Various back or side neck pain can occur suddenly and always cause considerable discomfort. The 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 heaviness in the back of the head, fatigue, fatigue, headache, limitation of movement.
If the pain syndrome continues for more than a week and the treatment being carried out does not produce 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 ailment.
The reasons
Many people wonder why the neck hurts. As practical experience shows, this can be due to many reasons. Clarification of such problems should be treated exclusively by a specialist, because the correctness of the treatment directly depends on this. 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, etc. ).
- Neck myogellosis.
- Great physical activity.
- Being in an uncomfortable position for a long time (for example, sleeping in a sitting position).
- Cervical sciatica.
- Muscle stretching (jerky 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 ache quite often and very often, it is necessary to exclude the pathology of the cervical spine in the first place.
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 aches and pains in the neck and upper shoulder girdle. Characteristics of pain syndrome in degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the cervical spine:
- The pain is noticeable at rest, even when the patient tries not to move at all.
- Usually it is quite difficult for them to choose a position in which they would not feel pronounced painful sensations.
- Limitation of mobility is almost always seen in the cervical spine.
- Slight pressure on the cervical vertebrae can cause increased pain.
Cervical spine myogellosis
A pathological condition in which there is a painful compaction of muscle fibers associated with a violation of local blood circulation is called myogellosis. As a general rule, the provoking factors are:
- Hypothermia and frostbite.
- Blowing project.
- Prolonged awkward position.
- Physical fatigue (excessive stress).
Most experts believe that myogellosis should be considered as 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 limited mobility arise. Also, the pain often spreads to the upper back and shoulder girdle. By leaving myogellosis untreated, you run the risk of worsening your health, since the disease is prone to progression and chronic course.
If you do not know the real reason why your neck hurts, it is better to consult a specialist doctor immediately.
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 prevalent cases, osteochondrosis is the cause of the development of this pathology. With sciatica, patients notice that the neck hurts and burns, so it is simply impossible to touch it from behind or from the side. What is the clinical picture seen with damage to the cervical nerve roots emerging from the spinal cord?
- It hurts badly and constantly in the neck, scapula, shoulder girdle.
- Painful sensations are often intensified by movements of the head, arms, and upper body.
- Neck muscles are too tense.
- There is a violation of sensitivity in the hands (numbness, tingling, etc. ).
- Weakness in the upper extremities.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches
- Increased fatigue
Stiff neck
Despite the severity of the pain syndrome, muscle strain is considered one of the mildest pathologies with a fairly rapid cure, compared to other diseases that cause pain in the neck and upper back. Injuries, poor exercise performance, and increased stress can cause muscles to stretch. What complaints will patients express at the same time?
- Sharp pains in the neck, back of the head and upper shoulder girdle.
- Excessive muscle tension that limits mobility of the head and cervical spine.
- The general condition suffers (physical discomfort, weakness, fatigue appear).
- Neck hurts when turning head.
Diagnostics
Without finding out the specific cause of the appearance of pain in the cervical region, it is quite difficult to completely eliminate this pathological symptom. If we eliminate only the painful sensations, and not what causes them, we can only count on a temporary improvement of the condition. Modern diagnostic methods allow you to quickly narrow down the range of possible causes, for which your neck hurts from behind, from one side or from both sides. As a general rule, the following instrumental studies are used:
- Standard X-ray examination.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Electrocardiograph.
- Electromyography.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
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 the pain with a muscle injury or strain, 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 when touching 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, additionally wrapped in a not too dense cloth and only then 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 application of the compress should not exceed 20-30 minutes. This procedure can be repeated every 2 hours. Also, give sore muscles adequate rest. The first time after an injury or sprain, lie down more often, trying to relax your neck muscles. Relieves tension better when lying on your back. In the acute stage, it will be helpful to limit yourself to several types of physical activity. Take a short break from exercise.
Do not forget that a very long rest helps to weaken the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. Once you get back to your normal rhythm, it will be easy to get a new stretch on the already weakened muscles. An alternation of dosed physical activity and good rest is considered optimal, 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 your neck hurts.
Drug therapy
Pain relievers help to quickly relieve neck pain of varying intensity. Today, many of these drugs can be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription from your doctor. 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. Also, quite often, along with the pain syndrome, there is a pronounced tension of the neck muscles. To relieve muscle spasms, it is recommended to use muscle relaxants.
Local therapy
Topical therapy has been shown to be beneficial in managing neck and upper back pain. As a rule, all kinds of medicinal ointments, gels and creams are used that 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 medicine is the most appropriate for you. With severe pain, causing considerable discomfort, novocaine blockade 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, physiotherapeutic treatment is actively involved, consisting of various procedures, massage sessions, and physical therapy exercises. Many years of experience have shown the effectiveness of the following physical therapy methods to eliminate pain:
- Electrophoresis.
- Ultrasound therapy.
- Electrotherapy.
- Magnet.
- To be.
- 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 after the acute stage has passed. Severe pain syndrome is considered a contraindication to exercise 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 main thing is to keep your back straight. Hands should be relaxed and down. Perform 10 head bends, first to one side and then to the other. Do the exercise at a calm pace and 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 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 arise, we stop the exercise.
- We sat down on a chair. Place the palm of your hand on your forehead. We bow our heads forward, while trying to resist with the palm. Exercise helps strengthen the anterior neck muscles. You can also place the palm of your hand to the left, right, and back, and tilt your head to the appropriate side.
- Stand up straight. Relax your arms and place them along your body. We tilt the head first to one side, while raising the shoulder, then to the other. The number of repetitions is 10 to 12 times.
After a brief briefing from a physical therapist 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 dispute the fact that traditional medicine has been firmly established in our lives for a long time. However, if you are unsure of the provenance of a particular folk remedy, its use in treatment is not recommended. Many physicians have seen serious consequences for misusing non-traditional treatment methods more than once in their clinical practice. In some cases, it is allowed to use certain folk remedies to eliminate pain, but only after consulting a doctor. Exclusively for acquaintances, we present several recipes of traditional medicine:
- You can apply a regular fresh cabbage leaf on the sore area. There are no time limits. Compresses made from cabbage leaves also work well.
- Rub honey. By massaging the honey, it is rubbed into the place on the neck where the patient experiences the greatest pain.
- Mustard salt compress. 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 tissue bag, which we place on the sore 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, the appearance of a rather unpleasant pain in the neck can be prevented. For this, it is necessary to avoid various types of injuries, muscle strains and intense physical effort. It is very undesirable to freeze or overcool. Active sports are also recommended, but not to the detriment of your health. Do not initiate chronic diseases, in particular degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Get a comprehensive medical checkup at least once a year.