Many important musculoskeletal, nerve and arterial plexuses pass through the neck area. Various neck pains caused by mechanical stress or nerve damage. In addition, the neck can be injured after prolonged static pressure. Let us consider the conditions most likely to cause cervical spine pain, determine the symptoms and signs of neurological diseases, and determine how to get rid of the pain through the most effective treatment (including at home).
Reason-why does the neck hurt?
The cervical spine is composed of seven vertebrae, the seventh of which is characterized by its maximum mobility with other joint segments of the spine. In addition, the fragile intervertebral neck area is constantly under strong pressure from the heavy head, thus creating all the prerequisites for cervical spine, shoulder strap and back pain. The anatomical structure of the cervical spine is not only muscles and ligaments, articular cartilage, nerve fibers and vascular plexus, but also other life support organs-larynx, esophagus, trachea, lymph nodes and thyroid. Any local inflammation or injury will cause varying degrees of pain in the neck.
Therefore, the causes of cervical spine pain can be classified conditionally:
- Mechanical injuries to the back and neck;
- Systemic diseases of vital organs;
- Be defeated by the source of infection;
- Degenerative transformation of the spine area;
- Reflex pain symptoms;
- The result of a qualitative change in life or work.
The neuropathology that determines causality, the causes of back muscle pain, and the causes of neck spine pain include:
- The deformed state of the intervertebral disc;
- Intervertebral hernia;
- Compress spinal nerves;
- Cervical osteochondrosis.
Systemic causes, why does the neck hurt:
- Psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis;
- Fibromyalgia;
- Diabetic neuropathy;
- The formation of benign or malignant tumors.
If the neck pain is severe due to infectious disease, the following clinics are determined:
- meningitis;
- Acute or chronic thyroiditis explains the cause of anterior neck pain;
- tuberculosis;
- Swallowing can be painful, and sometimes the neck and ears can be injured by inflammation of the lymph nodes in the neck-lymphadenitis.
Other causes include:
- Passive lifestyle
- Overworked muscle area;
- Neurasthenia
- Improper sleeping place arrangement can cause neck pain even after using orthopedic pillows.
In addition, after a seemingly insignificant neck bruise, such as an accident in an accident, a fall or a collision, the neck will continue to ache.
The cause of neck pain may be related to alcohol syndrome. After drinking a lot of alcohol, severe pain in the cervical spine can also occur. The pain usually radiates to the ears and head (cranial base and temples).
symptom
If the neck is painful due to osteochondrosis or its complex neuropathology (intervertebral hernia), the symptoms of pain are:
- The pain begins to come out in the form of pain or pulling on both sides of the cervical spine;
- Severe pain in the back and neck, especially in the clavicle area;
- Tilting and/or turning the head can cause acute or severe pain in the neck area;
- hard to swallow;
- Stiff movement
- With the pain, there are general signs of neck pain.
With infectious lesions in the cervical spine, discomfort manifests as the following symptoms:
- Local body temperature rises with cold neck, body temperature above 37°;
- Abdominal pain sometimes occurs due to metabolic disorders;
- Metabolic processes affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach will become sick, sometimes nausea and vomiting);
- Neck injury can be manifested as tonic muscle syndrome;
- The body is irritable and fatigues quickly.
Usually, when the salivary glands of the ear become inflamed, in the case of neck lymphadenitis or mumps, the painful symptoms affect teenagers or children. A small patient started to have pain behind the ears, difficulty swallowing, and radiating pain at the base of the skull, and the neck was not only painful from the side, but also along the entire periphery. Parents should pay attention to the sharpness of the neck contour, obvious changes, swelling, and a slight firmness of the skin during palpation. It is not difficult to draw conclusions.
The listed symptoms of possible complications caused by the onset of painful cervical spondylosis may seem terrible to the unsuspecting person, so you should not conduct a self-diagnosis, but consult a doctor immediately. Usually, these painful symptoms are most active during a woman's pregnancy. Only qualified experts can determine how to deal with neck pain and how to treat one kind of clinical pathology.
What should I do?
Excluding all possible clinical pathology of neck pain, we will consider the treatment of the most common neurological problem-cervical osteochondrosis.
The classical medical definition of neuralgia is the degenerative dystrophy of the articular cartilage of the movable part of the cervical spine. This condition can be corrected by medication, physical therapy methods, special exercises, massage, and the use of folk remedies at home. In case of rapid deterioration, anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacological treatments are used.
After completing the compulsory medication course, complex rehabilitation treatment can be continued at home.
Neck gymnastics
The main rule for cervical physiotherapy exercises is to move calmly, slowly and smoothly. The medical and rehabilitation complex includes the following simple physical exercises:
- You should start by tilting your head forward and backward, gradually increasing the amplitude. Enough for the first quarter 3-5 times.
- The next exercise is circular motion and turning the neck left and right.
- The next exercise requires some effort. Use a gymnastic rod under your chin, pressing as hard as you can. Practice 2-3 times.
attention!If neck pain radiates to the arm, shoulder strap, or collarbone, stop exercising and report to the attending physician.
Massage therapy is also an effective way to relieve cervical pain. The goal of treatment and preventive measures is to restore blood circulation and weaken muscle spasms. The massage therapist should start the treatment with a gentle stroke of the neck. But don't go too far, exercise on your neck and rub it vigorously, because sometimes your neck hurts after massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Follow the academician's method to relieve pain
There is a special author for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis pain, developed by an academician. As a functional solution, a traditional pencil is used, which acts on the so-called neck area, represented by the thumb area. This area is located between the palm folds and the upper thumb joint folds. The distance between these segments is called the cervical intervertebral space. Rubbing vigorously with a pencil can relieve the pain until a stable heat appears, that is, a herniated cervical spine. This treatment and prevention procedure can be carried out in almost any condition, even outside the home. Some medical experts refuse to accept the effectiveness of this method, but many patients who use this method believe that this method will bring some relief.
What are you doing at home?
In order to relieve muscle tension, ensure healthy blood flow in the cervical canal, and promote the work of spinal joint components, the following homemade recipes will allow:
- A salt bath containing magnesium sulfate is an effective way to relax the constricted area of the neck.
- A kind of Songhua soup. For 100 grams of product, 200 milliliters of water is required. Boil the entire composition and keep it in the dark for another 4-5 hours. The therapeutic drugs are used as cervical compresses.
- A decoction of dill seeds and/or parsley root is very helpful. Homemade medicine is easy. For 50 grams of any herbal product, you must drink a glass of boiling water. Infuse the healing broth for 1-1. 5 hours, and then use it for internal or external use.
- Rubbing alcohol based on iodine and camphor oil. Take 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 dressing.
- An equally effective way to eliminate pain is to mix 150 ml of vodka with 100 ml of natural honey.
- You can use grated potatoes and honey to make homemade healing recipes. Hot potatoes boiled in "homogeneous" are ground with a tablespoon of honey. This lozenge should be applied to the inflamed area of the neck.
It is important to know thatAny compression will only have a healing effect after 30-40 minutes.
The examples of traditional medicine given are only applicable to the initial stages of osteochondrosis. In the case of worsening symptoms, such as cervical disc herniation, the recommended recipe should be agreed with the attending doctor. In addition, if you are allergic to certain therapeutic products, you should not use them.
Prevent pain
There is no single treatment or preventive measure for all types of cervical pain. Probably only if you follow a healthy lifestyle (excluding alcohol, smoking, etc. ) and have an annual preventive check-up by a therapist or professional expert, can you protect your body from the various causal factors that cause symptoms.