Neck pain is a common symptom that everyone experiences at least once in their life. It can indicate a disease of internal organs, strain of muscles and ligaments, or occur against the background of hypothermia. If your neck hurts, you should see a doctor. Only after examination and other diagnostic measures can the cause of the disease be determined and the correct treatment chosen.
Neck pain can happen for many different reasons. If your neck hurts, you need to see a doctor
Why do adults have neck pain?
Neck pain is divided into two categories:
- cervical pain - a contraction that occurs in one place, is characterized by a gradual course and of varying degrees;
- cervicago - manifests as sudden pain with sudden head movements or in a prolonged position.
Doctors identify the following causes of neck pain:
- Cervical fibroids. The disease develops with a sedentary lifestyle and an unreasonable diet. The patient complains of back pain in the neck and head, ringing in the ears and dizziness, difficulty turning the neck, and a crunching sound.
- Disc. With such a pathology, the left neck hurts, the disc protrudes out, causing low back pain. Hernias can be cured with vacuum therapy and acupressure.
- Trouble. After intense physical exertion, a person may experience acute pain in the neck. The affected area swells, the head cannot be turned, the risk of fainting increases. To ease the condition, the patient is injected with anesthetic, applied hot or cold, and massaged the stretch marks.
- Degeneration of cervical vertebrae. A dangerous disease that often leads to disability. It is often diagnosed in injured athletes or in the elderly. They complain of constant pain in the neck and back of the head, and discomfort when turning the head. To reduce inflammation and pain, it is necessary to use drugs, physical therapy combined with physical therapy exercises to restore working capacity.
- Cervical myelopathy. It develops after the spinal canal narrows. the person feels weakness and pain in the neck. His speech slows down and his coordination of movements is impaired. The cause of the disease can be due to a traffic accident or a fall from a height. Patients are advised to do physical therapy, wear a soft neck, and perform strength-building exercises.
- Whip injury. Occurs after a fall, accident, or fight. It is accompanied by a sharp pain in any area of the neck. With whiplash trauma, the ligaments are damaged, resulting in loss of cervical position and protrusion of the head. Treatment can last from 1 month to six months.
- Injury to the cervical spine. A person notices that his neck is constantly sore and hematomas appear. In this case, it is necessary to wear a special necklace for 3 to 6 months.
- Infectious Diseases. Skin infections cause acute pain and inflammation. With rubella or pharyngitis, the lymph nodes in the neck are enlarged and painful.
- Diseases of internal organs. If the pain syndrome occurs in the right hypochondrium, and the neck is painful on the right side, the cause may be cholecystitis. If the neck is sore and gives off whiskey in the morning, this is a symptom of high blood pressure. During angina and heart attack, neck and arm pain. Neck cramps and pain in the front can signal an esophageal and thyroid disorder. Nerve damage is observed in cases of poisoning with toxic substances. With severe pain in the cervical spine, a spike in blood pressure is possible. If the right neck is painful and cannot be moved, these are signs of meningitis. With laryngitis and pharyngitis, the pain may be localized to both the right and left side.
Usually, neck pain after sleeping is caused by an uncomfortable body position or a hard pillow.
Frequent stress and psycho-emotional stress can cause neck and back discomfort. Pain and tingling in the neck and shoulders will require an injection or anesthetic.
If the neck is painful under the jaw, this could be a sign of a fracture, osteomyelitis, or temporomandibular joint dysfunction. When the mandible is broken, the patient feels a strong pain syndrome, the soft tissues in the face swell, pain or cannot eat. Osteomyelitis is accompanied by an infectious and inflammatory process, fever, headache and chills.
Causes of neck pain in children
In children, neck pain can occur due to the following reasons:
- Overworked muscles or sprained sports.
- Pain after a fall or car accident.
- An uncomfortable position when sleeping or sitting at a computer.
- Meningitis: accompanied by increased excitability, headache, fever, photosensitivity, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting. If left untreated, the disease can lead to serious complications and death.
- Lyme disease. The disease is often spread through tick bites, so it's important to check your neck for signs of a bite when outdoors.
Pain relievers are prescribed to treat neck pain and inflammation in children. Placing a heating pad on your neck for 20 minutes will help relieve muscle spasms. In addition, sleeping babies should wrap a towel around their neck or a padded collar to avoid frequent head movements.
Diagnose
To determine why your neck muscles are sore, your doctor will do a palpation exam, then will use additional testing methods:
- X-ray;
- myelography;
- neurological examination of reflexes and sensitivity;
- computed tomography of the spine;
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- nuclear effect.
If you suspect osteomyelitis of the jaw, you will need to consult an otolaryngologist and dentist. In addition to X-rays, the patient must undergo blood tests to determine the source of the infection.
Medicines for treatment
When the neck is in severe pain due to osteonecrosis, the doctor will prescribe complex therapy, which includes a special diet, exercises, drugs and preventive measures. To relieve pain and treat disease, the following groups of drugs are used:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Antispasmodics.
- Antioxidants: ascorbic acid, vitamins E and N.
- Means to improve blood circulation.
- Preparations for the prevention of degenerative changes in cartilage tissue.
Medicines can be used in many different forms. In acute complications, nerve blockade will be required. There are several types of blockages: internal, vertebral, mass, and epidural. All of them help reduce hypertonia syndrome.
In combination with drugs, it is useful to carry out physiotherapeutic procedures. They reduce pain and increase the therapeutic effect of drugs. The most effective procedures are considered magnetic therapy, laser therapy, and low-frequency current therapy. To correct posture and strengthen the ligamentous apparatus, kinesthetic and physiotherapeutic exercises are prescribed. If you regularly perform exercises, the metabolism will be normal, the position of the vertebrae and discs is restored, the load is evenly distributed in the musculoskeletal system.
The principle of the osteosarcoma diet is to supplement the diet with foods that contain large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants to improve metabolism. Meals should be divided, up to 6 times a day.
The following products should be included in the menu:
- lean meat and fish;
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- milk and fermented milk products;
- cereals;
- nuts;
- Seeds;
- mushroom;
- olive oil.
It is recommended to steam, boil or bake dishes. You should also limit your consumption of flour products, condiments, smoked meats, canned goods, saturated meat broths, candies and high-sugar fruits.
Important!Strong black tea should be replaced with herbal decoctions, unsweetened fruit drinks and dried fruit. Completely limit alcohol and carbonated drinks.
The constant pain makes the patient irritable, so the doctor prescribes sedatives and anti-depressants. If your left neck is painful, you can relieve the symptoms by applying a warm compress or wrapping a towel around your neck.
For cervical myelopathy, decongestants and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. If the nerve endings are compressed, then steroid hormone injections will be required. When an infectious agent is detected in the body, antibiotics are introduced into the course of treatment.
Note!In ischemic cervical myelopathy, neuroprotective agents and vasodilators are effective.
If the patient is diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors will be prescribed. For severe pain, use pain relievers, for severe muscle spasms, use muscle relaxants. Manual therapy and gentle massage are also indicated. With acute pain syndrome, the affected areas should be blocked off. In combination with the drug, it is useful to perform physiotherapeutic procedures - electrophoresis with novocaine, ultrasound therapy and special complex physiotherapeutic exercises.
Complications
If the neck is painful due to osteonecrosis, improper or untreated treatment can lead to serious complications:
- disc herniation;
- kyphosis;
- disc protrusion;
- pulpitis;
- salt deposits in the spine;
- spinal stroke;
- circulatory disorders;
- muscular atrophy;
- paralysis of the lower extremities.
Preventive
To prevent neck pain, it is necessary to adhere to a few principles:
- Avoid hypothermia.
- Stop smoking.
- Right weight.
- Do physical therapy exercises every day.
- Take a contrast bath.
- Swimming pool tour.
- Do not lift weights.
- Monitor your posture.
- Warm your neck in the cold season.
- If you stay in a static position for a long time, take breaks every 50 minutes and restore blood circulation with a warm-up.
- Choose mattresses and orthopedic pillows for sleeping.
- Wear comfortable shoes to reduce stress on the spine.
- Walk barefoot on uneven surfaces in the summer to strengthen the muscles of the feet and relieve stress from the musculoskeletal system.
- Follow a proper diet.
- Take massage courses.
- Learn methods of relaxation with increased anxiety and emotions.