Various neck or side pains can occur suddenly and always cause considerable discomfort. Particular vigilance must be caused by persistent painful sensations of an intense nature. Neck pain and pain in the upper back may also be associated with other clinical signs, such as heaviness in the back of the head, fatigue, tiredness, headache, restriction of movement.
If the pain syndrome persists for more than a week and the treatment being undertaken does not bring the desired results, professional medical help should be sought. Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to get rid of the painful disease quickly and effectively.
reason
Many people are wondering why does the neck hurt? As practical experience shows, there can be many reasons for this. Clarification of such issues should be obtained exclusively by a specialist, because the correctness of treatment depends directly on this. The most common reasons why the back and side of the neck can hurt very badly and often:
- Pathology of the cervical spine (various injuries, bruising, dislocation, intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, spondyloarthritis, etc. ).
- Neck myelosis.
- Great physical activity.
- Being in an uncomfortable position for a long time (for example, sleeping in a sitting position).
- Cervical sciatica.
- Muscle stretching (sudden head movement, inappropriate exercises).
Beenshte proved that even banal scoliosis can cause pain.
Pathology of the cervical spine
If the patient complains that the neck and upper back hurts quite strongly, it is often necessary to rule out pathology of the cervical spine.
Special attention should be paid to osteochondrosis and spondylosis. Today, these are the two most common diseases of the spine, in addition to injuries and injuries that can provoke very significant pain and discomfort in the neck and upper shoulder girdle. Characteristics of pain syndrome in degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the cervical spine:
- The pain is noted at rest, even when the patient tries not to move at all.
- It is usually quite difficult for them to choose a position in which they will not feel pronounced painful sensations.
- Restriction of mobility in the cervical spine is almost always observed.
- Light pressure on the cervical vertebrae can lead to increased pain.
Cervical myelosis
A pathological condition in which there is a painful compression of muscle fibers associated with a violation of local blood circulation is called myogelosis. As a rule, provocative factors are:
- Hypothermia and freezing.
- Project defect.
- Prolonged uncomfortable position.
- Physical fatigue (excessive stress).
Most experts believe that myogelosis should be considered as a complication after an inflammatory process in the muscles. It should be noted that it is manifested not only by pain, but also problems arise with muscle relaxation, increased tone and limited movement. In addition, the pain often extends to the upper back and shoulder girdle. By leaving myelosis untreated, you risk worsening your health condition, as the disease is prone to progression and chronic course.
If you do not know the real reason why your neck hurts, it is better to consult a specialist doctor immediately.
Cervical sciatica
The entrapment of nerve roots emerging from the spinal cord at the level of the cervical spine leads to sciatica. According to clinical practice, in the vast majority of cases, osteochondrosis is the cause of the development of this pathology. With sciatica, patients notice that the neck hurts and burns, so it is simply impossible to touch it from behind or from the side. What is the clinical picture observed with damage to the nerve roots of the cervix emerging from the spinal cord:
- Severely and constantly hurts in the neck, shoulder, shoulder girdle.
- Painful sensations are usually intensified by movements of the head, arms, upper body.
- The neck muscles are extremely tense.
- There is a violation of sensitivity in the hands (numbness, tingling, etc. ).
- Weakness in the upper limbs.
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Added fatigue.
Crick
Despite the severity of the pain syndrome, muscle strain is considered one of the easiest pathologies and fairly quickly curable, compared to other diseases that provoke pain in the neck and upper back. Injuries, poor exercise performance, and increased stress can lead to muscle strain. What complaints will patients express at the same time:
- Sharp pain in the neck, back of the head and upper shoulder girdle.
- Excessive muscle tension that restricts the movement of the head and back of the cervix.
- General condition suffers (physical discomfort, weakness, fatigue appear).
- The neck hurts when you turn your head.
Diagnosing
Without discovering the specific cause of the onset of pain in the cervical region, it is quite difficult to completely eliminate this pathological symptom. If we eliminate only the painful sensations and not the ones that cause them, then we can only rely on a temporary improvement of the condition. Modern diagnostic methods allow you to quickly narrow the range of possible causes, from which your neck hurts from behind, from the side or from both sides. As a rule, the following instrumental studies are used:
- Standard X-ray examination.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Electrocardiography.
- Electromyography.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
treatment
What to do if your neck hurts? Even at home, there are some remedial steps you can take to help reduce grief. If you associate the pain with an injury or muscle strain, then a cold compress is recommended for the first 48 hours.
A very effective remedy is to apply ice or cold objects to the neck area for about 15 minutes every few hours. To avoid the development of a cold burn from touching ice, it is necessary to exclude direct contact with the skin. To do this, ice or very cold items are placed in a plastic bag, wrapped additionally in a not too dense cloth and only then applied to the surface of the skin.
After two days, they switch to warm compresses. You can use a regular plastic bottle with hot water or a rubber pad for heating. The duration of application of the compress should not exceed 20-30 minutes. This procedure can be repeated every 2 hours. In addition, give the sore muscle adequate rest. The first time after an injury or sprain, go to bed more often, trying to relax the neck muscles. Better relieves tension when lying on your back. In the acute phase, it will be helpful to limit yourself from different types of physical activity. Take a short break from the exercises.
Remember that a very long rest helps to weaken the neck and shoulder girdle muscles. Once you return to normal rhythm, it will be easy to get a new stretch of already weakened muscle. An alternation of dosed physical activity and good rest is considered optimal, but only in the absence of severe pain. Traditional pain management is as follows:
- Drug therapy.
- Local treatment.
- Physiotherapy procedures.
- Manual therapy.
- Massage
- Physiotherapy.
Talk to your healthcare professional about what to do if your neck hurts.
Drug therapy
Pain relievers help to quickly relieve neck pain of varying intensity. Nowadays, many of these drugs can be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription from your doctor. However, it should be remembered that most of these drugs have a significant number of side effects and contraindications. Therefore, any medication intake should be coordinated with a specialist. Most often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as pain relievers.
Numerous clinical studies have shown that taking NSAIDs can provoke a number of side effects. Most problems are associated with erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, quite often, along with pain syndrome, there is a pronounced tension of the neck muscles. To relieve muscle spasm, it is recommended to use muscle relaxants.
Local therapy
Local therapy has been shown to be helpful in controlling pain in the neck and upper back. As a rule, all kinds of medicinal oils, gels and creams are used that have a pronounced analgesic effect. Certain types of drugs are very popular as external agents.
The mechanism of analgesic action is different and depends on the active ingredient that is part of the oil, gel or cream. Only a qualified doctor can tell you which medicine is best for your case. With severe pain, bringing considerable discomfort, novocaine blockade is sometimes prescribed. Medical compresses have also proven to be effective. The average duration of the procedure is about 30 minutes. To achieve the desired result, it is necessary to perform a total of at least 7-8 procedures.
If you are not quite sure what to do when you have a sore neck and upper back, then it is best to consult a specialist first.
Physiotherapy
In most cases, physiotherapeutic treatment is actively involved, consisting of various procedures, massage sessions and physiotherapy exercises. Many years of experience have shown the effectiveness of the following physiotherapy methods to eliminate pain:
- Electrophoresis.
- Ultrasound therapy.
- Electrotherapy.
- Magnet.
- LASER
- Acupuncture.
Exercise therapy and massage
Therapeutic exercises and massage are mandatory components of complex therapy for almost any disease or pathological condition. However, many people forget that they can only be used when the acute phase has passed. Severe pain syndrome is considered a contraindication to exercise therapy and massage. An example of a basic set of exercises to relax and strengthen cervical muscles:
- You can stand up or sit down. The main thing is to keep your back straight. The hands should be relaxed and down. Perform 10 head anime, first on one side, then on the other. Do the exercise at a leisurely pace with no sudden movements.
- The situation is similar. We tilt our head down and try to touch the front surface of the chest with our chin. The number of repetitions is 10 times.
- The situation is similar. We perform head movements back and forth, imitating a duck. The number of repetitions is 10 times in each direction.
- Slow circular motion of the head. If painful sensations appear, we stop exercising.
- We sit in a chair. Place the palm of your hand on your forehead. We tilt our head forward as we try to resist with our palm. Exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the front neck. You can also place your palm to the left, right and back, and tilt your head to the right side.
- Stand up straight. Relax your arms and place them along your body. We tilt the head first to one side as we raise the shoulder, then to the other. The number of repetitions is 10-12 times.
After passing a brief briefing by a physiotherapist or other specialist, therapeutic exercises and self-massage of the collar area can be done regularly and at home without any problems.
ethnoscience
It is hard to argue with the fact that traditional medicine has long been firmly established in our lives. However, if you are not sure where a particular folk remedy comes from, it is not recommended to use it in treatment. Many physicians have seen serious consequences from the misuse of non-traditional methods of treatment more than once in their clinical practice. In some cases, it is permissible to use certain folk remedies to get rid of the pain, but only after consulting a doctor. Exclusively for recognition, we present some recipes of traditional medicine:
- You can apply a regular fresh cabbage leaf to the sore area. There are no time limits. Compresses made from cabbage leaves also have a good effect.
- Rubbing honey. Honey massage is rubbed into the place on the neck where the patient experiences the most pain.
- Mustard salt compress. For cooking, you need a kilogram of table salt, a tablespoon of mustard powder and 100 ml of water. Put all the ingredients in the pan and heat for 5 minutes. The mixture is then poured into a tissue bag, which we place in the painful area of the neck. To enhance the effect, you can wrap a warm cloth around the neck (for example, a scarf).
Prophylaxis
In many cases, the appearance of a rather unpleasant pain in the neck can be prevented. To do this, it is necessary to avoid various types of injuries, muscle strains and heavy physical exertion. Highly it is highly undesirable to freeze or get too cold. It is also recommended to engage in active sports, but not to the detriment of your health. Do not start chronic diseases, in particular degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the musculoskeletal system. Get a complete medical check-up at least once a year.