Neck pain: why and what to do?

According to recent statistics, one in three people has experienced neck pain at some point. With the advent of new "sedentary" occupations and computers, people's necks are more common. Anxiety, as a rule, can be painful in nature if it bothers you constantly. Sometimes, when the cervical spine hurts, the following symptoms occur: decreased vision, dizziness, limited mobility, loss of sensitivity. In some cases, due to working in a particularly uncomfortable position, neck pain spreads to the arms and heart region. Patients with neck discomfort complain of nausea, wheezing and tinnitus when turning the head. Sometimes anxiety is accompanied by numbness in the back of the head. Today, neck pain is a very common symptom, because many people do not exercise, are overweight and often face stress. Neck pain can occur for other reasons, including serious illnesses that require immediate treatment. For example, meningitis, vascular infections and cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis caused by inflammation of the intestines and other internal organs.

Cervical radiculitis ("compressed nerve")

Radiculitis in the cervical spine most often occurs when the roots of the spinal cord nerves are compressed.
This usually occurs as a result of spondylosis or a herniated and bulging intervertebral disc, when the annulus fibrosus ruptures and the nucleus pulposus protrudes into the spinal canal. The result of the lack of treatment leads to irreversible complications, including paralysis. Sciatica sometimes appears in the neck due to the herpes virus and Lyme disease.

The pain occurs in the neck and often spreads to the arm, causing numbness and weakness of the arm. Usually, this diagnosis can already be made after an examination by a neurologist. However, in some cases, electromyography or computed tomography may be necessary to assess the damage.

Ankylosing spondylitis

A systemic inflammatory disease that affects almost all joints of the body and forms strong and immobile conglomerates, causing severe limitations in mobility due to the fusion of individual vertebrae.

Diffuse skeletal hyperostosis (Forestier's disease)

People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop Forestier's disease. It has been determined that the accumulation of calcium salts in the ligaments and musculoskeletal system of the spine is the most likely reason for the development of this disease.

Forestier's disease may not manifest itself in any way, but in some cases a person experiences pain and reduced mobility of the neck. To confirm the diagnosis, a doctor in a clinic of the highest category needs an X-ray examination, in some cases, diagnostic procedures are also prescribed: computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There is no specific treatment for this disease.

Degenerative diseases

Discogenic syndrome- Perhaps the most popular cause of neck pain. The syndrome develops as a result of degenerative changes in the structure between the discs in the spine due to an uneven load between the end plates and facet joints. With this disease, the pain can spread to the arm or shoulder, sometimes to the hands and fingers. The neck hurts when turning or bending the head. If you keep your head in one position for a long time, the condition of your neck also worsens.

Due to degenerative changes in the neck area,spondylosisin the cervical spine. Deletion of the vertebral discs leads to a gradual reduction of the space between the vertebrae, bone deformation and the formation of osteophytes as they grow; this deformation has a great impact on the functioning of the whole body. With age, these changes in most cases do not bring any unpleasant sensations. However, they sometimes put pressure on the spinal nerve, causing numbness and pain in the neck, and in some cases, pain in the arm or shoulder. Numbness, impaired sensitivity and mobility, attacks of loss of consciousness are often observed, which indicate the development of neurological disorders.

Cervical spondylogenic myelopathy. The spinal cord is damaged and begins to deteriorate due to degenerative changes in the cervical spine, which causes narrowing of the central canal of the spine. The result is a sharp pain in the neck that is constantly increasing, its mobility becomes difficult, coordination of movements is disturbed, urination and defecation are not controlled, general weakness and problems in the sexual area can also be observed. The disease most often develops after the age of 55 and often requires surgical intervention.

Cervical spine injuries

The consequences of the injury can be pain in the cervical region and shoulders, migraines, spasms of the neck muscles and impaired mobility. In car accidents, people usually suffer neck injuries from the sudden back and forth movement of the head. As a result, intervertebral discs, soft tissues, nerve fibers, posterior longitudinal ligament, facet joint (facet syndrome), etc. can be damaged. After the injury, muscle spasm occurs, the movement of the neck becomes difficult. Over time, pain symptoms disappear on their own, but sometimes they turn into chronic pain.

Muscle pain

Muscle spasms in the upper part of the back and neck occur due to physical overload, awkward posture, emotional stress during the working day, or damage to the spine. Muscles can also spasm, especially due to the wrong pillow. Usually, the discomfort causes limited mobility, but this pain disappears within six weeks. To speed up the process, doctors recommend, if possible, eliminating the cause of muscle tension, as well as doing special exercises.

Myofascial pain syndrome

With myofascial syndrome, it is important to identify the most sensitive pain points that may appear after overexertion, hypothermia, emotional trauma or stress. These pressure points cause muscle tension and pain, which is often chronic.

Cervical osteochondrosis

Among the diseases that cause pain in the neck, osteochondrosis is a diagnosis made in the territory of the former Soviet Union, and in fact, all the diseases listed above (degenerative-dystrophic lesions of the spine) were usually attributed to it.

Almost all people over the age of 40 experience degenerative changes in the spine. This is not a reason to call a person completely sick and actively start treatment. If the neck bothers you, this is only a symptom that indicates the need to make a real diagnosis, after which medical therapy is prescribed.

Diagnosing the causes of neck pain is always complicated. This includes:

• general and biochemical laboratory blood test;
• determining the level of thyroid hormones in the blood;
• Ultrasound with dopplerography of neck veins, thyroid gland, salivary glands;
• X-ray of the cervical spine;
• electroneuromyography;
• CT;
• MRI.

Cervical osteochondrosis can disrupt cerebral circulation. This causes throbbing pains in the head, vegetative-vascular dystonia and hypertension, problems in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, hearing, vision and coordination.

When should you see a doctor if you have neck pain?

If the neck causes discomfort, you should first contact a therapist who will refer you for further examination. The following will help to identify the causes of neck pain and dystrophic condition, treat and restore its function: surgeon, neurologist, vertebrologist, rheumatologist, cardiologist, traumatologist, orthopedist, endocrinologist and some other doctors.

The main reasons why consultation with a rheumatologist and neurologist is necessary:

• severe headache;
• neck injury;
• uncontrolled urinary or bowel movements;
• numbness, tingling, weakness in arms and legs;
• my neck hurts for a week and there is no improvement;
• lack of benefit from pain medications.

Consult your doctor immediately if:

• Meningitis, if your head hurts with a strong increase in temperature and your neck is so stiff that it hurts to turn it and you cannot reach your chest with your chin.
• A heart attack if there is discomfort in the chest, rapid breathing, sweating, nausea, vomiting, pain in the arms or jaw.

Treatment of neck pain

1. Medicines that relieve pain and tension. There is usually no specific treatment for such anxiety. In simple cases, the doctor recommends non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that relieve pain, chondroprotectors (drugs that promote the regeneration of cartilage tissue). If the spasm is severe, the doctor may prescribe a medicine that relaxes the muscles, such as a muscle relaxant, to take at night. For chronic pain, the doctor prescribes tricyclic antidepressants, because botulinum blockades are ineffective. Most muscle strains resolve within 2-3 weeks with conservative medical treatment.
2. Ice and heat. If the cervical spine is bothering you after an injury, then it is recommended to apply ice for the first three days to relieve the pain. If it's a muscle problem, use heat, including taking a shower or bath or placing a wet towel around your neck.
3. Physiotherapy:phonophoresis, carboxytherapy, ozone therapy, pressotherapy, RF currents, ultrasound therapy.
4. Stretching exercises. Stretching exercise therapy is especially effective for chronic pain. Qigong gymnastics will be useful, it should be done carefully and after consulting a specialist. First you need to warm up your neck. But it is better to exercise in the morning or before going to bed. You should definitely consult your doctor about more general physical activities, including yoga, running, and soccer.
5. Relaxation techniques. Due to emotional stress, the neck starts to hurt more, so treatment should not be delayed. Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, self-hypnosis, meditation, and psychotherapy can help reduce muscle tension.
6. Changing habits. The position in which a person spends a lot of time during the working day should be corrected so that the neck does not hurt again. To do this, it is important to monitor your posture yourself, it is recommended to minimize tension by changing positions, stretch your neck once an hour and place the computer at eye level. You need to sit with your shoulders straight. During sleep, the head and body should be at the same level, and the neck needs support. Lying on your back is the ideal position; The worst position for your neck is sleeping on your stomach.
7. Massagerelieves muscle spasms and ensures normal blood supply, and when pressing, it is useful to use a vibration massager. However, it should be noted that massage for chronic pain is likely to be ineffective and rarely performed.
8. Manual therapy. In some cases, manipulations can make the situation worse because they have no proven effectiveness. It is recommended to resort to "soft" manual therapy with physical exercises only, but manual therapy helps to eliminate the symptoms of radicular syndrome, improve the work of internal organs and especially the brain. If the central spinal canal narrows as a result of spondylotic myelopathy, it is better not to contact chiropractic.
9. Biofeedback (BFB). With this method, a person is given the task to "remove the muscle tension in the neck", the performance of which is monitored by sensors. The patient himself sees a cloudy image on the screen, which becomes clearer as his muscles relax. This is how a person learns to control muscle tension in the neck.
10. Corset, which straightens the neck vertebrae and relieves pain, it is recommended to wear it for 1-3 hours a day, no more than 1-2 weeks, so that the neck muscles do not weaken.
11. have methods andosteopathic. According to some reports, for example, stretching the neck muscles is ineffective, but acupuncture helps with chronic neck pain. Electromagnetic and low-frequency therapy also work, as well as electromyostimulation and laser therapy. However, it is not recommended to ignore exercise while using all these methods. It is also important to eat properly so that the body receives all the necessary substances and vitamins. This will not only slow down the development of pathology, but also help in faster recovery processes.
12. Surgery for neck pain. If you have neck pain, in most cases, surgery is not required. At first, only conservative treatment is used. If the cause of the pain is a narrowing of the central spinal canal or a "compressed nerve", that is, pressure on its root in the spinal cord, and conservative treatment does not help, surgical treatment is recommended.