Everyone was in severe neck pain. It does not need to have an accident or abnormalities in the structure of the vertebrae. Improper organization of the workplace, sedentary lifestyle, intense physical activity - all this can lead to intense pain. With age, the manifestations of osteochondrosis can become more complicated, and diseases of the internal organs only add to the problems.
Acute neck pain can occur suddenly, for example when turning sharply or tilting the head. It can radiate to the head (mainly to the back of the head), chest or even shoulders. Such phenomena are often the result of cervical lumbago (cervicago) or acute muscle spasms. We stayed up to date, we lifted heavy - severe neck pain can last 5-10 days, but then they disappear. If the duration of pain is more than 10 days, they have a sharp, painful or pulling nature, significantly reduce the quality of life - you should seek treatment.
Because many lymph vessels, large veins, and arteries pass through the cervical region, any problems in it must be treated carefully. The musculoskeletal cavity of the neck contains the thyroid gland, pharynx, the beginning of the esophagus, larynx and the upper part of the trachea. The muscles of the neck are involved in the movement of the head, shoulders and even the jaws. Therefore, if you experience neck pain, you should immediately consult a doctor to understand the causes and prevent a number of serious problems.
Doctors will examine the condition of your spine and brain, do X-rays, CT or MRI, check the degree of tension in the muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper back. Determining the cause of the pain may lead to the need for treatment, and not at all in the cervical spine. You also need to be prepared for exercises to become part of your daily routine.
Severe pain in the cervical spine is a very important and practically significant problem in neurology. Its importance is determined by the following factors:
- neck pain with osteochondrosis are the most common pathologies caused by non-infection.
- painful sensations in the neck are prone to chronic course with exacerbations. Frequent intense pain can lead to temporary or even permanent damage.
These factors determine the importance of seeking medical help in a timely manner. If you have any discomfort or pain, you should see a specialist immediately. Self-medication in such cases is unacceptable as it can cause serious complications.
In addition, self-medication often leads to the need for surgery and causes damage in adults.
Only a doctor can competently prepare a therapeutic regimen, including pain relief.
Types of neck pain
Distinguish between cervical pain (cervicalgia) and cervical lumbago (cervicago). Cervicalgias are:
- superficial somatic - associated with skin damage;
- deeply somatic - due to damage to the neck muscles and vertebrae;
- visceral - scattered, resulting from infections or diseases of the internal organs.
Cervicalgias affecting adjacent areas are divided into two types:
- cervicobrachialgia - cervicobrachial syndrome with pain radiating from the neck to the shoulders;
- cervicocranialgia - the pain begins directly in the cervix or occipital region and spreads to the head.
Cervicalgias of all types can be acute or chronic. The acute phase lasts about 10 days, but without proper treatment it can become chronic. Chronic pain is thought to last more than three months.
Cervicago is always a sensation of sharp pain, localized in the cervical spine and not allowing you to turn your head.
If the discomfort is due to neuropathic causes, they can be central (with spinal cord injury) or peripheral (peripheral nerve damage).
Causes of neck pain
Conditionally, the causes of neck pain can be divided into two groups - arising from diseases of the spine or due to other factors. The first are formed against the background of intervertebral hernias, osteoarthritis, joint dysfunction, as well as subluxation of the vertebrae (whiplash). The consequences of these injuries can be felt throughout life. The second group includes neck pain caused by infectious and endocrine disorders, tumor processes, rheumatism.
Some of the most common causes of neck pain include:
- Myofascial syndrome.This occurs against the background of prolonged excessive tension in the muscles of the neck, sprains, hypothermia. They usually cause short-term painful sensations of moderate intensity, in which the mobility of the head is often limited and the muscles spasm. When pressed, you feel pain and hardening. Often the pain caused by myofascial syndrome disappears on its own within 4-5 days.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.The disease is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the spine, which occurs as a result of deformation and destruction of the intervertebral discs. As a result of loss of elasticity, compression and destruction of the discs, the facet joints are overloaded, osteoarthritis occurs and the nerve roots are compressed. This leads to the fact that the whole neck hurts a lot. With age, a decrease in the hydrophilicity of cartilage leads to a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae and damage to the intervertebral joints.
- Facet joint dysfunction.Damage to the structure of the intervertebral joints is one of the most common causes of pain throughout the neck. The cartilage becomes thinner on the joint surfaces. This causes the appearance of bone growths - osteophytes. They narrow the lumen of the holes between the vertebrae, causing compression of the nerve endings. As a rule, this is accompanied by dull pain (gradually increasing, with low intensity) in the neck, which intensifies in the morning after sleeping in an awkward position - on a high pillow lying on his stomach. During movement, the pain may increase, but at rest it weakens. In this case, pain radiating to the back of the head, ear, temples, shoulders is possible.
- Hernia and protruding discs.As a result of compression of the intervertebral discs, which have lost their elasticity, there are protrusions - protrusions in the spinal canal with subsequent formation of the hernia. This leads to compression of the spinal cord, which impairs the sensitivity of the hands - tingling, burning sensation, weakness, accompanied by pain. Shooting (incorrectly one-sided) intensifies when bending, turning the head or throwing back. Therefore, one should instinctively tilt his head forward and to the sides opposite to the location of the pain.
- Cervical myelopathy. . . Prolonged compression of the hernia disrupts blood circulation to the spinal cord. Because of this, not only does the whole neck hurt a lot. But the disorder is accompanied by pain radiating to the area between the shoulder blades and to the shoulder. They worsen during movement and do not disappear even after taking painkillers. Typical signs of neck pain with cervical myelopathy are tingling, tingling in the arms and legs, and fine motor skills. Sometimes dizziness is possible, memory deteriorates, gait changes.
- Whip injuries.They occur as a result of a sharp bending of the neck backwards or forwards, followed by a recoil in the opposite direction. Such injuries often occur during an accident, but even a simple fall on the back can provoke them. Trauma occurs as a result of stretching and damage to the muscles, ligaments of the intervertebral discs and cervical vertebrae. The most severe cases are accompanied by sprains and fractures. The consequence of an injury can be that the whole neck and shoulders are very painful, migraines and muscle spasms occur. Concomitant symptoms include blurred vision, increased fatigue and frequent headaches.
In addition, neck pain can be caused by a muscular-tonic syndrome. This is a condition that causes prolonged spasm of several muscle groups in the head, chest and neck. Compression of neuromuscular triggers leads to pulling, sometimes very intense pain. In particular, the syndrome of the scapular muscle is a symptom complex accompanied by a violation of the innervation and blood circulation of the scapular muscles of the neck, which pass from the cervical vertebrae to the 1st and 2nd ribs. This syndrome is characterized by cervical pain and stiffness, which most often occur in the morning. The head in such cases is usually tilted forward and slightly to the tense muscle. Painful sensations can be mild, painful, but sometimes sharp, intensifying at night, with deep breaths as you tilt your head to the healthy side. Sometimes it is possible to radiate pain in the shoulders, in the axillary and interscapular area, as well as in the front of the chest.
However, the causes of pain are not just diseases of the spine. First of all, it is necessary to exclude infectious pathologies, in particular, nonspecific or tuberculous spondylitis, epidural abscesses. Metastatic vertebral lesions may also be accompanied by persistent pain that does not subside, but rather worsens at rest. They are characterized by fever, general weakness and sweating. Even light pressure on the spinous processes causes attacks of local pain.
Risk factors that cause pain include flat feet, posture distortion, and strenuous exercise. Cervicalgia can occur against the background of constant overexertion, vibration, prolonged immobility of the body (for example, with fractures).
In addition, pain can occur as a result of wearing tight and uncomfortable clothing, malnutrition and diseases of the internal organs. Taking these factors into account, we obtain a wide variety of clinical cases in which cervicalgia is formed.
Neck hurts: who to contact and what to do
If the neck hurts, traditional medicine offers drug treatment with drugs with different spectrum of action. They are designed to fight pain, relieve infectious or inflammatory processes and eliminate unpleasant symptoms. The operation is performed only in very severe cases.
Drug treatment is based on the use of local anesthetics, analgesics (NSAIDs), hormonal drugs (glucocorticoids), muscle relaxants (drugs to relieve muscle tension), antioxidants and, if necessary, antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Treatment is based on painkillers - drugs from other groups are prescribed as concomitant drugs that enhance the effect of pain relief, relieve inflammation and swelling.
The disadvantage of drug treatment is the huge number of side effects and temporary pain relief. Furthermore, such treatment is aimed only at eliminating the symptoms, but in no way at the root cause of the pain.
Who should be entrusted with such an important department for the body - the neck? In severe pain, not one specialist is needed, but a whole team that carefully examines, makes the correct diagnosis and prescribes therapy.
An integrated approach based on a combination of the following non-drug methods is applied:
- Physiotherapy.The muscles of the neck are very difficult to train, so when choosing exercises, specialists focus on the mobility of the chest region, shoulder girdle, as well as the even distribution of loads on the spine. Exercise doctors select the optimal set of exercises aimed at shaping the posture and eliminating neck pain.
- Kinesitherapy.Clinics use kinesitherapy systems. The installation allows you to deeply train the muscles of the cervical spine. With the help of closed chain exercises, the neuromuscular problems of the skeleton can be effectively managed and the functionality of the department can be increased.
- Osteopathy.Osteopathic neck correction is safe and painless, suitable for adults and children, pregnant women and professional athletes. Unlike other therapeutic methods, osteopathic medicine not only eliminates the pain syndrome, but frees the patient from the source of pain, treats the underlying disease. For this, techniques for palpation and manual manipulation of the muscles, joints, nerves, connective tissue, vessels and capillaries of the neck are used. The methods of osteopathic medicine accelerate recovery, increase the effectiveness of therapeutic, prophylactic or rehabilitation measures.
- Manual therapy.It effectively relieves neck tension. Specialists gently work on the biologically active points, remove subluxations, dislocations, perform manipulations aimed at relaxing the muscles of the neck, stretching the spine.
Competent selection and the right combination of therapeutic methods help to eliminate neck pain and get rid of discomfort. The integrated approach includes the joint well-coordinated work of different specialists - rehabilitators, neurologists, traumatologists, orthopedists, psychologists. They all follow the common goal of relieving pain for the patient. An individual approach to each is important, a combination of osteopathic and physiotherapeutic procedures and even work on the deep, mental reasons that the whole neck hurts a lot.