Many vital musculoskeletal, nerve and arterial plexuses pass through the cervical regions. Various kinds of pain in the neck, 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 provide pain in the cervical spine, establish the symptoms and signs of neurological diseases, and also determine how to get rid of pain by the most effective methods of treatment, including at home.
Reasons - why does the neck hurt?
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, of which the seventh is distinguished by its greatest mobility from other osteoarticular segments of the spine. In addition, the fragile intervertebral cervical regions are constantly under intense pressure from the heavy head, and therefore all the prerequisites 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 support 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 injuries of the back and neck;
- systemic diseases of the vital organs;
- defeat by infectious agents;
- 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 state of the vertebral discs;
- intervertebral hernia;
- compression of the spinal nerve;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Systemic etiology, why the neck may 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, then the following clinic is determined:
- meningitis;
- an acute or chronic form of thyroiditis explains why the front 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 overstrain of muscle regions;
- nervous exhaustion;
- improper arrangement of a sleeping place, 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 fairly drunk 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 give off in a aching or pulling way on the sides to the cervical vertebrae;
- the back and neck hurts violently, especially in the area of the collarbone;
- tilting and / or turning the head provide 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 increase in temperature with a neck cold, a temperature of 37 ° and above;
- due to metabolic disorders, sometimes abdominal pain occurs;
- metabolic processes affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach may get sick, sometimes nausea and vomiting appears);
- neck damage can be expressed by tonic muscle syndrome;
- there is increased irritability and rapid fatigability of the body.
Often, painful symptoms affect a teenager or small child, in the case of cervical lymphadenitis or parotitis, when the ear salivary glands become inflamed. A small patient begins to ache behind the ear, difficulty swallowing and radiating pains at the base of the skull, while the neck aches 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 upon palpation, a slight compaction of the skin is felt. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion.
The listed symptoms of possible complications provoked by painful cervical attacks look too frightening for an uninformed person, so you should not engage in self-diagnosis, but you should immediately consult a doctor. Often, these pain symptoms are most 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.
What 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 classical medical definition of a neuralgic state is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the articular cartilage of the cervical-movable segment of the spine. It is possible to correct the situation with medication, methods of physiotherapy, special exercises, massage and treatment with folk remedies at home. In case of a sharp exacerbation, anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacological treatments are used.
After completing the obligatory treatment course with medicines, 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 start with tilting the head forward and backward, with a gradual increase in amplitude. Enough for the first session 3-5 times.
- The next exercise is circular movements and turns of the neck to the right and left.
- The next exercise will take some effort. A gymnastic stick is applied under the chin, and by force, you should press on it as hard as possible. The exercise is performed 2-3 times.
Attention!In the event that the pain in the neck radiates to the arm, shoulder girdle or to the clavicle, the exercise 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 spasm. The massage therapist should begin the treatment with light stroking movements along the neck. However, you should not get too carried away, exercising on your own neck, and rub it intensively, as sometimes the neck hurts after the massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Pain relief according to the academician's method
There is a special author's method of dealing with pain in cervical osteochondrosis, developed by an academician. As a functional solution, a conventional pencil is used, which acts on the so-called cervical region, represented in the area of the thumb. This area is located between the palmar fold and the superior articular 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 a treatment and prophylactic procedure can be performed in almost any conditions, 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 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 of relaxation for cramped neck areas.
- A decoction of pine buds. For 100 grams of forest product, 200 ml of water is taken. The whole 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 from dill seeds and / or parsley root are very helpful. Making homemade medicine is easy enough. For 50 grams of any of the herbal products, you must 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.
- Rubbing alcohol based on iodine and camphor oil. For 200 ml of 96% alcohol, 10 drops of iodine and the same amount of camphor oil are taken. The medicinal product is mixed and used as a compress for the neck.
- 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 from grated potatoes and honey. Hot potatoes boiled in "uniform" are ground with the addition of a tablespoon of honey. This lozenge should be applied to the inflamed area of the neck.
It's important to know,that any compresses 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 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.
Prevention of pain
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 causal factors of 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 specialized specialist.