Various back or flank pains in the neck can occur suddenly and always cause considerable discomfort. Particular alertness should be caused 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, it is necessary to seek professional medical help. Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to quickly and effectively get rid of the painful ailment.
The reasons
Many people wonder why does the neck hurt? As practical experience shows, there can be many reasons for this. Clarification of such problems should be approached exclusively by a specialist, since the correctness of treatment directly depends on this. The most common reasons why the back and sides of the neck can hurt very badly and often:
- Pathology of the cervical spine (various injuries, bruises, displacements, intervertebral hernias, osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, and so on).
- Myogelosis of the neck.
- Excellent physical activity.
- Being in an uncomfortable position for a long time (for example, sleeping in a sitting position).
- Cervical Sciatica.
- Muscle stretching (sudden head movement, improper exercise).
It has been established that even banal scoliosis can cause pain.
Pathology of the cervical spine
If the patient complains that his neck and upper back hurt quite hard and often, it is first of all 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, apart from injuries and injuries that can cause very significant 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.
- It is usually quite difficult for them to choose a position in which they would not experience pronounced painful sensations.
- There is almost always a limitation of mobility in the cervical spine.
- Slight pressure on the cervical vertebrae can cause increased pain.
Myogelosis of the cervical spine
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 frostbite.
- Draft blowing.
- 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 with pain, but also with 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 aggravating your health condition, as the disease is prone to progression and chronic course.
If you don't know the real reason your neck hurts, it's best to see a specialist doctor right away.
Cervical Sciatica
Pinching of the nerve roots exiting the spinal cord at the level of the cervical spine leads to sciatica. According to clinical practice, in most cases, osteochondrosis is the cause of the development of this pathology. With sciatica, patients notice 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 emerging from the spinal cord:
- It hurts severely and constantly in the neck, shoulder blade, shoulder girdle.
- Painful sensations usually intensify with movements of the head, arms, upper body.
- The neck muscles are overly tense.
- There is a violation of sensitivity in the hands (numbness, tingling, and so on).
- Weakness in the upper limbs.
- Dizziness.
- Headache
- Increased fatigue.
Crick
Despite the severity of the pain syndrome, muscle fatigue is considered one of the milder and rather quickly treatable conditions, compared to other diseases that cause neck and upper back pain. Injury, poor physical performance, and increased stress can lead to muscle strain. What complaints will patients express at the same time:
- Sharp pains in the neck, nape and upper shoulder girdle.
- Excessive muscle tension that limits the mobility of the head and cervical spine.
- The general condition suffers (physical discomfort, weakness, fatigue appear).
- The neck hurts when you turn your head.
Diagnostics
Without finding out the specific cause of the appearance of pain in the cervical region, it is quite difficult to completely get rid of this pathological symptom. If we eliminate only 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 narrow down the range of possible causes, from which the neck hurts from behind, from the side or from both sides. As a rule, the following instrumental studies are used:
- Standard radiographic examination.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Electrocardiography.
- Electromyography.
- Magnetic resonance.
Treatment
What to do if your neck hurts? Even at home, there are some corrective measures you can take to help reduce the pain. If you associate the pain with muscle injury or fatigue, a cold pack 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 a cold burn from contact with ice, it is necessary to exclude direct contact with the skin. To do this, ice or very cold objects are placed in a plastic bag, furthermore wrapped in a not too dense cloth and only subsequently applied to the surface of the skin.
After two days, they switch to warm compresses. You can use a normal plastic hot water bottle or a rubber heating pad. The duration of applying the compress should not exceed 20-30 minutes. This procedure can be repeated every 2 hours. Also, give your sore muscles adequate rest. The first time after an injury or sprain, go to bed more often, trying to relax your neck muscles. 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 from exercising.
Do not forget that a very long rest helps to weaken the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. Once you return to your normal pace, it will be easy to get a new stretch of the 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:
- Pharmacological therapy.
- Local treatment.
- Physiotherapy procedures.
- Manual therapy.
- Massage
- Physiotherapy.
Talk to your doctor about what to do if your neck hurts.
Pharmacological therapy
Analgesics help to quickly relieve neck pain of varying intensity. Nowadays, many of these drugs can be bought at the pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. However, it should be remembered that most of these drugs have a considerable number of side effects and contraindications. Therefore, any medication intake must be coordinated with a specialist. Most often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as pain relievers.
Numerous clinical studies have shown that taking NSAIDs can cause a number of adverse reactions. Most of the problems are associated with erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, quite often, along with the pain syndrome, there is a strong tension in the neck muscles. To relieve muscle spasm, it is recommended to use muscle relaxants.
Local therapy
Topical therapy has been shown to be helpful in controlling neck and upper back pain. 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 mechanism of the analgesic 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 drug is most appropriate for your case. With intense pain, which brings considerable discomfort, novocaine blockade is sometimes prescribed. Medical compresses have also proved effective. The average duration of the procedure is about 30 minutes. To achieve the desired result, a total of at least 7-8 procedures should be performed.
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.
Physical 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 for physical therapy and massage. An example of a basic set of physical exercises to relax and strengthen the cervical muscles:
- You can stand or sit. The important thing is to keep your back straight. The hands should be relaxed and lowered. Do 10 head tilts, first on one side and then on the other. Perform 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 the chin. The number of repetitions is 10 times.
- The situation is similar. We perform head movements 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 exercising.
- We sit on a chair. Place the palm of your hand on your forehead. We tilt our head forward, trying to resist with the palm of the hand. Exercise helps strengthen the anterior neck muscles. You can also place your palm on the left, right and back and tilt your head to the appropriate side.
- Standing straight. Relax your arms and place them along your body. We tilt our head first to one side, lifting the shoulder, then to the other. The number of repetitions is 10-12 times.
After passing a short briefing by a physiotherapist or other specialist, therapeutic exercises and self-massage of the neck area can be performed 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 life. However, if you are not sure where a particular folk remedy comes from, it is not recommended to use it during treatment. Many doctors have seen serious consequences from the misuse of non-traditional treatment methods more than once in their clinical practice. In some cases, it is permissible to use some folk remedies to get rid of pain, but only after consulting a doctor. Exclusively for information, we present several recipes of traditional medicine:
- You can apply a regular fresh kale leaf to the painful area. There are no time limits. Tablets based on cabbage leaves also have a good effect.
- Honey rubbing. Massaging Honey is massaged into the point of the neck where the patient feels the greatest pain.
- Pack of mustard and salt. For cooking, you need a kilogram of table salt, a tablespoon of mustard powder and 100 ml of water. Pour all the ingredients into the pan and heat for 5 minutes. Then the mixture is poured into a fabric bag, which 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, it is possible to prevent the appearance of rather unpleasant neck pain. To do this, 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 initiate chronic diseases, in particular degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Get a full medical check-up at least once a year.