In medicine, neck pain is called neck pain. According to the results of numerous screening studies, during the year they occur in 12 to 72% of people of working age. This means that the sensationsfamiliar to almost everyone. . . In 1, 7 to 11, 5% of people, neck pain ultimately leads to disability. Let's find out about their most common causes and treatment methods.
Classification of neck pain
All painful sensations in the neck are divided into acute and chronic. The first appear suddenly and have a pronounced character. They usually appear after hypothermia, strenuous exercise, or heavy lifting. Chronic pain sensations bother a person constantly, over a long period of time. They are mild, painful in nature, and worsen after prolonged sitting or sleeping in an awkward position.
Depending on the locationthe pain is visceral, superficial and deep somatic. . . The first occurs as a result of damage to internal organs. Visceral (reflected) pain may indicate angina, diseases of the esophagus or pharynx, acute thyroiditis, dissection of the vertebral or carotid arteries.
Superficial somatic pain occurs in the skin due to trauma or small scratches, deep in tissue. The reason for the appearance of the latter is usually muscle overload or pathology of the spine.
How to distinguish visceral pain from somatic pain? The first are diffuse in nature, that is, a person can not determine their exact localization: they radiate to other parts of the body, are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fever, etc.
In 2008, the Neck Pain Task Forse proposed the following:tadia neck pain:
- The patient has no symptoms suggesting structural abnormalities. A person's daily activity is not limited, it does not need additional examination and treatment. These neck pain disappear after minimal lifestyle correction.
- The person has no signs of serious structural damage to the spine or cervical organs, but their daily activities are slightly impaired. Sometimes the patient needs pain relievers. To avoid disability, he needs a change of lifestyle, special exercises.
- The person has no signs of serious organ damage, but there are neurological symptoms. The patient needs additional examination, complex treatment of the revealed pathology.
- The patient notes the appearance of signs of organic changes. He is worried about severe neck pain, which most often indicates trauma, tumors, myelopathy, systemic diseases, etc. The patient needs a serious examination and specialized treatment.
Neck pain can be central and neuropathic. Cervicalgia of central genesis occurs with meningitis, acute disorders of cerebral circulation, TBI, increased intracranial pressure, intracerebral tumors.Neuropathic pain occurs due to pinching of spinal roots, tunnel neuropathies, traumatic nerve damage, polyneuropathies, multiple sclerosis, etc.. . .
The main causes of neck pain
Neck pain can occur occasionally or bother a person on a daily basis. Periodic neck pain that occurs every few months is usually harmless and does not indicate any pathology. They disappear quickly after a good rest or the application of an anesthetic ointment.
But constant or sudden pain in the neck should cause serious concern in a person.
Table 1. Main reasons
| Cause | The mechanism of development of pain syndrome | Characteristic signs of pathology |
|---|---|---|
| Hard work or workout at the gym | The formation of large amounts of lactic acid in the muscles. It is this substance that causes painful sensations. | The pain occurs the next morning after strenuous physical activity. The unpleasant sensations intensify with the movements of the hand, the turns of the head. It will pass in a few days |
| Hypothermia | Development of neuralgia - pain in the innervation of the occipital nerves | Usually a person has pain under the ear in the neck and on the back of the head. In most cases, neuralgia of the occipital nerve has a unilateral localization: painful sensations appear only on one side |
| Psychosomatic | Muscle block formation - spastic contractions of the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle | A person's neck hurts for no apparent reason. With a full exam, doctors fail to detect signs of spinal damage or internal organ disease. |
| Pathological biomechanics of the shoulder girdle | Disruption of the normal functioning of the muscles of the upper limb girdle. Overexertion and spasm of the trapezius muscle | Slight impairment of the mobility of the shoulders and cervical spine. Painful pain that gets worse after prolonged sitting in the same position or physical labor |
| Cervical osteochondrosis | The appearance of pathological changes in one or more segments of movement of the spine. Reduced mobility of the spine, development of myofascial pain syndromes and pinching of the spinal roots | Pain, paraesthesia, and movement disorders in the cervical region that extend to the back of the head and upper limbs. Detection of characteristic changes in the spine on MRI and X-rays (osteophytes, reduction in the distance between the vertebrae, signs of damage to the intervertebral joints) |
| Cervico-brachial sciatica | Development of the inflammatory process in the nerves that form the brachial plexus | Acute unilateral pain that radiates to the upper limb. The patient complains of a burning sensation and numbness in the hands and on the back of the head. Unpleasant symptoms occur after hypothermia or heavy physical labor |
| Acute thyroiditis | Formation of inflammatory or purulent foci in the thyroid gland with the subsequent development of pain syndrome | Sharp pain and swelling of the thyroid gland. On palpation, you may feel an enlarged, painful, and lumpy thyroid gland |
| Colds and infectious diseases | Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, larynx, trachea due to inhalation of cold air or under the influence of infectious factors | The onset of pain and sore throat, headache, runny nose, fever. General weakness, apathy, decreased ability to work |
| Burns in the throat or esophagus | Exposure to the mucous membrane of chemicals, high or low temperatures with the further development of the inflammatory process | Severe pain along the esophagus, which gets worse when swallowing |
| Tension headaches | Constant overexertion of the muscles of the shoulder girdle, frequent stress, depression | Diffuse pain in the head, radiating to the cervical region |
| Subarachnoid hemorrhage | Irritation of the brain meninges with blood pouring into the subarachnoid space | Sharp pain in the back of the head, reminiscent of a blow to the head |
| Multiple sclerosis | Damage to myelin fibers in the brain and spinal cord with subsequent development of neurological symptoms | Sudden neck pain radiating to the spine. The patient himself describes his feelings as an "electric shock" |
| Tumors of the spine, lungs, neck organs | Compression of tissues, nerves or organs by a malignant neoplasm | Painful pains that persist for a long time. With tumors of the pharynx or esophagus, a person has difficulty swallowing food |
| Inflammation of the lymph nodes | The development of an inflammatory process in the lymph nodes in response to the penetration of infection, hypothermia, etc. | Painful sensations on the sides of the neck. On palpation along the sternocleidomastoid muscle, painful enlarged lymph nodes may be felt |
Overwork or hypothermia
If your neck hurts after exercise, physical exertion, or prolonged monotonous work, muscle tension is the cause. Intense physical activity leads to the formation of lactic acid, which causes severe pain. The unpleasant sensations completely disappear after 3-4 days.
Neck pain that radiates to the ear may appear after hypothermia. . . Due to the action of low temperature, neuralgia of the occipital nerve develops. The pathology is characterized by paroxysmal, drawing and burning pain in the back of the head. The pathology can be unilateral or bilateral.
Some people often have neck pain after sleeping. This may be due to the wrong choice of pillow. However, painful sensations can also indicate cervical osteochondrosis. Therefore, if your neck hurts after sleeping, the first thing you should do is change the pillow. If the pain syndrome does not go away, you need to go to a traumatologist or a vertebrologist.
Psychosomatic pain
If your neck hurts constantly for no apparent reason, it may be a matter of psychosomatics. Muscle blockages can occur due to suppressed emotions, stubbornness, and one-sided thoughts. In people with psychosomatic neck pain, the muscles of the cervical spine regularly ache and stretch, but doctors cannot find the cause of this phenomenon even after a thorough examination.
Recent scientific research has established a relationship between personality traits and the onset of spinal neck pain. It turned out that increased anxiety and aggression contributes to the development of cervical osteochondrosis. The relationship discovered can be used for more effective treatment of vertebrogenic shoulder and neck pain in people with neuroses or neurosis-like diseases.
Violation of the biomechanics of the shoulder girdle
The reason why your neck and shoulders hurt may be due to the poor functioning of the muscles of the shoulder girdle. Functional weakness of the deltoid and overloading of the trapezius muscles lead to the appearance of myofascial trigger points, which provoke the development of pain syndrome. At first, the muscles of the neck are sore, but over time organic changes in the spine develop.
Poor load distribution on the muscles of the shoulder girdle is a common cause of neck pain. It is necessary to eliminate the cause of pathologies, that is, to restore normal biomechanics in the belt of the upper limb. To achieve this, you need to carefully monitor your posture, perform special exercises.
Spinal osteochondrosis and its complications
Does the neck and spine between the shoulder blades constantly hurt? This can be a sign of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Pathology is characterized by the gradual destruction of the nuclei of the intervertebral discs with the subsequent development of protrusions, hernias, spondylarthrosis and cervical spondylosis.
Typical signs of osteochondrosis:
- pain in the muscles of the neck, neck area;
- feeling of numbness in the back of the head;
- limitation of mobility in the cervical spine;
- violation of the sensitivity of the upper extremities;
- slight weakness in the arms;
- tinnitus, frequent dizziness, headache.
A person with osteochondrosis does not only hurt the spine of the neck. Due to reflex muscle tension, he develops myofascial pain syndromes. They are characterized by the appearance of pain, paresthesia and numbness sensations in the muscles of the back, shoulder girdle and upper limb.
In the early stages, osteochondrosis is detected by MRI. . . Later, the pathology can be diagnosed thanks to the x-ray. On x-rays of the cervical spine, a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae, pathological changes in the facet joints and osteophytosis become noticeable.
Many people complain that they cannot turn their necks due to severe pain that occurs after a large increase in weight. A similar phenomenon indicates the formation of a herniated disc. The cause of pain in the back, neck and upper limb is a pinching of one of the nerve roots that emerge from the spinal cord.
Cervico-brachial sciatica
The disease is characterized by inflammation of the spinal nerves involved in the formation of the brachial plexus. The cause of the inflammatory process can be acute intoxication, hypothermia, pinching of the nerve root by spasmodic muscles,intervertebral hernias or osteophytes. . .
People with sciatica have severe pain in the neck, back of the head, shoulder, and even in the upper limb.. . . Painful sensations arise acutely, have a burning character. Many people complain of a feeling of numbness in the back of the head, crawling on the arm, sensory disturbances and movement in the upper limb.
What if your neck hurts, it hurts to turn your head, and it is difficult to move your arm? Seek immediate medical attention. Head and neck sciatica requires serious treatment that you cannot afford.
Diseases of the thyroid gland
Most thyroid pathologies are not accompanied by painful sensations. And only in people with acute thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland), the front neck hurts. In addition, patients have an increase in body temperature, chills, general weakness, body aches, and other signs of intoxication. On closer examination, an enlarged and painful thyroid gland can be felt. In some cases, there are several dense infiltrates.
For many people, the neck hurts after a diagnostic thyroid puncture. Unpleasant sensations persist for several days. The cause of the pain is soft tissue trauma during the procedure.
Inflammatory diseases of the cervical organs
With inflammatory diseases of the pharynx and larynx, a person often has a sore throat, and the lymph nodes in the neck become inflamed. The cause of the pathology can be hypothermia, infections, the use of poor quality alcohol or accidental contact with the mucous membranes of chemicals. Neck pain, worse on swallowing, indicates damage to the pharynx, larynx or esophagus. . .
Diseases in which the neck and throat hurt:
- pharyngitis;
- laryngitis;
- angina;
- diphtheria;
- Infectious mononucleosis;
- scarlet fever;
- epiglottitis;
- pharyngeal abscess;
- chemical burn of the esophagus.
The throat and neck on the sides are most often sore from the common cold. The causes of the disease are hypothermia, sudden inhalation of cold air or a long walk in the cold. Good rest, hot tea and a few pain relieving tablets help to cope with the disease.
If you have a sore throat at the bottom of your neck, you should suspect pharyngitis or tracheitis (inflammation of the larynx or windpipe). The development of diseases is provoked by viral infection, inhalation of hot, cold or polluted air. If the throat and neck hurt from behind, a pharyngeal abscess is possible. The pathology is characterized by an increase in temperature, difficulty in swallowing, loss of appetite, general weakness and listlessness.
Damage to the central or peripheral nervous system
Severe pain occurs with subarachnoid hemorrhages. The person himself describes them as a "blow to the head" and a pulsating sensation in the back of the head. The patient develops nausea, vomiting, confusion, meningeal signs. A stiff neck develops about 6 hours after the first pain.
Meningitis has a similar clinical picture.. . . A person with an inflamed meninges has a very bad head and neck. Painful sensations increase with movement. During the examination, the patient reveals the tension of the occipital muscles. Because of this, a person cannot bring the chin to the chest, even with outside help. Along with this, a characteristic rash appears on the patient's body.
Neck pain can be caused by damage to the spinal cord or peripheral nerves, central nervous system tumors, demyelinating diseases, etc. All of these diseases have a polymorphic clinical picture, and painful sensations are one of the symptoms of the pathology.
Back and spine pain can be one of the first signs of multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. In people with this pathology, the so-called Lermitte symptom appears. It is characterized by the sensation of an electric shock on the back of the head, which occurs when the head is tilted forward.
Malignant or benign neoplasms
Various tumors of the cervical spine, pharynx, esophagus, thyroid gland, or other organs can also cause pain. Also, pain can occur in people with Pancost cancer, a malignant neoplasm located subpleurally in the apex of the lung.
Muscle damage
In some cases, the lateral muscles of the neck hurt in people with myositis, polymyalgia, fibromyalgia. These diseases are characterized by lesions of the skeletal muscles of any localization. If a person notices side pain in the muscles of the neck for no apparent reason, they may have one of these conditions.
If you have sore neck muscles in the front of your larynx, remember if you have recently had to scream, sing, or talk for a long time. Then the cause of the discomfort is an overload of the vocal cords.
Other possible causes of neck pain
Pain in the left chest and collarbone extending into the neck usually indicates heart disease. In people with a similar pain syndrome, angina, arrhythmias, heart failure or heart attack are detected.
Neck on the sides can injure people with cavities, diseases of the oropharynx or nasopharynx. Unpleasant sensations can occur with tonsillitis - inflammation of the tonsils. If pain is noted in the shoulders near the neck, it may be due to scoliosis of the cervical and / or thoracic spine.
Why do the lymph nodes in the neck hurt?
Cervical lymph nodes are located on the sides of the neck, along the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Normally they are small in size, but you can hardly find them. However, in some cases, the lymph nodes in the neck can get bigger and hurt. This phenomenon must be alarming, because it can indicate serious diseases and even malignant tumors.
Most often, the pain of the lymph nodes in the neck is due to their inflammation (lymphadenitis).Pathology develops against the background of tonsillitis, rhinitis or acute respiratory viral infection. . . The reason may be their defeat by metastases from tumors of the pharynx, esophagus, lungs or other organs.
Signs of cervical lymphadenitis:
- swollen lymph nodes. In some cases, their size can increase to 2-3 centimeters or more;
- the appearance of hyperemia and edema. Lymphadenitis is usually accompanied by redness of the skin and the appearance of swelling in the area of inflamed lymph nodes;
- painful sensations. A person has pain behind the ear and neck on one or both sides at the same time. It is difficult for the patient to turn his head and perform active movements with his shoulders;
- symptoms of intoxication. Body temperature rises, chills, general weakness, listlessness, headaches appear. The phenomena of intoxication appear in the acute form of lymphadenitis.
Cervical lymph nodes can become inflamed after prolonged exposure to a draft. Most often there is pain in the ear and under the ear on the neck. Slightly enlarged and painful lymph nodes may be felt under the patient's skin.
Your lymph nodes in your neck have grown in size and are aching, but you don't know what to do? It is best to consult your doctor immediately. The specialist will examine you carefully and prescribe an additional examination. After passing the necessary tests, you can find out the cause of the pathology.
The reasons why the head and neck hurt most often
According to statistics, 70% of people with frequent headaches (headache) not only have headaches, but also cervical spine.Neck pain can be caused by the irradiation of painful sensations or have a vertebrogenic character. Many men and women with osteochondrosis have neck pain and headaches. Of all headaches, 15-20% are cervicogenic.
The reasons why a person has pain in the neck, head and temples:
- overwork;
- violation of blood circulation in the tissues of the brain;
- diseases of the cervical spine;
- inflammation of the paranasal sinuses;
- arterial hypertension;
- heart disease;
- menopause period;
- migraine;
- overexertion of the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
The most common type of headache is tension headache (HDN). It occurs due to mental tension, severe mental activity, or prolonged spasm of the muscles of the neck, back, and upper limb girdle. For tension headaches, neck massage, reflexology and a short dose of pain relievers help a lot.
If you have frequent neck pain and dizziness, do not hesitate to seek treatment. Massage of the cervical neck area and acupuncture help to cope with HDN. If after a massage you continue to feel pain, you need a full examination. There might be a serious problem behind the banal headache.
Why does the child have a sore neck?
A sore throat in a baby appears with angina, acute respiratory viral infections, rubella, mumps, meningitis and some other infectious diseases. If a child has neck pain on one side only, the cause may be otitis media, pharyngeal abscess, lymphadenitis, or trauma.
Speaking of childhood illnesses, we must mention torticollis. The pathology is characterized by a congenital shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Due to the defect, the baby's head assumes a forced position. It is constantly turned and in the opposite direction to the defective muscle. A child with stiff neck also has side pain in the neck. The main reason for this is constant muscle tension.
What to do?Catch your baby immediately and go to the hospital. . . Seeking timely medical help will help identify the problem on time and begin treatment.
Which doctor should I see? It is best to consult your pediatrician first. After the examination, the pediatrician will diagnose and prescribe treatment or send you for a consultation with a narrow specialist.
How to relieve acute neck pain
Some people, after hypothermia or lifting weights, complain: "My neck hurts, I cannot turn my head. . . ". This symptom indicates acute inflammation of the spinal roots or neuralgia of the occipital nerve. If you experience such pain, you should always consult a doctor.
To relieve the pain, you can use tablets, gels or a patch. In this case, it is better to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids or warming ointments. Dry heat also has a good effect (heating pad, heated sand bag or grain bag).
You don't know which doctor to consult if you have unbearable pain in your neck? Since these neck pain usually indicates inflammation or pinched nerves, it is best that you see a neurologist immediately. He will prescribe adequate treatment and, if necessary, perform a drug blockade. Injecting corticosteroids can relieve pain quickly and effectively.
How to treat spinal neck pain
Neck pain is treated by an orthopedic traumatologist or a vertebrologist. After injuries and operations in the cervical region, doctors prescribe the patient to wear a Shants collar. Pain relievers and muscle relaxers are used to relieve pain. In order to relieve muscle spasms and restore the normal biomechanics of the shoulder girdle, experts recommend a series of exercises. Therapeutic gymnastics allows you to develop muscles, restore normal mobility to the spine.
Which doctor should you turn to if your neck hurts during pregnancy? First of all, you should consult your attending gynecologist. He will examine you and send you for consultation with a specialist who will prescribe appropriate treatment.