Many vital musculoskeletal, nerve, and arterial plexuses pass through the cervical regions. Various types of pain in the neck, caused by mechanical stress or neurological damage. Also, the neck can hurt after prolonged static stress. Let's consider the most likely situations that cause pain in the cervical spine, establish the symptoms and signs of neurological diseases, and also determine how to get rid of pain with the most effective treatment methods, including at home.
Reasons: why does the neck hurt?
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, of which the seventh is distinguished by its greater mobility from other osteoarticular segments of the spine. In addition, the fragile intervertebral cervical regions are constantly under strong pressure from the heavy head, and thus all the prerequisites for pain in the cervical spine, shoulder girdle and back are created. The anatomical cervical structure is not only muscles and ligaments, articular cartilage, nerve fibers, and vascular plexuses, but also other life-supporting organs: the larynx, esophagus, trachea, lymph nodes, and thyroid gland. Any regional inflammation or injury causes varying degrees of neck pain.
Therefore, it is possible to conditionally divide why the cervical spine hurts:
- mechanical injuries to the back and neck;
- systemic diseases of the vital organs;
- defeat by infectious agents;
- degenerative transformations of the spinal region;
- reflexive pain symptoms;
- 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:
- state of deformation of the vertebral discs;
- intervertebral hernia;
- compression of the spinal nerve;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Systemic etiology, why the neck can hurt:
- psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis;
- fibromyalgia;
- neuropathy of a diabetic nature;
- the formation of tumors of a benign or malignant nature.
If the neck hurts a lot due to an infectious lesion, the following clinic is determined:
- meningitis;
- an acute or chronic form of thyroiditis explains why the front of the neck hurts;
- tuberculosis;
- it hurts when swallowing, and sometimes the neck and ear ache with inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes - lymphadenitis.
Other etiological factors include:
- passive lifestyle;
- excessive overexertion of the muscular regions;
- nervous exhaustion;
- Incorrect arrangement of a place to sleep, when the neck hurts even after an orthopedic pillow.
In addition, the neck constantly hurts after seemingly insignificant cervical bruises, for example, after an accident in an accident, after a fall or collision.
The causes of neck pain can occur with alcohol syndrome. After drinking quite a bit of alcohol, there is also a sharp pain in the cervical vertebrae, which often radiates 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), the pain symptoms are expressed as follows:
- pain begins to come off painfully or pulling on the sides of the cervical vertebrae;
- back and neck hurt violently, especially in the clavicle area;
- tilting and / or turning the head produces a sharp or acute pain in the cervical regions;
- have trouble swallowing;
- there is a strong rigidity of movements;
- with pain, there are general signs of neck pain.
With an infectious lesion of the cervical segments of the spine, discomfort is expressed by the following symptoms:
- there is a local increase in temperature with a cold in the neck, a temperature of 37 ° and more;
- due to metabolic disorders, abdominal pain sometimes occurs;
- metabolic processes affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach can get sick, nausea and vomiting sometimes appear);
- neck damage can be expressed by tonic muscle syndrome;
- there is increased irritability and rapid fatigue of the body.
Painful symptoms often affect an adolescent or young child, in the case of cervical lymphadenitis or mumps, when the salivary glands of the ear become inflamed. A small patient begins to hurt behind the ear, difficulty swallowing and radiating pains 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 cervical contours, which are markedly modified, swollen, and slight compaction of the skin is felt on palpation. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion.
The listed symptoms of possible complications brought on by painful cervical attacks seem too scary for an uninformed person, so you should not self-diagnose, but you should immediately consult a doctor. Often these pain symptoms are more actively manifested during pregnancy in women. Only a qualified specialist will determine what to do with neck pain and how to treat this or that clinical pathology.
To do?
Excluding all possible clinical pathologies of neck pain, we will consider the methods of treatment of the most common neurological problem - osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
The classic medical definition of a neuralgic state is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the articular cartilage of the mobile cervical segment of the spine. It is possible to correct the situation with medicines, physiotherapy methods, special exercises, massages and treatments with folk remedies at home. In case of an acute exacerbation, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug treatments are used.
After completing the mandatory drug treatment course, complex rehabilitation therapy can be continued at home.
Neck gymnastics
The main rule when performing physiotherapy exercises for the cervical spine is unhurried, slow and smooth movements. The medical and rehabilitation complex consists of the following simple physical exercises:
- You should begin by tilting your head back and forth, gradually increasing the breadth. Enough for the first session 3-5 times.
- The next exercise is circular movements and twists of the neck to the right and to the left.
- The next exercise will require a bit of effort. A gymnastic stick is applied under the chin, and with force you need to press it as hard as possible. The exercise is performed 2-3 times.
Attention!In the event that neck pain radiates to the arm, shoulder girdle, or clavicle, exercise should be discontinued and the treating physician informed.
Massage treatments are also an effective way to relieve pain in the cervical vertebra. The goal of therapeutic and prophylactic measure is to restore blood circulation and weaken muscle spasm. The masseur should begin the treatment with gentle movements along the neck. However, you should not get carried away, exercise on your own neck, and rub it intensely, since sometimes the neck hurts after the massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Pain relief according to the academic method.
There is a special author's method of treating pain in cervical osteochondrosis, developed by an academic. As a functional solution, a conventional pencil is used, which acts on the so-called cervical region, represented in the thumb area. This area is located between the palmar crease and the superior articular crease of the thumb. The distance between these segments, the author calls the cervical space. The pain is relieved by rubbing intensively with a pencil, until a stable heat appears, the projection of the cervical spine. Such a treatment and prophylactic procedure can be performed on almost any condition, even outside the home. Some medical experts reject the effectiveness of this method, however, many patients, using 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 channels, facilitate the work of the articular elements of the spine, the following homemade recipes will allow:
- Salt baths containing magnesium sulfate are an effective form of relaxation for tight neck areas.
- A decoction of pine buds. For 100 grams of forest product, take 200 ml of water. The entire composition is brought to a boil and kept for another 4-5 hours in a dark place. The healing medicine is used as a cervical compress.
- Decoctions of dill seeds and / or parsley root are very useful. Making homemade medicines is quite easy. For 50 grams of any of the herbal products, you need to drink a glass of boiling water. The healing broth is infused for 1 to 1. 5 hours, after which it is used for internal or external use.
- Isopropyl alcohol based on iodine 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 eliminate pain is a mixture of 150 ml of vodka and 100 ml of natural honey.
- You can make a homemade healing recipe with grated potatoes and honey. Hot potatoes boiled "evenly" are ground with a tablespoon of honey. This pill should be applied to the inflamed area of the neck.
It's important to knowthat any compress will give a therapeutic effect only after 30-40 minutes.
The given examples of traditional medicine are suitable only at the initial stage of osteochondrosis. In the case of aggravating symptoms, for example, a herniated cervical intervertebral disc, the proposed prescriptions should be agreed with the attending physician. Also, if there is an allergic dependence on certain treatment products, then they should not be used.
Pain prevention
There is no single therapeutic and prophylactic action against all types of pain in the cervical spine. It is possible to protect your body from various causative factors of the appearance of symptomatic manifestations, perhaps only if a healthy lifestyle is observed (exclude alcohol, smoking, etc. ) and an annual preventive examination by a specialized therapist or specialist.