Almost everyone has had neck pain. They can appear not only in adults but also in children. To get rid of unpleasant sensations, you must first discover the reason for the pain in your neck and, based on that, resolve the problem. As this may be a symptom of a more serious illness rather than simple pain, it is important to see a doctor in time.
Causes of Neck Pain
Neck discomfort is one of the most common complaints of patients. There are many reasons why cervical spine pain can be recorded, but they are all divided into several groups:
- Non-specific factors. The reason for the onset of pain in the neck and neck can be long stay in the same position, excessive effort, repetition of the same type of movements, hypothermia, overweight, stress. They can also appear after a night's sleep in the wrong position or on an uncomfortable mattress or pillow. These pains can be quite harmless.
- Damage to vertebrae, intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments. Neck pain can result from degenerative dystrophic diseases. The most common pathologies in this group are osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, spondylolisthesis, stenosis and hernia.
- Pathology of the internal organs. Anterior pain is usually due to thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland). This pain is aggravated by any impact on the neck. Salivary gland inflammation, caries, tonsillitis, damage to the larynx and trachea can also cause neck pain.
- Tumors. Neoplasms can cause severe pain in the neck. They are long enough. If the discomfort doesn't stop, you should see a doctor right away.
- Injuries and other mechanical damage. Another reason for spinal pain is an injury. Even a small blow can damage the cervical spine. When affected, the vertebrae can be dislocated. If they are not placed in a timely manner, the patient will complain that the neck hurts in the front, right or left for no apparent reason.
- Inflammatory processes. Pain can appear due to arthritis, lupus, spondyloarthritis and Sharp syndrome. Sometimes inflammation occurs with pain due to ankylosing spondylitis.
- Pathologies of the muscular corset. Trigger points, small lumps in the neck, appear when the muscles in the shoulders and neck are jerky.
- Infectious diseases. These pathologies usually include tuberculosis, meningitis, herpes zoster, and osteomelite.
- Consequences of the operation.
Symptoms of illnesses that cause pain in the shoulders and neck can take years or be present all the time. Therefore, it is important to have regular checkups at medical institutions.
There are sore throat causes that only affect children. If a child's neck hurts, they are usually very serious illnesses. These include torticollis, tetanus, mumps, polio, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Diagnosis
To find out the cause of the discomfort, if there is pain in the cervical spine, it is important to consult a specialist as soon as the first symptoms appear. The therapist or pediatrician will refer you to a more restricted specialist after an initial examination and depending on the nature of the pain.
Most of the time, they are referred to a neurologist or chiropractor. If neck pain is the cause of mechanical damage, the patient should refer the patient to a traumatologist. For neck pain or torticollis in children, they can be referred to an orthopedist. They are referred to the cardiologist if they are concerned about left neck pain, but there are no problems with the functioning of the arms and legs. An otolaryngologist should be asked for help when neck pain occurs and it is suspected that the cause may be sore throat or swollen lymph nodes.
To determine the source of neck pain in the front, back, right, or left, the doctor first feels it. Based on the results of this examination, the specialist decides which diagnosis to make and prescribes treatment.
When pain occurs when shaking the head, bending back and forth, this indicates damage to the first vertebra. If you experience discomfort when bending sideways or rotating your neck, the problem is most likely in your second vertebra.
If the patient is concerned about severe pain in the cervical spine, an experienced specialist can easily determine the cause. Since the focus of pain may be far from the site of manifestation, even when the throbbing pain in the left neck is disturbing, a more detailed diagnosis is made.
Based on the results of the initial exam, your doctor may refer you for additional diagnostic procedures. This includes consultation for blood and urine tests, ultrasound examination, MRI, radiography, tomography, cardiogram, electroneurogram. The results of these procedures are important to answer the question of how to treat pain in the neck and cervical region.
Cervical Pain Treatment
A specialist, after the patient has gone through all the diagnostic procedures, can tell you how to get rid of the pain in the neck. You should not self-medicate as pain can have different etiologies and treatment approaches will also be different.
A neurologist or physiotherapist prescribes a treatment for the cervical spine. These specialists can refer you to a chiropractor if necessary. It is generally recommended to take a course in medication, physiotherapy and massage. If the neck hurts a lot and treatment with drugs, physiotherapy and massage does not help, an operation is performed.
Non-surgical treatment
To quickly and effectively relieve pain in the cervical spine, treatment must be comprehensive. The patient is usually prescribed the following non-surgical treatment for cervical spine pain:
- drug therapy;
- orthopedic methods;
- reflexology;
- ultrasound therapy;
- laser therapy;
- therapeutic massage, osteopathy;
- physiotherapy.
Drug therapy is a treatment with ointments, pills, injections. It aims to eliminate pain and associated unpleasant symptoms.
If acute neck pain is caused by osteochondrosis, in addition to pain relievers, muscle relaxants are prescribed. In severe conditions, when it comes to acute neck pain, corticosteroids may be prescribed.
If there is severe pain in the neck, blocks are used to relieve the symptom.
Orthopedic methods involve wearing a collar. Its fixation can be soft or hard. More often, this treatment is prescribed when the neck hurts constantly or when there are injuries.
If, at the end of treatment, preventive measures are not continued, neck pain, both in adults and children, may manifest again.
Reflexology is an electric shock for pain in the cervical spine. Allocate common acupuncture and electroacupuncture.
The ultrasound effect has an antispasmodic effect if the neck muscles ache and, during phonophoresis, the drug effect increases several times.
Laser therapy has a calming effect on the inflamed area of the skin. If the neck hurts, a qualified specialist will explain how to treat this method.
Also, if your neck hurts laterally, to the left, or to the right, a massage will be helpful. Massage therapy is recommended at least twice a year. This procedure relieves stress and eliminates some of the causes of the unpleasant symptom.
Physical therapy exercises (exercise therapy) aim at the correct distribution of load during pain in the cervical spine. In addition, there is stretching and increased mobility of certain muscle groups.
In addition to official medicines to relieve symptoms in the neck, informal medicine can also be used to heal the back of the head and the rest of the cervical region.
treatment with surgery
There are times when it is impossible to do without a surgical intervention. How is neck pain treated in this case? Operable situations include hernias, compression of the spinal cord or spinal roots, and mechanical injury.
The operation comes down to the fact that the areas of the vertebrae that interfere with the normal functioning and work of the spinal cord are simply removed. In some cases, it is possible to perform a laser operation.
The operation can cause complications or accidents, so doctors initially try different treatments.
It is important to know that the doctor will only offer an operable way of solving the problem when he realizes that other methods will not bring a positive result. For this reason, treatment cannot be delayed for long, especially if the disease is detected at an early stage.
Prophylaxis
To rule out a cause of neck pain such as inactivity and being in an uncomfortable position, self-massage is recommended. How to treat neck pain with this method will be advised by a massage therapist or other specialist who has been contacted for neck pain.
Light exercise during working hours will be helpful. You need to take regular breaks to get your neck muscles back in order. With a long incorrect position or tension, pain in the cervical spine can occur.
The sleeping pillow and mattress must be orthopedic. They will relieve stress on your spine throughout the day.
Massaging twice a year will reduce the likelihood of going to the doctor for neck pain. A professional massage therapist can remove the cause of chronic right, frontal, and left neck pain during the course.
To rule out serious illnesses, you need to determine why your neck might hurt. It's important to keep your neck warm, you need to protect it from drafts. Observing correct posture will not be superfluous, especially for children.