Why does the neck hurt and how to eliminate pain?

Pain in the neck muscles can be associated with various deviations.The fundamental cause can be both diseases of the musculoskeletal system and violations in the work of the internal organs.

The relief of pain syndrome does not solve the problem: diagnosed pathologies must be adequate in accordance with the adequate course of the treatment.

Possible causes of neck pain

Numerous reasons are known that explain the appearance of pain in the neck.The source can be the diseases of the musculoskeletal system, compromised blood circulation in the neck, vascular disease.

One of the most common causes of pain is the pathology of the spine.The neck can also damage due to pathologies of internal organs, infectious and viral processes.

Osteochondrosis

With osteochondrosis of the cervical column, the neck hurts due to thinning and deformation of vertebral discs.These disorders lead to the formation of Microcack on the vertebrae, which causes the growth of osteophytes and the appearance of an hernia.Pathological formations have a traumatic effect on the surrounding tissues and nerve terms, causing an inflammatory process.

With osteochondrosis of the cervical column, pain syndrome is located in the back of the neck.When turning the neck, serious discomfort and the creak are added to the pain.

The pain intensifies with head turns or sudden movements, coughing or sneezing.As the osteochondrosis develops, the pain spreads and reaches the areas of the shoulder and the forearm.

The particularly serious pain becomes in the morning.There is also a rigidity of the movements, the patient is not literally able to turn the head to the side.

Gradually, the pain becomes less pronounced, transformed from acute to stupid.

The acute attacks of pain in the osteochondrosis of the cervical column are compared with a shock: they are so shots and piercings.

In addition, with the indicated disease, the following symptoms are observed:

• weakness of the hands;
• heachache;
• fainting;
• dizziness;
• noise and ringing in the ears;
• a sense of disorientation;
• insomnia;
• Emotional instability.

Myosite's neck

The cervical myosite is inflammation of the neck muscles.The main symptom of this deviation is the intensive pain that can decrease or increase.The patient cannot turn his head, tilt him forward or throw it back.

Very often, the pain in the myosite extends only on one side of the neck, but sometimes both can affect both at the same time.The pain is characterized by irradiation to the upper body.

In addition, with the inflammatory process of the neck muscles, gravity is felt in the neck, the forms of swelling in the vertebrae.Pain in the head area can occur, which gives the back of the head or temple.There are also difficulties in chewing and swallowing food.

As the pathological process develops, the temperature increases, a cough occurs, suffocation attacks.

Ernia of the cervical spine

This pathology is the result of the progression of osteochondrosis.It is very dangerous: in the cervical region there is a large number of nerve endings of the spinal cord.In addition, there are centers that are responsible for the flow of oxygen in the lungs.That's why with the hernias there are attacks of headaches, dizziness, suffocation.

With a strong protrusion of an hernia, a person can suffocate.

If the hernia hit the records in the space between the first and the fourth vertebra, the pains are in the short term, they are sudden.With damage to the discs after the fourth vertebra, the pain is located in the shoulder area, after the sixth - from the shoulder joint to the fingers of the upper limbs.

In addition to the patient's neck pain, the patient is observed:

• A feeling of weakness in the hands, their numbness;
• decrease in head mobility;
• migraine;
• dizziness;
• Violation of visual acuity.

With the progression of the disease, the coordination of the movements is disturbed, a person becomes less stable.

Spondylartosis

With the arthrosis spondy of the cervical column, inflammation of the faceted joints is observed, due to which their structure is disturbed.In this case, the joints experience an increase in the load and are damaged, which leads to the formation of osteophytes: bone growth that exert pressure on the vessels and nerve roots.

With the arthrosis of the neck, short -term pains occur in this area, which are given to their hands, cloud and shoulder blades.Sensitivity in the neck also decreases, its mobility after sleep is limited.In addition, patients notice the dizziness and the flicker of the flies before their eyes.

The nature of the pain depends on the stadium of osteoarthritis spondyl:

1. Firstly, it is practically absent: only with prolonged loads does a feeling of discomfort occurs.
2. In the second phase, acute pain is observed in the morning.
3. On the third person he feels burning ongoing pain.
4. In the fourth phase, the mobility of the affected joints is violated and, over time, on condition that there are no adequate treatment, they are completely immobilized.

As the pathological process develops, further symptoms appear: noise in the ears, numbness of cervical and shoulder areas, changes in the level of blood pressure and violation of the coordination of movements.

Bekhterev disease (ankylosing spondylitis)

Bekhterev's disease is a chronic inflammatory process of the spine, which applies to the joints and ligaments.With this disease, the inflammatory process initially affects the place of connection of the sacrum and iliac bones, therefore it slowly spreads to the upper parts, exposing the entire spinal column to degenerative changes.

Sometimes the process of development of the pathological process begins with the neck, i.e. with the cervical radicalitis.In this case, the patient feels a strong abandonment from the neck in his hand.

With ankylosing spondylitis, the rigidity of the spinal column is observed, limiting the mobility of the chest and the loss of flexibility with the spine.The spinal column is curved in the thoracic and lumbar region.In this case, the "layer of the speaker" is observed.

The disease progresses slowly, so for a long time it remains unnoticed.

Cervical tuberculosis

The tuberculosis of the spinal column can affect any of its departments, while the cervical to the slightest degree is subject to this disease.However, this pathology is still found (in 5% of cases).

The symptoms in this case are:

• Strong and constant pain in the muscles of the neck;
• the swelling of the affected area, constantly increasing size;
• sore throat;
• cough;
• Difficult to swallow.

Pain syndrome with tuberculosis of the cervical column is very strong.The patient tries not to make movements of his head, since this causes him great suffering.In this case, all muscles hurt, including deep muscle layers.

Cancer neoplasms of the Cervical Department

Tumors in the cervical column occur in a quite rarely, but metastases from tumors often penetrate in this area, which are found in the kidneys, mammary glands.

With neck tumors, the patient experiences pronounced pains that become more intense as the pathological process advances.

In addition, symptoms such as:

• weakness in the muscles;
• Muscle cramps;
• numbness;
• heachache;
• dizziness;
• Difficulty with swallowing;
• insomnia;
• Commercial states that turn into fainting;
• Abundant compartment of cold sweat.

The tumors located at the top in the neck influence the brain.This causes the appearance of neurological symptoms that have been mentioned in the list.

Meningitis

The neck muscles often hurt in case of meningitis.This is an inflammatory process that affects brain shells or spinal cord.In this case, a spasm of the muscle fibers of the occipital part of the head occurs.

With meningitis, a person feels boring pain in his neck, he cannot lie on his back in the usual position.

Furthermore, with meningitis, these characteristics arise:

• Constant headaches in which there is a sensation of the bursting of the cranial box from the inside;
• convulsions of the upper and lower limbs;
• hallucinations;
• not motivated aggression;
• increase in body temperature;
• nausea and vomiting;
• the impossibility of the perception of a brilliant color;
• Violation of consciousness.

Thyroid diseases

The dysfunctions of the thyroid gland affect the patient's general well -being and cause a series of characteristic symptoms.

This part of the endocrine system is located in the gorge area, therefore its inflammation or injury of another nature causes neck pain.A similar symptom occurs with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, development of a thyroid goiter.The occurrence of pain is due to an increase in the size of the gland, as well as hormonal disorders in the body.

With these diseases, the pain is of true regular character and is located in the front of the neck.Pain can be given to the occipital area, an ears area.The tingling can also be observed periodically.

Further symptoms:

• feeling of heat;
• increase in sweating;
• Heart Heartbeat;
• drowsiness.

Neuralgia

The neuralgia of the cervical column is a violation of the nerve roots associated with a violation of the structure of the intervertebral disc.

Cervical neuralgia is accompanied by these symptoms:

• The pain in the neck, which occurs unexpectedly, when turning the head, touching the site next to the occipital nerve.In the initial phase of the development of the pathology, the pain is located in the lower part of the neck, in the back of the head and then extends to the eye area.The nature of pain are acute painful sensations that recall an electric shock.
• Increase in photosensitivity.
• The pain of the skin of the head.
• Unilateral headache that are constant pains.
• Blood pressure.
• Heat, chills.
• Trembling hands.

Neck pain can be due to high emotional stress, increased physical effort.

Which doctor to contact?

The appearance of regular pain in the neck, which have a pronounced character and radiates towards the individual areas of the body, is an opportunity to see a doctor.

First of all, you should visit the therapist, who, after analyzing the main symptoms, will determine which specialist will require in a particular case.

The establishment of causes that have caused neck pain, as well as the treatment of pathologies in which it occurs, is engaged in so specialized specialists:

• Neurologist.This specialist is engaged in diseases where the cervical nerve or damage to the spinal cord have occurred.The neurologist is engaged in cases where neck pain is accompanied by migraines, dizziness and convulsions.
• Traumatologist.The doctor is engaged in cases where the pain has been caused by injuries.
• Vertebrologist.The specialist regulates the patient's conditions in case of compromised functionality of the intervertebral musculoskeletal system, spondylitis.
• Orthopedic.Consult this doctor with pathologies such as thinning cartilage, scoliosis, osteoporosis.
• Osteopath.This specialist is dealing with patients suffering from degenerative changes in the joints and vertebrae.The osteopath treats osteochondrosis, is engaged in the correction of the patient's posture.
• Rheumatologist.The doctor is engaged in cases of damage to muscle and bone tissue - rheumatism, arthritis.

In addition to these experts, the help of a manual therapist, physiotherapist, a masseur can be requested.

Diagnostic methods

With pain in the neck muscles, these diagnostic measures are prescribed as:

• Collection of anamnesis;
• visual inspection;
• Check the sensitivity of the affected area, as well as its mobility;
• Blood and urine tests;
• X -ray examination of the cervical column;
• MRI;
• Ct;
• Electromyography.

Based on the results of the diagnosis, the specialist determines the cause of pain in the neck and prescribes adequate treatment.

What to do if the neck hurts: it approaches the treatment

A specific disease is treated based on a certain scheme.It all depends on the main cause of pain syndrome, but we can distinguish the main approaches to eliminate unpleasant sensations.

Drug therapy

Often neck pain becomes very intense.To suppress his gravity, drugs are prescribed to the patient.In this case, the following drugs are suitable:

• Anti -inflammatory drugs in the form of tablets;
• Musorelaxants - painkillers that relieve spasm;
• Analgesics used for the exacerbation of diseases.

In diseases that cause neck pain and triggering cartilage and bone tissue processes, chondroprotectors - drugs that positively influence the processes of its restoration and also have an anesthetic effect.

In addition, patients with neck pain are shown drugs that normalize metabolic processes in the fabrics concerned.

Physiotherapy

If the neck muscles hurt due to degenerative processes of the spine, these physiotherapy procedures are prescribed:

• Diadinamotherapy- impact on the areas concerned with double current waves;
• bathing- measures relating to water procedures;
• electrotherapy- exposure to electric current in the areas concerned;
• Magnetotherapy- exposure to magnetic fields on sore sections of the cervical region;
• Laser therapy- Laser exposure.

The physiotherapy procedures are not performed in the event of serious general conditions of the patient, during the period of exacerbation of the osteocondrosis, with mental disorders, compromise integrity of the skin instead of the alleged effect.

The auxiliary treatment methods listed not only contribute to a decrease in the intensity of pain, but also to strengthening immunity, restore the circulation of complete blood in the areas concerned and reduce the severity of the ailments of the musculoskeletal system.

Massage

In case of pain, located in the neck, it can also be included in the complex therapy of the massage procedure.They are performed by a specialist, since the wrong approach can cause further damage to bone and muscle structures.

The neck massage, which relaxes the muscles, is performed in a sitting or lying position.The effect is exercised on the trapezoid muscles that support the cervical vertebrae.

Initially, the specialist produces light movements from top to bottom.After heating techniques, the area of special processes is rubbed.Subsequently, rubbing the rear surface of the neck, vibrational exposure.

The massage session lasts from 3 to 10 minutes.

Surgery

Operation with neck pain can be requested if there are such pathologies:

• Ernia of the intervertebral disc;
• compression of the spinal roots or radicolopathy;
• Compression of the spinal cord or myelopathy.

The operation on the cervical column aims to remove the vertebrae sections that have a traumatic effect on the spinal cord.

Currently, classic operations that require a long period of rehabilitation are replacing less invasive methods:

• Endoscopy, in which the intervention is performed through a drilling;
• Microchirurgical operations that allow you to remove hernias without damaging the surrounding tissues of the spinal cord.

Popular remedies

In case of pain in the neck, you can try to calm it alone with the help of popular remedies.The most effective are:

• Compresses with horseradish.The horseradish sheet must be rinsed with boiling water, leave to cool to a comfortable temperature, attach it to the neck.Wrap the scarf at the top.You have to apply the picture before bedtime and leave it all night.If there is a strong burning sensation, you need to remove the system and rinse the skin with hot water.
• Compressed with laurel oil.10 drops of oil must be diluted in 1 liter of hot water.Dip the fabric in the liquid and attach it around the neck for 20-30 minutes.
• Lubrication of the area concerned with honey.After applying it, it is necessary to firmly press the place elaborated with the palms of the hands and then tear it abruptly.Repeat until honey is completely absorbed.

General recommendations

In diseases that cause severe pain in the cervical column, it is necessary to pay attention to the following recommendations:

• It is necessary to correctly keep the posture both when sitting and when walking.
• When pain in the cervical region appears during physical effort, it is worth stopping implementation, letting the muscles relax.In the future, the degree of load should be revised from which the neck area is subject.
• It is necessary to pay regular time to physical effort, at least not too intense.For the health of the spine, swimming, yoga are useful.
• It is recommended to give preference to a backpack, not to a bag: it gives a uniform load on the left and right parts of the body.
• It is useful to take a contrast shower.The alternation of temperatures positively affects blood circulation, does not allow blood and the sap of sting.

The same recommendations can be used as prevention.

The neck muscles can hurt due to various pathologies of the spinal column, a slightly less painful syndrome is due to pathologies of internal organs.The treatment regime depends on the reason diagnosed by a doctor after a complete examination.