Neck pain: causes, accompanying symptoms and treatment.

The neck hurts at different intervals in 70% of adults. At the same time, painful sensations can not only be of a different nature, but can also be caused by a variety of diseases. Therefore, they are mainly observed not in isolation, but are accompanied by other symptoms that help to correctly diagnose and choose the optimal treatment tactics.

Types of neck pain

Neck pain can be short-term and limited to minor complaints, or it can be very severe and significantly interfere with daily life. Most often, people complain that they suddenly feel lumbago, after which persistent pain occurs. It can be painful, tingling, stabbing, squeezing, or otherwise.

Neck pain is also called cervicalgia.

Discomfort tends to intensify during movements, for example, when turning or tilting the head, while maintaining a static position, especially uncomfortable for a long time, particularly during prolonged work at the computer. In this sense, a person is forced, often even unconsciously, to turn the whole body to avoid the neck as much as possible.

So it is obvious that neck pain can be very different. Therefore, they are divided not only into acute (lasting less than 10 days) and chronic, but also into:

• vertebrogenic - occurs in the context of pathological changes in the cervical spine, including with lesions of intervertebral discs, compression of the spinal roots and spinal cord;
Non-vertebral
• - resulting from all other causes, including infectious diseases, inflammatory processes in the muscles, diseases of the thyroid gland, lymph nodes, etc.

Spinal pain is characterized by radiation to the occipital region, shoulders, arms, up to the hands and fingers. Often, numbness, impaired sensitivity and mobility are observed, indicating the development of neurological disorders, that is, the infringement of one or another anatomical structure of the nerve roots or spinal cord. Also, in such situations, dizziness, attacks of loss of consciousness and headaches may be observed, indicating compression of the vertebral arteries, for example, an intervertebral hernia.

An appointment with a doctor is urgently needed if neck pain is severe or is accompanied by dizziness, a feeling of numbness at the back of the head, or tinnitus.

Causes of neck pain

It is sometimes difficult for patients to independently differentiate a sore throat from a pain in the neck, as it can be so diffuse that the sensations become blurred and the entire neck appears to hurt. If this is accompanied by a sweating or scratching sensation in the throat, an increase in body temperature, this may indicate laryngitis, SARS, sore throat, pharyngitis, and other colds. In addition, this symptomatology is typical of:

• gastroesophageal reflux;
• Itsenko-Cushing syndrome;
• foreign bodies entering the pharynx, eg fish bones;
• hypovitaminosis;
• formation of benign and malignant tumors in the throat.

Still, in most cases, people can differentiate throat problems from true neck pain, which can be seen both on the anterolateral surfaces and on the back and front.

Pain localization is an important diagnostic feature that allows you to determine the source of pain at the examination stage and then to thoroughly study the changes that have occurred using instrumental diagnostic methods.

Frontal neck pain: causes

The appearance of unpleasant or even painful sensations directly in the area under the chin or diffuse pain throughout the front of the neck may indicate:

• thyroid disease;
• inflammatory processes in muscles that affect ligaments and nerves;
• formation of cysts and abscesses;
• lymph node involvement;
• angina pectoris.

That is, the list of possible causes is quite extensive and it is impossible to independently determine what exactly caused the neck pain. In such situations, it is worth contacting a therapist for an examination. If necessary, the physician will refer the patient to a limited specialist of the desired profile.

Vertebral artery syndrome and radicular syndrome can also be associated with anterior neck pain. In both cases, the cause is an infringement of blood vessels or nerves by a deformed intervertebral disc, edematous tissues, a displaced cervical vertebral body, or other structure. Our clinic has developed an integrated approach to solve this problem: experienced chiropractors, neurologists, rehabilitologists and endocrinologists will perform an examination and prescribe the necessary treatment.

Back and neck pain: causes

Due to the peculiarities of the modern lifestyle, people often worry about the pain in the neck. Working in front of a computer, constant use of gadgets, low level of physical activity and bad habits - all this causes pathological changes in the structure of the spine, which manifest as pain in the neck. Therefore, in case of pain, pulling, sharp pains, lumbago in the back of the neck, first of all, a consultation with a chiropractor or a vertebrologist is required, since in the vast majority of cases, this indicates diseasesof the cervical spine, namely:

• Osteochondrosis is a generalized disease accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs, a decrease in their height and a decrease in strength;
• protrusion - a complication of osteochondrosis, in which the intervertebral disc protrudes (most often into the spinal canal, where the spinal cord and nerve roots pass), causing the risk of pinching the nerves and arteriesvertebral;
• Intervertebral hernias are a consequence of the lack of treatment for protrusion, in which the internal content of the intervertebral disc penetrates the spinal canal, gradually increases and can seriously compress the nerves and the spinal cord, and in the laststage of development, it separates and "travels" along the spinal canal, causing serious, and sometimes irreversible complications up to paralysis;
• Spondylosis is a complication of osteochondrosis, in which bony bumps, called osteophytes, grow along the edges of the vertebral bodies and the intervertebral discs become critically flattened, eventually leading to fusionof the vertebrae adjacent to each other and to the restriction of the mobility of the neck;
• myofascial syndrome - a disease in which individual muscles spasm, leading to attacks of sharp pain during physical activity or when pressing certain points on the neck;
• compression fractures of the vertebrae: occur more frequently in the elderly with osteoporosis or are the result of a whiplash injury, for example, in an accident, and pose a serious threat to human life and health;
• Ankylosing spondylitis is a systemic disease that affects almost all joints in the body and causes severe mobility restrictions due to the fusion of individual vertebrae together, forming strong and immobile conglomerates.

Much less often, back and neck pain is caused by spinal tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, or Reiter's syndrome.

Lateral neck pain: causes

Most often, the pain on the lateral surfaces of the neck is burning or stabbing, and it can also be tingling. They tend to give in at the shoulder and ear, sometimes accompanied by the formation of a secondary torticollis, so the head tilts towards the affected side. This is typical of:

• blood vessel pathologies, including atherosclerosis;
• muscle spasms, which can be caused by a heavy load on the neck, sudden movements or hypothermia;
• formation of malignant formations in the thyroid gland, pharynx and larynx.

Diagnosis of the causes of neck pain

Since, in the vast majority of cases, neck pain is caused by the development of pathologies of the cervical spine, when they appear, it is worth contacting a chiropractor, vertebrologist or neurologist. The doctor will be able to determine, on the basis of complaints, data from examinations and neurological tests, if the discomfort in the neck is really due to disorders in the spine or if it is caused by other diseases.

However, it is deviations from the norm in the state of the spine that, in fact, are one of the reasons for the development of concomitant diseases of internal organs. After all, a change in the position of the vertebrae, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs and other, even minor changes, lead to a violation of the transmission of nerve impulses from the spinal cord through the nerve roots. along the nerves to the internal organs.

Since the spinal cord is characterized by a segmental innervation, that is, each part of it is responsible for the correct functioning of a specific organ, in the case of disorders in the cervical spine, the innervation of the ENT organs, cordsvocal, thyroid, and parathyroid glands may also suffer from muscles of the neck, shoulders, and forearms. Therefore, their work is initially interrupted, and over time, organic changes appear, that is, this or that disease develops, which can cause pain of varying intensity and character in the neck.

Therefore, diseases of the internal organs are rarely diagnosed and changes in the spine are not detected, so consultation of a chiropractor is required without fail. But if the patient has signs of diseases of the thyroid gland, heart, otorhinolaryngological organs or others, it is also shown that he receives advice from limited specialists (endocrinologist, cardiologist, otolaryngologist, etc. ).

Therefore, the diagnosis of the causes of neck pain is always complex. It can include:

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

To diagnose pathologies of the spine, the most informative is magnetic resonance imaging, that is, magnetic resonance imaging. The method allows you to study the condition of the intervertebral discs in the smallest detail, assess the quality of blood flow in the vertebral arteries, and detect signs of compression of the spinal cord or its roots. With its help, diseases are diagnosed in the early stages of development, which ensures the start of treatment as soon as possible and its high efficiency.

In our clinic, you can also learn more about the composition of your body and the state of the vascular system, which is involved in the blood supply to the internal organs, the musculoskeletal muscles and the brain. Our experienced doctors will explain the findings to you in detail. Bioimpedansometry calculates the ratio of fat, muscle, bone and skeletal mass, total body fluid, and basal metabolic rate. The intensity of the recommended physical activity depends on the state of the muscle mass. Metabolic processes, in turn, affect the body's ability to recover. Based on the active cell mass indicators, the level of physical activity and nutritional balance can be judged. This simple and quick test helps us see endocrine disturbances and take action. In addition, it is also very important for us to know the state of the blood vessels for the prevention of diseases such as heart attacks, hypertension, heart failure, diabetes mellitus and much more. Angioscan allows you to determine such important indicators as the biological age of blood vessels, their stiffness, stress index (which speaks of heart rate), blood oxygen saturation. This screening will be useful for men and women after 30, athletes, those who are in a long and difficult treatment, as well as for all those who monitor their health.

In this case, the analysis of body composition gives us information that the body is dominated by adipose tissue and the bone-muscle component has a relative deficit. These data will help the rehabilitator to correctly develop a physical activity plan, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

Treatment of neck pain

For each patient, the tactics of therapy are developed strictly individually on the basis of the diagnosis, the severity of pathological changes, the presence of concomitant diseases and other factors. Even patients with the same disability can be prescribed different treatments, as even age and level of physical development affect it.

However, the treatment of diseases that cause neck pain is always complex and includes symptomatic and etiotropic therapy. In other words, it aims to eliminate the symptoms of the disease and the causes of its occurrence. The main components of therapy are usually:

• drug treatment;
• osteopathy;
• manual therapy;
• massage;
• physiotherapy (phonophoresis, carboxytherapy, ozone therapy, pressotherapy with RF currents);
• individual lessons with a rehabilitation doctor.

When diagnosing cervical spine conditions, you have been shown to make some adjustments to your lifestyle and habits. Therefore, office workers, drivers, seamstresses and representatives of other sedentary professions are recommended to warm up as often as possible and avoid the long-term preservation of a forced body position, which especially requires tension of the neck muscles.

It is also important to eat well so that the body gets all the nutrients it needs. This will allow not only to slow down the progression of the pathology, but will also contribute to a faster course of regeneration processes.

For severe pain, the chiropractor may recommend that the patient purchase an orthopedic collar or Chance collar. Using it will help unload the cervical spine and prevent the appearance of rashes, sudden movements, which will lead to a gradual fading of the pain syndrome. In our center you can choose and purchase a tailored bandage.

You can wrap a woolen scarf around your neck for pain relief before your appointment or take a numbing pill no later than 12 hours before taking it.

Drug therapy

The nature of prescription drugs and their quantity can vary within a very wide range, which depends directly on the diagnosis and the presence of comorbidities. Therefore, we list only the groups of drugs that are prescribed to the vast majority of patients:

• NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that also differ in analgesic properties (produced in various dosage forms, including tablets, ointments, solutions for injections, etc. );
• Corticosteroids are drugs with a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, used only for severe inflammatory processes that NSAIDs cannot eliminate;
• muscle relaxants - drugs that eliminate muscle spasms of various origins, helping to reduce the severity of pain;
• chondroprotectors - drugs that promote the restoration of cartilaginous tissue that forms the intervertebral discs, but are effective only in the initial stages of osteochondrosis;
• B vitamins: used to improve the conduction of bioelectric impulses from the spinal cord to the corresponding organs and restore their proper functioning;
• vitamin D - a remedy responsible for the state of bone tissue, as well as higher brain functions such as memory, memory, attention, and speech.

In addition, patients may be prescribed antibiotics, hormone replacement therapy, antihypertensive medications, and others.

For particularly severe neck pain, blocks are used. The procedures involve injecting anesthetic solutions with corticosteroids into the area where the nerves pass in the neck, allowing pain relief very quickly. But, in addition to being effective only for pain caused by nerve damage, they also require a high level of professionalism on the part of medical professionals, since when performing a blockage, there is a risk of injury to the nerve, infection and lead to serious complications.

Manual therapy

Manual therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat neck pain and its causes, but only if done correctly. It involves a direct effect on the spine and the surrounding soft tissues. Do not confuse manual therapy with a therapeutic massage, in which only the muscles of the back and neck are exercised.

Manual therapy techniques and methods allow literally after the first session to achieve significant improvement in well-being and ultimately complete remission. This is accomplished by:

• restoration of the normal axis of the spine by returning the vertebrae to their anatomically correct position;
• increasing the distance between the vertebral bodies and the release of compressed nerves and blood vessels, which helps to eliminate the signs of radicular syndrome, improves the functioning of internal organs and especially the brain;
• elimination of neck muscle spasms and functional blockages, which improves mobility and reduces the severity of pain;
• improves blood circulation and tissue nutrition.

We do not have common treatment standards, an individual approach is applied to each patient. Only a highly qualified specialist should be trusted to perform manual therapy. Otherwise, the use of inappropriate techniques can only harm the patient, aggravate the problem, or lead to the development of complications.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy procedures are used to improve the effectiveness of therapy. They appear exclusively outside the acute period and have an analgesic, anti-inflammatory effect, in addition to improving microcirculation in soft tissues and contributing to the normalization of muscle tone.

Usually, courses consisting of 8 to 15 procedures are prescribed. These can be:

• electrophoresis;
• UHF;
• ultrasound therapy;
• laser therapy;
• traction therapy (spinal traction);
• mud baths, etc.

The doctor individually selects the number of sessions of physiotherapy procedures and the frequency of their implementation. Some procedures can be combined with each other, while others must be carried out strictly in a certain interval.

exercise therapy

Physical therapy is one of the essential components of conservative therapy for neck pain. Since very often they occur against the background of muscle overexertion and degenerative-dystrophic processes in the intervertebral discs caused by this, it is important to pay due attention to exercise therapy and daily exercise.

For each patient, a rehabilitation physician develops a separate physical therapy exercise program. It can be dangerous to use the complexes presented on the Internet, since they do not take into account the individual characteristics of the patient, her age, the degree of negligence of the pathological process and the patient's level of physical fitness. Therefore, to develop an exercise therapy program, the help of a specialist is required. In addition, the first sessions are necessarily carried out under his control, so that the patient can understand how to perform each exercise and in the process of self-study does not harm himself. At home, you should practice in a quiet environment, avoiding sudden movements, and if it hurts, you should go to the doctor.

Therefore, neck pain is widespread. They can be caused by the development of various diseases, but the most common cause of discomfort is spinal problems caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, you should not hesitate to consult a doctor. In fact, in the early stages of the development of the disease, it can be easily treated with conservative methods. While in advanced cases, neck pain and its causes can be eliminated exclusively by surgery.