if there is an allergic dependence on certain treatment products, then they should not be used.
Pain prevention
There is no single therapeutic-prophylactic effect against all types of pain in the cervical spine. It is possible to protect your body from various causative factors of symptomatic manifestations, perhaps only by adhering to a healthy lifestyle (excluding alcohol, smoking, etc. ) and an annual preventive examination by a therapist or specialist.