Neck pain is a symptom that modern people very often experience, regardless of age and gender. The most common reason is working at the computer for a long time. And in general, a sedentary lifestyle greatly aggravates this problem. But this disease cannot be put on hold, because the neck is a significant part of the body. It consists of seven vertebrae and contains many arteries, muscles, nerves, organs and glands.
Pain may occur due to a seasonal cold or a more serious illness, injury or sprain. There are other factors that can affect whether your neck and head hurt. We will analyze them in more detail in our review, and also consider methods of treating and preventing congestion in the cervical-collar area.
Nature of pain
Sometimes the neck hurts so badly that it is difficult to understand in which direction the lesion is located. Nevertheless, analyze your condition 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 functioning of the body.
- Chronic – continues for a long time, subsiding and growing again.
- Visceral – the cause is damage to an internal organ.
- Superficial – usually these are minor lesions on the skin.
- Deep is inflammation in the tissues.
- Central – associated with problems in the nervous system.
- Neuropathic – a disorder of the peripheral nerves, but the pain points are not affected.
It's a dull pain
Often oppressive aching pain is the body’s reaction to unusually heavy physical activity. You can feel it the next day after training. Under stress, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. It gives signals to nerve receptors, this process causes a feeling of aching pain. When putting stress on the upper body, not only does your neck ache, your back and shoulders also hurt. But there are other reasons:
- rachiocampsis;
- myalgia;
- inflammatory process in muscles.
Acute pain
Attacks of sharp painful shootings significantly complicate any movement. Living with these symptoms is very difficult, so start testing and treatment immediately. It could be:
- osteochondrosis;
- vertebral displacement;
- neuralgia;
- intervertebral hernia.
Why and what does it hurt from?
Pay attention to which side of the neck it hurts, whether there is discomfort when turning, perhaps the 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, then there may be several factors:
- Hypothermia - a draft or walking without a scarf in the cold season can cause discomfort.
- Muscle spasms – Working hard in a workout or carrying heavy weights could cause your muscles to become overworked. Remember if you carried heavy bags in the coming days - perhaps this is the reason.
- Uncomfortable bed - over time, the mattress may sag and the pillow may become uneven. And simply an unnatural posture during sleep can lead to increasing pain in the neck area. Perhaps you need to change something in your sleeping area.
- Cervical radiculitis is a consequence of the development of osteochondrosis. With this disease, the activity of the spinal nerves is disrupted. The result is a sharp pain on one side of the neck.
- Tendon inflammation is an acute process that occurs in the shoulder joints and can cause pain on the right or left side.
- A retropharyngeal abscess is a complication that can form with advanced sore throat. Purulent processes spread to nearby tissues, resulting in the formation of an abscess.
All these cases are not uncommon, and the pain goes away in a matter of days. It is not necessary to see a doctor. But there are also more serious situations when the neck hurts on one side - this is an injury caused by a strong turn of the head. This condition is also often observed in pathogenesis if the patient has a severe infectious disease, for example, tuberculosis.
Behind
The cervical region consists of vertebrae and is the most mobile, at the same time the most vulnerable 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. The spinal discs become fragile and deformed. Hence: the appearance of cervicalgia - a disease from the field of neurology. In this case, the patient experiences piercing pain and throbbing. The hands and back of the head become numb.
- Spinal stenosis is a disease of the spine that is often localized in the upper part of the spine, so it may be the reason why the back of the neck hurts. The disease progresses due to narrowing of the spinal cord canal and may be accompanied by numbness of the limbs.
In the back of my head
The neck and back of the head are in direct proximity, so often these two parts of the body share ailments with each other. Pain in the back of the head can occur due to:
- Sprains. The neck muscles are adjacent to the back of the head, so any damage will cause a headache in the back. This area of the body will react especially strongly during movements with a large amplitude, such as jumping or fast walking.
- Problems with the spine. As we have already indicated 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 ridge
headache in the back of the head.
Causes a headache
The cause of headaches that arise due to pathology in the neck can be stagnation of blood flow in the ridge.
- Sedentary lifestyle - at work you sit motionless at the computer for several hours, and when you come home you do the same in a relaxed atmosphere. 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 pierces and can radiate to the head.
- Stress. The psychogenic factor also plays a role in the onset of the disease. Constant nervousness and emotional overload cause tension in the neck muscles and neuralgia.
Growing bump
Tissue proliferation, accompanied by high body temperature, indicates that inflammatory processes are occurring in the body. The bumps hurt a lot, you can’t touch them, and the body is weakened. A swollen lump on the 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 the patient to swallow.
- Oncology – neoplasm processes in the lymphatic system lead to 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, combined with the growth of a lump, is an eternal companion for people who are constantly engaged in hard physical labor. The main problem here, just like 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 negatively affects the neck and shoulders. You can get rid of unpleasant sensations by changing your type of activity to something easier for the body. A lump may be a sign of:
- Fibrolipomas, lipomas or atheromas - the formation can grow from the size of a large wen to a noticeable hump. The growth process is reflected in neighboring parts of the body.
- Tumor – to perform an accurate analysis, you need to contact an oncologist.
What to do?
If the pain does not subside within several days, then you need to go to the hospital. Doctors will do an examination, and for a complete picture you may need to undergo additional examinations:
- Tomogram.
- Cardiogram.
- Ultrasonography.
- Blood analysis.
- X-ray.
After undergoing a series of examinations, the doctor will make a conclusion and prescribe the necessary procedures. In the treatment of the cervical-collar area it helps:
- Therapeutic gymnastics - a health complex will help normalize the processes taking place in the cervical region, as well as in the body as a whole.
- Massage – performed only by specialists in manual therapy; self-massage can be done only after training with massage therapists.
- Drug treatment - antibiotics and painkillers will help eliminate pain as a symptom and cope with the cause of the disease if it is infectious in nature. In other cases, tablets are selected strictly individually.
- A course of injections - the active substances in injections have better bioavailability, which means relief will come much earlier than from taking pills.
- Acupuncture is an oriental type of therapy in which influencing certain points of the body can significantly improve the condition of the body. It is better to do it in combination with a classic massage.
- Electrical stimulation is the use of pulsed current, which helps dilate blood vessels and tones the body.
- Treatment with leeches - these worms are able to 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 and your neck muscles will become stronger and 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 towards the ceiling. Tilt your head back and feel the front of your neck stretch.
- The back remains straight, tilt your head parallel to the floor. Take your chin with your right hand, turn your face to the right, feeling how the side of your neck is stretched. Do the same with your left hand to the left.
- In a standing position, straighten up, raise your shoulders and leave your arms along your body. Freeze for 10 seconds, relax.
Folk remedies in the fight for neck health
Taking your grandmother's remedies to maintain your health will only improve your treatment results. Especially in combination with other methods. Take note of 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 several hours. Soak a cloth in the mixture and apply to the sore spot.
- Mumiyo ointment. Mix honey, red pepper and mumiyo and simmer in a water bath for 30 minutes. Cool and apply as an ointment.
- Echinacea. Take the medicine three times a day to strengthen your immune system.
- Add 100 g of honey and the same amount of chopped lard to a glass of warm milk. Take a tablespoon 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 illness causes acute discomfort, do not self-medicate, consult a doctor as soon as possible.