Neck pain is an unpleasant problem that can significantly ruin your mood and quality of life.The symptom occurs in 30-40% of the population and can cause loss of movement and disability.
Depending on the causes, treatment methods also differ.Early diagnosis and quality treatment, started after discovering the problem, will help you forget about this unpleasant symptom.
Why does your neck hurt?
The etiopathogenesis (development mechanism) of pain is divided into three main groups:
- somatogenic.This includes pain due to injury and inflammation, ischemic processes and mechanical tissue damage.
- neurogenic.It occurs when the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous system is altered.
- psychogenic.In this case, psychological and social factors influence.Emotional activity can trigger a reflex muscle contraction, causing pain.
The pain can be acute or chronic.If your neck hurts a lot, it is most likely a normal reaction to an injury.For the pain to stop, it is necessary to wait until the tissues have completely healed or accelerate this process.Chronic pain has a different development mechanism: damage occurs constantly and maladaptation occurs.The body alone cannot cope with the damaging factor.
The causes of pain are divided into two main groups: vertebrogenic (those associated with the spine) and non-vertebrogenic.They can develop by both somatogenic and neuropathic mechanisms.In the first case, the structures of the spine and muscles are involved in the process, and in the second, the roots of the spinal nerves and peripheral nerve endings.The psychogenic mechanism comes into play a little later and aggravates the current situation.
Vertebrogenic neck pain can be divided into the following subtypes:
- myogenic.Pain occurs when muscles are stretched or squeezed.Additionally, the cause may be a prolonged contraction of muscle fibers.
- arthrogenic.The damage occurs in the joints that connect the vertebrae.The distance between the structural elements of the spine decreases, constant mutual damage occurs, which causes pain.
- discogenic.It occurs when the discs bulge, shift, and herniate.
- spondylogenic.The cause of pain in this case is damage to the structures of the vertebra, its tissues or processes.It can be a destructive process or a voluminous neoplasm influenced from the outside.
- neuropathic.The neck hurts due to compression of a nerve root or ending.The reasons may be a bulky neoplasm, hernia, or hypertrophy of individual structures.
Non-vertebrogenic neck pain is divided into:
- myofascial syndrome;
- pain caused by psychological factors;
- irradiation of pain during a pathological process to other parts of the body;
- Symptoms of inflammatory processes.
Below we will discuss the individual causes of pain, but for now, familiarize yourself with the risk factors that can cause this symptom:
- incorrect position when working;
- lack of anatomical position of the spine during sleep;
- low level of physical activity;
- too much tension in the spine;
- overweight;
- lack of a rational approach to nutrition;
- altered drinking regimen;
- frequent stress;
- bad habits (drinking alcohol, nicotine).
Causes of neck pain
Let's consider the main causes of pain and the mechanism of development of symptoms in these conditions.
osteochondrosis
With this pathology, the connections between the joints of the spine are altered, a protrusion of the disc occurs and hernias form.The condition occurs in those who have a hereditary predisposition and do not take care of their posture, nutrition and lifestyle.In addition to neck pain, a person feels general weakness and tinnitus.Fainting and alterations in consciousness occur.Pain may occur in the arms, the back of the head, and the area between the shoulder blades.The joints may creak when you turn your head and numbness may be felt.
The pain associated with this disease is chronic and painful.It can reach such intensity that it is difficult to fall asleep.In the early stages, the process can be easily corrected, but the more the pathology progresses, the more difficult it is to correct.
Osteoarthritis of the cervical spine
The disease is destructive in nature: the intervertebral joints are destroyed, their structure is disturbed, and excessive growth of bone tissue occurs.The neck may hurt on one side, the pain also radiates to the upper extremities and chest.
Infringement of blood vessels and nerve endings causes hearing and vision problems, the person becomes more tired, experiences memory loss and distraction.Lack of effective treatment can lead to complications and disability.
herniated discs
The pathology begins with a bulging of the disc contents and then goes beyond its normal anatomical position.Even a slight displacement can manifest itself as a pronounced symptom.The spinal canal is narrow and all the nerve roots are very close to each other.As soon as a hernia begins to appear, the neck and back hurt.If the patient tries to eliminate the pain with conventional analgesics, the symptom disappears, but the problem persists and, over time, is remembered again.
Neck muscle strain
Almost everyone has encountered this problem: prolonged tension in the cervical spine or intense training after a while is reflected in severe muscle pain.The pain is sharp and often begins to bother after sleeping.Swelling and swelling are noted on the injured side of the neck.It becomes difficult to turn the head, the patient tries to give his head the most comfortable position so as not to feel pain.The pain will disappear on its own, you just have to give the damaged area some rest.To alleviate the situation, consult a doctor: he may recommend a compress or ointment with an analgesic.
spondylosis
The disease is a complication of osteochondrosis that cannot be treated.The disease is serious and can cause a limitation in a person's physical activity.In addition to osteochondrosis, spondylosis can be caused by trauma.The patient constantly feels pain, it can move to the back of the head and neck area.Sometimes the neck hurts in a throbbing manner, accompanied by stiffness and difficulty turning the head.
To eliminate the disease, a complex treatment is required that combines the influence on the cause and individual symptoms of the disease.
Cervical myelopathy
In this case the patient has neck pain due to the narrowing of the spinal canal.To recognize the pathology in time, it is necessary to pay attention to the following symptoms: the patient feels weakness, numbness and tingling in the extremities.The condition is accompanied by disturbances in speech, coordination and balance.The gait becomes unstable, the position of the body in space is altered.If you have recently suffered injuries, falls, or traffic accidents, it is most likely myelopathy.
whiplash
In this case, the neck hurts as a result of damage to the soft tissues.The mechanism of appearance is a strong flexion and subsequent extension.The patient usually feels pain after a fall or fight.An injury can be recognized by the following sign: the head protrudes slightly forward and the physiological curves of the cervical spine are disturbed.
Trauma
The causes of injuries are impacts, accidents and failed diving.The patient feels pain in the neck and neck.Motor activity is severely limited, soft tissues swell, bruises and bruises appear.
infectious diseases
The inflammatory response, which is a response to an infectious disease, causes acute pain.The development mechanism is the enlargement of lymph nodes.lymphatic vessels that put pressure on the muscles and cause spasms.This condition is seen with sore throat and rubella.
An infectious disease whose main symptom is neck pain is meningitis.The pathology is accompanied by tension in the muscles of the back of the head, the patient cannot bend his head and is in an abnormally extended position.
Diseases of internal organs.
Some conditions of the internal organs can cause pain that radiates to the neck.This is facilitated by the peculiarities of innervation and reflex mechanisms.Then, pain in the gallbladder, esophagus, and heart can radiate to the neck.Additionally, pain is observed in pathologies of the thyroid gland, larynx and pharynx.
Some of the pathologies can occur normally and are easily treatable.But sometimes the neck hurts due to serious pathologies that require emergency care.
Other reasons
The neck may hurt after the patient has been in a draft or has been very cold.This causes muscle spasms, which are accompanied by pain.It also happens that a person simply "lies down" while sleeping in an uncomfortable position.After prolonged work, stress or intense training, this symptom may also appear.
Types of neck pain
This symptom can be divided into the following subtypes:
- cervicago.This is acute pain and limitation of movement, which is also known as “cervical lumbago.”
- cervicalgia.Neck pain due to diseases of internal organs, spine and other causes.You can divide the pain based on the cause, as described above.Furthermore, the type of pain depends on its nature: acute or chronic.
There is a special commission to study neck pain.He suggested identifying the following types of pain, depending on the stage:
Stage 1
Short-term cervical pain, which disappears after a while on its own or after a lifestyle change.There are no symptoms indicating structural damage.No additional diagnostic and treatment methods are needed.
Stage 2
There are no signs of serious violations of anatomical structures, however, the patient's daily activity is affected: it is necessary to take pain relievers.The condition can be corrected with lifestyle modifications and some exercise.
Stage 3
Neurological symptoms appear, additional diagnostics and comprehensive treatment are required.
Stage 4
Signs of organic lesions appear.The patient is bothered by intense and intense pain, which corresponds to tumors, myelopathies or systemic pathology.Comprehensive, high-quality diagnostics and specialized treatment are required.
Basic principles of neck pain treatment.
How to treat neck pain depends on the specific situation and the mechanisms of development of the disease.Furthermore, the choice of method is influenced by the stage of the process and its nature.Tactics can be determined by the treating doctor after a thorough examination and additional diagnostic methods.
The start of any treatment is a lifestyle modification.This depends solely on the patient and determines the success of other treatment procedures.
These methods also apply to preventive measures to prevent neck pain:
- gymnastics and warm-up of the neck muscles, which relieves muscle tension;
- general strengthening of the back muscle corset;
- correct position at the table, during work and rest;
- If you do a sedentary job, get up periodically and do simple exercises;
- place a cushion under your lower back when sitting for a long time;
- Adjust the position of the monitor so as not to strain your neck.This applies to both the computer and the phone;
- if you talk frequently on the phone, use headphones or speakerphone;
- when working with documents, use a stand so that the papers are at eye level;
- Pay attention to your bed: give preference to an orthopedic mattress and pillow.
- always wear your seat belt when traveling;This prevents injuries and strains in the neck muscles;
- Make sure your diet is balanced and rational.In addition to the normal combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, food must contain trace elements, minerals and vitamins;
- drink enough clean water, as well as tea, coffee and juices;
- avoid stress or learn to react correctly to it;
- give up nicotine and other bad habits.
Pain treatment should be comprehensive and affect not only the symptoms, but also the cause of their development.If your neck hurts, conservative methods, medications and physiotherapy are used.In severe stages of some conditions, surgical treatment is recommended.
Medications used to treat pain:
- non-steroidal medications relieve inflammation, swelling and pain;
- ointments to reduce pain;
- muscle relaxants;
- glucocorticosteroids;
- vitamin injections.
Physiotherapeutic methods are also effective for neck pain.You should first consult with your doctor, because these methods are used depending on the stage of the process.
The following methods are considered effective:
- massage;
- exercise therapy;
- acupuncture;
- medicinal baths;
- healing shower;
- mud therapy.
Neck pain treatment must be timely and of high quality;Only then can you count on success and elimination of pain.