Various pains in the back or on the sides of the neck can occur suddenly and always cause considerable discomfort. Particular vigilance must be caused by constant painful sensations of an intense nature. Neck pain and pain in the upper back can also be accompanied by other clinical signs, such as weight on the back of the head, fatigue, fatigue, headache, limitation of movement.
If the painful syndrome persists for more than a week and the treatment performed does not bring the desired results, professional medical help should be sought. Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to get rid of painful illness quickly and effectively.
The reasons
Many people are wondering why the neck hurts? As practical experience shows, there can be many reasons for this. The clarification of such questions must be done exclusively by a specialist, as the correction of the treatment depends directly on it. The most common reasons why the back and side of the neck can hurt a lot and often:
- Pathology of the cervical spine (various injuries, bruises, displacements, intervertebral hernias, osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis and so on).
- Mogelosis of the neck.
- Great physical activity.
- Being in an uncomfortable position for a long time (for example, sleeping sitting).
- Cervical sciatica.
- Muscle stretching (sudden movement of the head, improper exercise).
It has been established that even banal scoliosis can cause pain.
Pathology of the cervical spine
If the patient complains that the neck and upper back ache very strongly and frequently, it is necessary, first of all, to exclude the pathology of the cervical spine.
Special 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 cause very significant pain and discomfort in the neck and shoulder girdle. Characteristics of the pain syndrome in degenerative dystrophic pathology of the cervical spine:
- Pain is noted at rest, even when the patient tries not to move.
- It is usually very difficult for them to choose a position in which they would not feel pronounced painful sensations.
- Limitation of mobility in the cervical spine is almost always observed.
- Light pressure on the cervical vertebrae can cause increased pain.
Cervical spine mygelosis
A pathological condition in which there is a painful compaction of muscle fibers associated with a violation of local blood circulation is called myoglobin. As a rule, the triggering factors are:
- Hypothermia and freezing.
- Blow projection.
- Prolonged uncomfortable position.
- Physical fatigue (excessive stress).
Most experts believe that myoglobin should be considered a complication after an inflammatory process in the muscles. It should be noted that it is manifested not only by pain, but also problems with muscle relaxation, increased tone and difficulty in walking. In addition, the pain usually extends to the upper back and shoulder girdle. If you leave myoglobin without treatment, you run the risk of worsening your state of health, since the disease is prone to progression and chronic course.
If you do not know the real reason for your neck pain, it is best to see a specialist doctor right away.
Cervical sciatica
The compression of the nerve roots that leave the spinal cord at the level of the cervical spine leads to sciatica. According to clinical practice, in most of the prevailing 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 that emerge from the spinal cord:
- It hurts severely and constantly in the neck, scapula, scapular waist.
- Painful sensations usually intensify with movements of the head, arms and upper body.
- The neck muscles are excessively tense.
- There is a violation of sensitivity in the hands (numbness, tingling and so on).
- Weakness in the upper limbs.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
- Increased fatigue.
Crick
Despite the severity of the pain syndrome, muscle tension is considered to be one of the mildest and quick-healing pathologies compared to other diseases that cause pain in the neck and upper back. Injuries, poor exercise performance and increased stress can lead to muscle stretching. What complaints patients will express at the same time:
- Acute pains in the neck, neck and shoulder girdle.
- Excessive muscle tension that limits mobility of the head and cervical spine.
- The general condition suffers (physical discomfort, weakness, fatigue appears).
- The neck hurts when I turn my head.
Diagnosis
Without discovering the specific cause of the appearance of pain in the cervical region, it is very difficult to completely eliminate this pathological symptom. If we eliminate only painful sensations, and not what causes them, then we can count on only a temporary improvement in the condition. Modern diagnostic methods allow you to quickly narrow the range of possible causes, from which your neck hurts from behind, from the side, or from both sides. As a rule, the following instrumental studies are used:
- Standard X-ray examination.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Electrocardiography.
- Electromyography.
- Magnetic resonance image.
Treatment
What to do if your neck hurts? Even at home, there are some remedial steps you can take to help reduce pain. If you associate pain with an injury or muscle tension, 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 a cold burn when touching the ice, it is necessary to exclude direct contact with the skin. For this, ice or very cold objects are placed in a plastic bag, additionally wrapped in a cloth that is not very dense and only then applied to the surface of the skin.
After two days, they switch to hot compresses. You can use an ordinary plastic hot water bag or a rubber thermal 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 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 better when lying on your back. In the acute stage, it will be useful to limit yourself to various types of physical activity. Take a short break from the exercises.
Don't forget that too long a rest helps to weaken the neck and shoulder girdle muscles. As soon as you return to normal rhythm, it will be easy to get a new stretch of already weakened muscles. An alternation of dosed physical activity and good rest is considered ideal, but only in the absence of severe pain. Traditional pain management is as follows:
- Drug therapy.
- Local treatment.
- Physiotherapy procedures.
- Manual therapy.
- Massage
- Physiotherapy.
Talk to your healthcare professional about what to do if you experience neck pain.
Drug therapy
Pain relievers help to quickly relieve neck pain of varying intensity. Today, many of these drugs can be purchased at pharmacies without a 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 of the time, 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 problems are associated with erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, often, along with pain syndrome, there is pronounced 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 beneficial in controlling pain in the neck and upper back. As a rule, all types of medicinal ointments, gels and creams are used which have a pronounced analgesic effect. Certain types of drugs are very popular as external agents.
The mechanism of 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 medication is most appropriate for you. With severe pain, causing considerable discomfort, novocaine block is sometimes prescribed. Medical compresses have also been shown to be 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 sure what to do when your neck and upper back hurt, it is best to consult a specialist first.
Physiotherapy
In most cases, physical therapy treatment is actively involved, consisting of several procedures, massage sessions and physiotherapy exercises. Many years of experience have shown the effectiveness of the following methods of physiotherapy to eliminate pain:
- Electrophoresis.
- Ultrasound therapy.
- Electrotherapy.
- Magnetic.
- Laser.
- Acupuncture.
Exercise and massage therapy
Therapeutic exercises and massage are mandatory components of complex therapy for almost all diseases or pathological conditions. However, many people forget that they can only be used when the acute stage has passed. Severe pain syndrome is considered a contraindication for exercise and massage therapy. An example of a basic set of physical exercises to relax and strengthen your cervical muscles:
- You can stand or sit. The main thing is to keep your back straight. Your hands should be relaxed and down. Perform 10 inclines of the head, first to one side and then to the other. Do 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 make 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 appear, we stop the exercise.
- We sat in a chair. Place your palm on your forehead. We lean our heads forward while trying to resist with the palm of our hands. Exercise helps to 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.
- Stand up. Relax your arms and position them along your body. We tilt our heads first to one side, while lifting our shoulders, then to the other. The number of repetitions is 10-12 times.
After going through a brief briefing by a physiotherapist or other specialist, therapeutic exercises and self-massage of the collar area can be done regularly and at home without 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 about the origin of a particular folk remedy, it is not recommended to use it in the treatment. Many doctors have seen serious consequences of the misuse of non-traditional treatment methods more than once in their clinical practice. In some cases, it is allowed to use certain folk remedies to get rid of pain, but only after consulting a doctor. Exclusively for knowledge, we present several recipes of traditional medicine:
- You can apply a regular fresh cabbage leaf to the painful area. There are no time limits. Compresses made from cabbage leaves also have a good effect.
- Rubbing honey. The massage honey is rubbed on the neck where the patient feels the most pain.
- Compress mustard salt. To cook, you need a pound of table salt, a spoonful of powdered mustard and 100 ml of water. Pour all the ingredients into the pan and heat for 5 minutes. Then the mixture is placed in a tissue bag, which we place in the painful area of the neck. To increase the effect, you can wrap a warm cloth around your neck (for example, a scarf).
Prophylaxis
In many cases, the appearance of very unpleasant neck pain can be prevented. To do this, it is necessary to avoid various types of injuries, muscle tension and heavy physical efforts. It is highly undesirable to freeze or cool too much. It is also recommended to play active sports, but not to the detriment of health. Do not start chronic diseases, in particular degenerative dystrophic pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Get a complete medical check-up at least once a year.