Many vital musculoskeletal, nerve and arterial plexuses pass through the cervical areas. Various types of neck pain, caused by mechanical stress or neurological damage. In addition, the neck can hurt after prolonged static stress. Let us consider the most likely situations that cause pain in the cervical spine, establish 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.
Causes - why does the neck hurt?
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the seventh of which is distinguished by its greatest mobility from other osteoarthritis segments of the spine. In addition, the fragile intervertebral cervical regions are constantly under strong pressure from the heavy head, and therefore all conditions are created for pain in the cervical spine, shoulder girdle and back. 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 pain in the neck.
Thus, it is possible to conditionally divide why the cervical spine hurts:
- mechanical damage to the back and neck;
- systemic diseases of the vital organs;
- defeat of infectious substances;
- degenerative transformations of the spinal region;
- reflective 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 in the neck hurts include:
- deformation condition of the vertebrae;
- 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 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 anterior neck hurts;
- tuberculosis;
- it hurts to swallow, and sometimes the neck and ear hurt with inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes - lymphadenitis.
Other etiological factors include:
- passive lifestyle;
- excessive overload of muscle areas;
- nervous exhaustion;
- incorrect arrangement of a sleeping area 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 alcohol, there is also acute 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 complicating neurological pathology (intervertebral hernia), then the pain symptoms are expressed as follows:
- the pain begins to subside in a painful or pulling manner on the sides of the cervical vertebrae;
- back and neck hurt terribly, especially in the area of the collarbone;
- tilting and / or turning of the head causes acute or sharp pain in the cervical regions;
- have difficulty swallowing;
- there is a strong stiffness of movements;
- with pain there are general signs of cervicalgia.
With an infectious lesion of the cervical segments of the spine, discomfort is expressed by the following symptoms:
- there is a local rise in temperature with a cold, a temperature of 37 ° and above;
- due to metabolic disorders, abdominal pain sometimes occurs;
- metabolic processes affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach may become ill, sometimes nausea and vomiting occur);
- neck injury can be expressed in tonic muscle syndrome;
- there is increased irritability and rapid fatigue of the body.
Often, painful symptoms affect a teenager or young child, in the case of cervical lymphadenitis or parotitis, when the salivary glands become inflamed. A small patient begins to have pain behind the ear, difficulty swallowing 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 cervical contours, which are noticeably modified, they swell, and on palpation a slight compression of the skin is felt. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion.
The listed symptoms of possible complications caused by painful cervical attacks look too scary for an uninformed person, so you should not engage in self-diagnosis, but you should consult a doctor immediately. Often, these pain symptoms are most actively manifested during pregnancy in women. Only a qualified specialist will decide 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 the methods of treating the most common neurological problem - osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
The classical medical definition of a neuralgic condition is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the articular cartilage in the cervical-moving segment of the spine. It is possible to rectify the situation with medication, methods of physiotherapy, special exercises, massage and treatment with folk medicine at home. In case of a sharp exacerbation, anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacological treatments are used.
After completing the mandatory course of treatment with medication, complex rehabilitation therapy can be continued at home.
Neck gymnastics
The main rule when performing physiotherapy exercises for the cervical spine is calm, slow and smooth movements. The medical and rehabilitative complex consists of the following simple physical exercises:
- You should start by tilting your head back and forth, with a gradual increase in amplitude. Enough for the first session 3-5 times.
- Next exercise is circular motions and turns of the neck to the right and left.
- The next exercise will require some effort. A gymnastic rod is applied under the chin, and by force you must press it as hard as possible. The exercise is performed 2-3 times.
Attention! In case the pain in the neck radiates to the arm, shoulder girdle or to the collarbone, the training should be stopped and the attending physician should be reported.
Massage treatments are also an effective way to relieve pain in the cervical vertebra. The goal of the therapeutic and prophylactic measure is to restore blood circulation and weaken muscle spasms. The massage therapist should begin treatment with light strokes along the neck. However, do not get carried away, train on your own neck, and rub it intensively, as it sometimes hurts in the neck after the massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Pain relief according to the academic's method
There is a special author's method for dealing with 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 area of the thumb. This area is located between the palm fold and the overall joint fold of the thumb. The distance between these segments the author calls the cervical space. Pain is relieved by intensive rubbing with a pencil, until the appearance of stable heat, the projection of the cervical spine. Such treatment and prophylactic procedure can be performed under almost any condition, even outside the home. Some medical experts reject the effectiveness of this method, but many patients who use this development believe that such a procedure brings some relief.
What to do at home?
To relieve muscle tension, ensure a healthy blood flow in the cervical canals, facilitate the work of the articular elements of the spine, the following homemade recipes will allow:
- Salt baths containing magnesium sulfate are an effective way to relax too narrow neck areas.
- A decoction of pine buds. For 100 grams of forest product, take 200 ml of water. Bring the whole composition to a boil and store for another 4-5 hours in a dark place. The healing medicine is used as a cervical compress.
- Decoctions from dill seeds and / or parsley root are very useful. Making homemade medicine is easy enough. For 50 grams of all the herbal products, take a glass of boiling water. The healing broth is infused for 1-1, 5 hours, after which it is used for internal or external use.
- 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 drug is mixed and used as a compress for the throat.
- 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 healing recipe from grated potatoes and honey. Hot potatoes cooked in "uniform" are ground with the addition of a tablespoon of honey. This lozenge should be applied to the inflamed area of the throat.
It is important to knowthat any compresses only give a therapeutic effect after 30-40 minutes.
The examples given of traditional medicine are only suitable in the initial stage of osteochondrosis. In case of worsening symptoms, for example a herniated intervertebral cervical disc, the suggested recipes should be agreed with the attending physician. Moreover, if there is an allergic dependence on certain treatment products, then they should not be used.
Prevention of pain
There is no single therapeutic and prophylactic effect against all types of pain in the cervical spine. It is possible to protect your body from various causal factors for the onset of symptomatic manifestations, perhaps only if a healthy lifestyle is observed (exclude alcohol, smoking, etc. ) and an annual preventive examination by a therapist or specialist.