Many important musculoskeletal plexuses, nerves, and arteries pass through the cervical regions. Many types of pain in the neck, caused by mechanical stress or nerve damage. In addition, the neck may become sore after prolonged static stress. Let's take a look at the situations that are likely to cause pain in the cervical spine, identify the symptoms and signs of neurological diseases, and determine how to get rid of the pain with effective treatments. best, even at home.
The reason - why does the neck hurt?
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, of which the seventh is distinguished by its greatest mobility compared with other vertebral segments of the spine. In addition, the fragile disc areas are often subjected to strong pressure from the heavy head, thus creating a premise for pain in the cervical spine, shoulders, back, and back. The anatomical structure of the cervix is not only muscles and ligaments, articular cartilage, nerve fibers and vascular plexus but also other life-supporting organs - larynx, esophagus, trachea, lymph nodesblood and thyroid gland. Any inflammation or injury in the area causes varying degrees of pain in the neck.
Thus, it is possible to conditionally divide why the cervical spine hurts:
- mechanical injury of the back and neck;
- systemic disease of vital organs;
- defeated by infectious agents;
- degenerative changes of the spinal region;
- reflex pain symptoms;
- the result of a qualitative change in life or work.
Neurological conditions that define a cause-and-effect relationship, why back muscles hurt, and why the spine in the neck hurts, include:
- deformed state of the vertebral discs;
- disc herniation;
- spinal nerve compression;
- osteonecrosis of the cervical spine.
Systemic causes, why the neck may be sore:
- psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis;
- fibromyalgia;
- neuropathy of a diabetic nature;
- the formation of tumors of a benign or malignant nature.
If the neck is very painful due to an infected lesion, it should be determined at the following clinic:
- meningitis;
- an acute or chronic form of thyroiditis that explains why the anterior neck hurts;
- tuberculosis;
- pain when swallowing, and sometimes neck and ear pain accompanied by inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes - lymphadenitis.
Other predisposing factors include:
- passive lifestyle;
- overactivity of muscle areas;
- nervous exhaustion;
- Improper arrangement of sleeping place, neck support will be painful even with orthopedic pillows.
In addition, neck pain persists after seemingly insignificant neck bruises, such as after an accident, after a fall or impact.
Possible causes of neck pain with alcoholism syndrome. After drinking alcohol quite drunk, there is also acute pain in the cervical vertebrae, often spreading to the ears, head (base of the skull and temples).
Symptom
If the neck is painful due to osteonecrosis or complex neuropathy (herniated disc), pain symptoms are manifested as follows:
- pain that begins to radiate in a stinging or pulling way from the sides to the cervical vertebrae;
- severe back and neck pain, especially in the collarbone area;
- tilting and/or turning the head causes acute or sharp pain in the cervical regions;
- difficulty swallowing;
- there is a strong rigidity of the movement;
- Accompanied by pain are common signs of cervical pain.
With an infectious lesion of the cervical spine segments, discomfort is manifested by the following symptoms:
- there are places where the temperature increases locally, there is a cold snap, the temperature is 37 ° C or more;
- due to metabolic disorders, sometimes abdominal pain;
- metabolic processes that affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach may get sick, sometimes nausea and vomiting appear);
- neck damage can be manifested by tonic-clonic syndrome;
- there is a rapid increase in irritability and fatigue of the body.
Usually, painful symptoms affect adolescents or young children, in the case of cervical lymphadenitis or parotid gland inflammation, when the salivary glands in the ear become inflamed. A small patient developed pain behind the ear, difficulty swallowing, and diffuse pain at the base of the skull, while neck pain was not only unilateral but also pain along the entire periphery. Parents should pay attention to the clarity of the cervical contours, they are markedly changed, they are swollen, when touched, the skin will be slightly stretched. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion.
The listed symptoms of possible complications from cervical pain are too scary for the uninitiated, so you should not self-diagnose but consult your doctor. right away. Usually, these painful symptoms are most actively manifested during pregnancy in women. Only a qualified therapist can determine what to do with neck pain and how to treat this or that clinical condition.
For what?
Excluding all possible clinical manifestations of neck pain, we will review the treatments for the most common neurological problem - cervical spondylosis.
The classical medical definition of neuropathy is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the articular cartilage of the cervical mobile segment of the spine. This condition can be overcome with drugs, physical therapy methods, special exercises, massage and treatment with folk remedies at home. In case of severe exacerbations, anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacological measures are used.
After completing the mandatory course of drug therapy, complex rehabilitation therapy can be continued at home.
Ancient gymnastics
The main rule when performing physical therapy exercises for the cervical spine is not to move vigorously, slowly and rhythmically. The medical and rehabilitation complex includes the following simple physical exercises:
- You should start with tilting your head forward and backward, with increasing amplitude. Enough for the first session 3-5 times.
- The next exercise is circular motion and neck rotation to the right and left.
- The next exercise will take a little more work. The exercise stick is placed under the chin, and you should press on it as hard as possible. The exercise is performed 2-3 times.
Attention!In the event that pain in the neck spreads to the arm, shoulder or collarbone, the exercise should be discontinued and the attending physician informed.
Massage therapy is also an effective way to relieve cervical vertebrae pain. The goal of treatment and prevention is to restore blood circulation and weaken muscle spasms. The masseuse should begin the treatment with gentle strokes along the neck. However, you should also not overdo it but arbitrarily exercise, massage vigorously because sometimes the neck hurts after the massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Pain relief according to the doctor's method
There is a particular author's method for dealing with the pain of cervical osteonecrosis, developed by an academician. As a functional solution, an ordinary pencil is used, which acts on the area called the cervix, which is represented in the region of the thumb. This area is located between the palmar crease and the superior joint crease of the thumb. The distance between these segments, the author called the cervical space. Relieve pain by rubbing vigorously with a pencil, until a stable heat, projection of the cervical spine appears. Such a prophylactic and therapeutic procedure can be performed in almost any condition, even outside the home. Some medical professionals reject the effectiveness of this method, however, many patients, using this method, 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 joint elements of the spine, the following homemade recipes will allow:
- Salt baths that contain magnesium sulfate are an effective way to relax neck cramps.
- A decoction of pine buds. For every 100g of forest products, 200ml of water is extracted. The whole preparation is boiled, and kept for another 4-5 hours in a dark place. The medicine used is cervical compression.
- A decoction of cumin seeds and/or parsley root is useful. Making homemade potions is easy enough. For 50 grams of any herbal product, you must take one cup of boiling water. The healing broth is infused for 1–1. 5 hours, after which it is used for internal or external use.
- Tincture of iodine tincture and camphor oil. For 200 ml of 96% tincture, 10 drops of iodine and the same amount of camphor oil are taken. Medicines are mixed and applied to the neck.
- An equally effective way to get rid of pain is a mixture of 150 ml of vodka and 100 ml of natural honey.
- You can make a homemade healing recipe out of mashed potatoes and honey. Boiled hot potatoes in the "uniform" are mashed with an extra tablespoon of honey. This lozenge should be applied to the inflamed area of the neck.
It's important to know,that any method of application will bring about a therapeutic effect after only 30-40 minutes.
The given examples of traditional medicine are relevant only at the beginning of the osteonecrosis process. In the case of more severe symptoms, for example, cervical disc herniation, suggested recipes should be agreed upon with the attending physician. In addition, if you have an allergy that depends on some treatment products, you should not use them.
Prevention of pain
There is no single treatment and prevention against all types of cervical pain. It is possible to protect your body from various causative factors for the onset of symptoms, perhaps only by following a healthy lifestyle (excluding alcohol, smoking, etc. )annually by a therapist or specialist.