Many vital musculoskeletal, nerve and arterial plexuses pass through the cervical regions. Different types of neck pain caused by mechanical stress or neurological damage. In addition, the neck may ache after prolonged static stress. Let's look at the most likely situations that cause pain in the cervical spine, identify the symptoms and signs of neurological diseases, as well as determine how to get rid of pain with the most effective treatments, including at home.
Causes - why does the neck hurt?
The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the seventh of which differs in its greatest mobility from the other osteoarticular segments of the spine. In addition, the fragile intervertebral cervical areas are constantly under strong pressure from the heavy head and therefore all the prerequisites for pain in the cervical spine, shoulder girdle and back are created. The anatomical structure of the cervix includes not only muscles and ligaments, articular cartilage, nerve fibers and vascular splits, but also other life support organs - larynx, esophagus, trachea, lymph nodes and thyroid gland. Each regional inflammation or injury causes varying degrees of neck pain.
In this way it is possible to conditionally separate why the cervical spine hurts:
- mechanical injuries to the back and neck;
- systemic diseases of vital organs;
- defeat by infectious agents;
- degenerative transformations of the spinal area;
- reflective symptoms of pain;
- the result of a qualitative change in life or work.
Neurological pathologies that determine the causal relationship, why the back muscles ache and why the spine hurts, include:
- condition of spinal disc deformity;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spinal nerve compression;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Systemic etiology why the neck may hurt:
- psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis;
- fibromyalgia;
- diabetic neuropathy;
- the formation of benign or malignant tumors.
If the neck hurts a lot due to an infectious lesion, then the following clinic is determined:
- meningitis;
- acute or chronic form of thyroiditis explains why the front neck hurts;
- tuberculosis;
- pain when swallowing, and sometimes the neck and ear hurt with inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes - lymphadenitis.
Other etiological factors include:
- passive lifestyle;
- excessive strain on muscle regions;
- nervous exhaustion;
- improper arrangement of the sleeping area when the neck hurts even after an orthopedic pillow.
In addition, the neck constantly hurts after seemingly minor bruises on the cervix, such as after an accident, fall or collision.
The causes of neck pain can occur with alcohol syndrome. After a lot of drinking alcohol there is a sharp pain in the cervical spine, 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 symptoms of pain are expressed as follows:
- the pain begins to separate in a painful or pulling way to the side of the cervical spine;
- back and neck hurt badly, especially in the clavicle;
- tilting and / or turning the head provides sharp or sharp pain in the cervical regions;
- have difficulty swallowing;
- there is a strong stiffness of movements;
- with pain there are common signs of cervicalgia.
In case of an infectious lesion of the cervical segments of the spine, the discomfort is expressed by the following symptoms:
- there is a local increase in temperature with a cold on the neck, a temperature of 37 ° and more;
- abdominal pain sometimes occurs due to metabolic disorders;
- metabolic processes affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach can get sick, sometimes nausea and vomiting);
- neck damage can be expressed by tonic muscle syndrome;
- there is increased irritability and rapid fatigue of the body.
Often, painful symptoms affect a teenager or young child, in the case of cervical lymphadenitis or mumps, when the salivary glands of the ear become inflamed. A small patient begins to ache behind the ear, difficulty swallowing and radiating pain at the base of the skull, while the neck hurts not only the sides but also the entire periphery. Parents should pay attention to the clarity of the cervical contours, which are noticeably altered, they swell and on palpation a slight thickening of the skin is felt. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion.
The listed symptoms of possible complications provoked by painful attacks of the cervix seem too frightening for an uninformed person, so you should not engage in self-diagnosis, but you should consult a doctor immediately. Often these symptoms of pain are most active 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 classic medical definition of a neuralgic condition is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the articular cartilage of the cervical-mobile segment of the spine. It is possible to correct the situation with drugs, methods of physiotherapy, special exercises, massage and folk remedies at home. In case of acute exacerbation, anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacological treatments are used.
After completing the mandatory course of drug treatment, comprehensive rehabilitation therapy can continue at home.
Neck gymnastics
The main rule when performing physiotherapy exercises for the cervical spine are slow, slow and smooth movements. The medical and rehabilitation complex consists of the following simple physical exercises:
- You should start by tilting your head back and forth, gradually increasing the 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 require some effort. A gymnastic stick is applied under the chin and you should press on it as hard as possible. The exercise is performed 2-3 times.
Attention! In case of neck pain radiating to the arm, shoulder girdle or clavicle, the exercise should be stopped and reported to the attending physician.
Massage treatments are also an effective way to relieve pain in the cervical spine. The aim of the treatment-and-prophylactic measure is to restore blood circulation and weaken muscle spasm. The masseur should start the treatment with light stroking movements around the neck. However, you should not get too carried away exercising your own neck, but rub it intensely, because sometimes the neck hurts after the massage, which is not always a sign of quality.
Pain relief by the method of academician
There is a special author's method for 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 palm fold and the upper joint fold of the thumb. The distance between these segments the author calls cervical space. The 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 under almost any conditions, even outside the home. Some medical experts reject the effectiveness of this method, but 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, to facilitate the work of the articular elements of the spine, the following home recipes will allow you:
- Salt baths containing magnesium sulfate are an effective way to relax in narrow areas of the neck.
- Decoction of pine buds. For 100 grams of forest product take 200 ml of water. Bring the whole composition to a boil and leave for another 4-5 hours in a dark place. The medicinal drug is used as a cervical compress.
- Decoctions of fennel seeds and / or parsley root are very useful. Preparing a home remedy is easy enough. For 50 grams of any of the herbal products you need to take a glass of boiling water. The healing broth is infused for 1-1, 5 hours, then used for internal or external use.
- Iodine-based rubbing alcohol and camphor oil. For 200 ml of 96% alcohol take 10 drops of iodine and the same amount of camphor oil. The medicinal product is mixed and used as a compress for the neck.
- An equally effective way to relieve pain is a mixture of 150 ml of vodka and 100 ml of natural honey.
- You can make a homemade recipe from grated potatoes and honey. Cooked in a "uniform" hot potatoes are ground with the addition of a tablespoon of honey. This lozenge should be applied to the inflamed area of the neck.
It is important to knowthat any compresses give a therapeutic effect only after 30-40 minutes.
The given examples from traditional medicine are suitable only in the initial stage of osteochondrosis. In case of worsening symptoms, such as herniation of the intervertebral cervical disc, the proposed prescriptions should be agreed with the attending physician. In addition, if there is an allergic dependence on certain treatment products, they should not be used.
Prevent pain
There is no single therapeutic and prophylactic effect against all types of pain in the cervical spine. It is possible to protect your body from various causal factors for the appearance of symptomatic manifestations, perhaps only in compliance with a healthy lifestyle (exclude alcohol, smoking, etc. ) and annual preventive examination by a therapist or specialist.