Various pain in the back or on the sides of the neck can occur suddenly and still cause considerable discomfort. Special vigilance should be provoked by constant painful sensations of an intense nature. Neck pain and upper back pain may also be accompanied by other clinical signs, such as heaviness in the back of the head, fatigue, fatigue, headache, limitation of movement.
If the pain syndrome persists for more than a week and the treatment undertaken does not bring the desired results, professional medical help should be sought. Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to quickly and effectively get rid of painful pain.
The reasons
Many people wonder why the neck hurts? As practical experience shows, there can be many reasons for this. Clarification of these questions should be treated exclusively by a specialist, since the correctness of treatment directly depends on it. The most common reasons why the back and side of the neck can hurt a lot and often:
- Pathology of the cervical spine (various injuries, bruises, displacements, intervertebral hernias, osteochondrosis, spondylarthrosis, etc. ).
- Myogelosis of the neck.
- Excellent physical activity.
- Being in an awkward position for a long time (for example, sleeping in a sitting position).
- Cervical sciatica.
- Muscle stretching (sudden movement of the head, improper exercise).
It has been established that even a trivial scoliosis can cause pain.
Pathology of the cervical spine
If the patient complains that his neck and upper back hurt very often and often, first of all, the pathology of the cervical spine should be excluded.
Special attention should be paid to osteochondrosis and spondylosis. Today, these are the two most common diseases of the spine apart from injuries and injuries which can cause severe pain and discomfort in the neck and upper shoulder girdle. Features of pain syndrome in degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the cervical spine:
- Pain is noted at rest, even when the patient tries not to move at all.
- Usually, it is quite difficult for them to choose a position in which they would not experience pronounced painful sensations.
- A limitation in the mobility of the cervical spine is almost always noted.
- Light pressure on the cervical vertebrae can lead to increased pain.
Cervical spine myogelosis
A pathological condition in which there is a painful compaction of muscle fibers associated with a violation of local blood circulation is called myogelosis. As a rule, the provoking factors are:
- Hypothermia and freezing.
- Current blast.
- Prolonged uncomfortable position.
- Physical fatigue (excessive stress).
Most experts believe that myogelosis should be considered a complication after an inflammatory process in the muscles. It should be noted that it manifests itself not only in pain, but also in problems with muscle relaxation, increased tone and limited mobility. In addition, the pain often extends to the upper back and shoulder girdle. By leaving myogelosis without treatment, you run the risk of worsening your 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 best to seek medical advice immediately.
Cervical sciatica
Pinching of the nerve roots that come out of the spinal cord at the cervical spine leads to sciatica. According to clinical practice, in the majority of cases, osteochondrosis is the cause of the development of this pathology. With sciatica, patients find that the neck hurts and burns so that it is simply impossible to touch it from behind or from the side. What is the clinical picture observed with damage to the cervical nerve roots that emerge from the spinal cord:
- Severe and constant injury to the neck, scapula, shoulder girdle.
- Painful sensations usually intensify with movement of the head, arms, and upper body.
- The neck muscles are too tight.
- There is a violation of sensitivity in the hands (numbness, tingling, etc. ).
- Weakness of the upper limbs.
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Increased fatigue.
Cramp
Despite the severity of the pain syndrome, muscle fatigue is considered one of the most benign and fairly quickly curable conditions, compared to other diseases that cause pain in the neck and upper back. Injury, poor physical performance, and increased stress can lead to muscle stretching. What complaints will patients express at the same time:
- Sharp pains in the neck, back of the head and upper shoulder girdle.
- Excessive muscle tension which limits the mobility of the head and cervical spine.
- The general condition suffers (physical discomfort, weakness, fatigue appears).
- The neck hurts when turning the head.
Diagnostic
Without finding out the specific cause of the appearance of pain in the cervical region, it is quite difficult to completely eliminate this pathological symptom. If we only eliminate the painful sensations, and not what causes them, we can only count on a temporary improvement in the condition. Modern diagnostic methods allow you to quickly reduce 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 corrective measures you can take to help reduce pain. If you associate the pain with injury or muscle fatigue, 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 prevent the development of a cold burn when touching ice, it is necessary to exclude direct contact with the skin. To do this, ice or very refrigerated items are placed in a plastic bag, additionally wrapped in a not too dense cloth and only then applied to the surface of the skin.
After two days, they switch to hot compresses. You can use a regular plastic hot water bottle or a rubber heating pad. The duration of application of the compress should not exceed 20 to 30 minutes. This procedure can be repeated every 2 hours. In addition, give sore muscles adequate rest. The first time after an injury or sprain, lie down more often, trying to relax the muscles in your neck. It relieves tension best when lying on your back. In the acute phase, it will be useful to limit yourself to various types of physical activity. Take a short break after exercising.
Remember that a very long rest contributes to weakening the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. Once you get back to your normal pace, it will be easy to get a new stretch of already weakened muscles. An alternation of measured 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 quickly help relieve neck pain of varying intensity. Nowadays, many of these medications can be purchased at pharmacies without a prescription from your doctor. However, it should be remembered that most of these drugs have a considerable number of side effects and contraindications. Therefore, any medication intake should be coordinated with a specialist. Most often, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as pain relievers.
Numerous clinical studies have shown that taking NSAIDs can cause a number of side effects. Most of the problems are associated with erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, quite often with pain syndrome there is a pronounced tension of the muscles of the neck. To relieve muscle spasms, it is recommended to use muscle relaxants.
Local therapy
Topical therapy has been shown to be beneficial in controlling pain in the neck and upper back. As a rule, all kinds of medicinal ointments, gels and creams are used that have a pronounced analgesic effect. Some types of drugs are very popular as external agents.
The analgesic mechanism of action is different and depends on the active ingredient that is part of the ointment, gel or cream. Only a qualified doctor can tell you which medicine is most suitable for you. With severe pain, bringing considerable discomfort, blockage of novocaine is sometimes prescribed. Medical compresses have also been shown 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 unsure of what to do when your neck and upper back are aching, it is best to see 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 in eliminating 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 set of basic physical exercises to relax and strengthen the cervical muscles:
- You can stand or sit. The main thing is to keep your back straight. The hands should be relaxed and lowered. Do 10 head tilts, first to one side, then to the other. Do the exercise at a calm pace without 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 make head movements backwards, imitating a duck. The number of repetitions is 10 times in each direction.
- Slow circular movement of the head. If painful sensations arise, we stop the exercise.
- We sit down on a chair. Place the palm of the hand on the forehead. We tilt our heads forward, while trying to resist with our palm. Exercise helps strengthen the anterior muscles of the neck. You can also place your palm on the left, right and back and tilt your head to the appropriate side.
- Stand straight. Relax your arms and place them at your sides. We bow our heads first to one side, while lifting our shoulder, and then to the other. The number of repetitions is 10 to 12 times.
After passing a brief briefing from a physiotherapist or other specialist, the therapeutic exercises and self-massage of the cervix area can be performed regularly and at home without any problems.
ethnoscience
It is difficult to dispute the fact that traditional medicine has long been firmly established in our life. However, if you are not sure about the origin of a particular folk remedy, it is not recommended to be used in treatment. Many physicians have more than once seen in their clinical practice serious consequences of the abuse of non-traditional methods of treatment. In some cases, it is allowed to use some folk remedies to get rid of pain, but only after consulting a doctor. Exclusively to get to know each other, we present several recipes of traditional medicine:
- You can apply an ordinary fresh cabbage leaf to the painful area. There is no time limit. Compresses made from cabbage leaves also have a good effect.
- Rub the honey. The massaging honey is rubbed on the place of the neck where the patient experiences the greatest pain.
- Mustard-salt compress. To cook you need a kilogram of table salt, a spoonful of mustard powder and 100 ml of water. Pour all the ingredients into the saucepan and heat for 5 minutes. Then the mixture is poured into a cloth bag that we place on the painful area of the neck. To enhance the effect, you can wrap a warm cloth around your neck (for example, a scarf).
Prophylaxis
In many cases, the appearance of rather unpleasant pain in the neck can be avoided. To do this, it is necessary to avoid various types of injuries, muscle tension and intense physical exertion. Freezing or overcooling is strongly discouraged. It is also recommended to practice active sports, but not at the expense of your health. Do not start chronic diseases, in particular degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Get a full medical exam at least once a year.