Various pains in the back or side of the neck can appear suddenly and always cause significant discomfort. Particular vigilance must be caused by constant intense pain. Neck pain and upper back pain may be accompanied by other clinical signs, such as heaviness in the back of the head, fatigue, tiredness, headache, restricted movement.
If the pain syndrome lasts for more than a week and the treatment does not lead to the desired results, professional medical help should be sought. Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to quickly and effectively get rid of the painful illness.
The reasons
A lot of people wonder why a neck hurts? As practical experience shows, the reasons for this can be many. Clarification of such issues should be dealt with exclusively by a specialist, as the correctness of treatment directly depends on it. The most common reasons why the back and sides of the neck can hurt very severely and often:
- Pathology of the cervical spine (various injuries, bruises, dislocations, intervertebral hernias, osteochondrosis, spondyloarthritis, etc. ).
- Myogelosis of the neck.
- Great physical activity.
- Being in an awkward position for a long time (for example, sleeping in a sitting position).
- Cervical sciatica.
- Stretching the muscles (sudden movement of the head, improper exercise).
It has been found that even trivial scoliosis can cause pain.
Pathology of the cervical spine
If the patient complains that the neck and upper back hurt quite severely and often, it is first necessary to exclude the pathology of the cervical spine.
Particular 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 the 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 do not experience pronounced painful sensations.
- Restriction of mobility in the cervical vertebrae is almost always noted.
- Light pressure on the cervical spine can lead to increased pain.
Myogelosis of the cervical spine
A pathological condition in which there is a painful thickening of muscle fibers associated with a violation of local blood circulation is called myogelosis. As a rule, the provoking factors are:
- Hypothermia and frostbite.
- Blowing current.
- Prolonged awkward 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 with pain, but also problems with muscle relaxation, increased tone and limited mobility. In addition, the pain often extends to the upper back and shoulder girdle. Leaving myogelosis untreated puts you at risk of deteriorating your health, as the disease is prone to progression and chronic progression.
If you do not know the real reason why your neck hurts, it is better to consult a specialist immediately.
Cervical sciatica
Pinching of the nerve roots that exit the spinal cord at the level of the cervical vertebrae leads to sciatica. According to clinical practice, in the vast majority of cases, osteochondrosis is the reason for the development of this pathology. In sciatica, patients notice that the neck hurts and burns, so it is simply impossible to touch the back or side. What is the clinical picture observed in damage to the roots of the cervical nerve that come out of the spinal cord:
- Severe and constant pain in the neck, shoulder blade, shoulder girdle.
- Painful sensations are usually intensified by movements of the head, arms, upper body.
- The neck muscles are too tense.
- There is a violation of sensitivity in the hands (tingling, numbness, etc. ).
- Weakness in the upper limbs.
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Increased fatigue.
Scream
Despite the severity of the pain syndrome, muscle strain is considered one of the mildest pathologies and quite 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:
- Acute pain in the neck, nape and upper shoulder girdle.
- Excessive muscle tension, which limits the mobility of the head and cervical spine.
- The general condition suffers (there is physical discomfort, weakness, fatigue).
- The neck hurts when you turn your head.
Diagnosis
Without establishing the specific cause of cervical pain, it is quite difficult to completely eliminate this pathological symptom. If we remove only the painful sensations and not what causes them, then we can only count on a temporary improvement in the condition. Modern diagnostic methods allow you to quickly narrow the circle of possible causes of neck pain in the back, sides or on both sides. As a rule, the following instrumental studies are used:
- Standard X-ray examination.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Electrocardiography.
- Electromyography.
- Magnetic resonance.
Treatment
What to do if your neck hurts? Even at home, there are a few healing steps you can take to reduce the pain. If you associate pain with injury or muscle strain, 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 cold burns from touching ice, it is necessary to exclude direct contact with the skin. For this purpose, ice or very cooled objects are placed in a plastic bag, additionally wrapped in a not too thick cloth and only then applied to the skin surface.
After two days they switch to warm compresses. You can use an ordinary plastic hot water bottle or a rubber heating pad. 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 affected muscles adequate rest. The first time after an injury or sprain, go to bed more often, trying to relax the muscles in your neck. It best relieves tension when lying on your back. In the acute stage it will be useful to limit yourself to different types of physical activity. Take a short break from exercise.
Remember that a very long rest helps to weaken the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. Once you return to a normal rhythm, it will be easy to get a new stretch of already weakened muscles. The alternation of dosed physical activity and good rest is considered optimal, but only in the absence of severe pain. The traditional pain management is as follows:
- Drug therapy.
- Local treatment.
- Physiotherapeutic 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 medicines can be bought 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 should be agreed with a specialist. Most commonly, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as painkillers.
Numerous clinical studies have shown that taking NSAIDs can provoke a number of side effects. Most of the problems are related to erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, quite often, along with the pain syndrome, there is a pronounced tension in the muscles of the neck. The use of muscle relaxants is recommended to relieve muscle spasm.
Local therapy
Topical therapy has been shown to be helpful in controlling neck and upper back pain. As a rule, all types of healing ointments, gels and creams are used, which have a pronounced analgesic effect. Some types of drugs are very popular as external agents.
The mechanism of analgesic action is different and depends on the active ingredient, which is part of the ointment, gel or cream. Only a qualified doctor can tell you which medicine is best for your case. In case of intense pain with significant discomfort, novocaine blockade is sometimes prescribed. Medical compresses have also proven 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 your neck and upper back hurt, it is best to consult a specialist first.
Physiotherapy
In most cases, physiotherapy 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 stage has passed. Severe pain syndrome is considered a contraindication to exercise and massage. Example of a basic set of exercises to relax and strengthen the neck muscles:
- You can stand or sit. The main thing is to keep your back straight. The arms should be relaxed and lowered. Perform 10 head tilts, first on one side and then on the other. Do the exercise at a leisurely 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 perform movements of the head back and forth, imitating a duck. The number of repetitions is 10 times in each direction.
- Slow circular movement of the head. If painful sensations occur, we stop the exercise.
- We sit on a chair. Place your palm on your forehead. We tilt our head forward as we try to resist with our palm. Exercise helps strengthen the front 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 up straight. Relax your arms and place them on your body. We tilt our head first to one side while lifting our shoulder, then to the other. The number of repetitions is 10-12 times.
After a short briefing by a physiotherapist or other specialist, therapeutic exercises and self-massage of the collar can be done regularly and at home without any problems.
ethnoscience
It is difficult to argue with the fact that traditional medicine has long been firmly established in our lives. However, if you are not sure what a folk remedy is, it is not recommended to use it in treatment. Many physicians have seen serious consequences of abusing non-traditional treatments more than once in their clinical practice. In some cases it is allowed to use certain folk remedies to relieve pain, but only after consulting a doctor. Exclusively for acquaintance we present you several recipes from traditional medicine:
- You can apply a regular leaf of fresh cabbage on the sore spot. There are no time limits. Compresses made from cabbage leaves also have a good effect.
- Rubbing honey. The massage honey is rubbed into the place of the neck where the patient feels the greatest pain.
- Mustard and salt compress. For cooking you need a kilogram of salt, a spoonful of mustard powder and 100 ml of water. Pour all ingredients into the pan and heat for 5 minutes. The mixture is then poured into a tissue bag, which we place on the painful area of the neck. To enhance the effect, you can wrap a warm towel around your neck (such as a scarf).
Prevention
In many cases, the appearance of quite unpleasant neck pain can be prevented. For this purpose, it is necessary to avoid various types of injuries, muscle strains and heavy physical exertion. It is highly undesirable to freeze or overcool. 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 pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Have a comprehensive medical examination at least once a year.