Every person has experienced neck pain many times in their life. If the back of the neck hurts, then the cause, in most cases, lies in the cervical spine. Let's take a closer look at each disease.
Myositis
With hypothermia and colds, neck myositis develops - acute inflammation of the muscles. The person begins to have severe pain in the neck and shoulders, the temperature rises slightly. On palpation of the painful area, the skin above the muscles is edematous, swollen, hot to the touch. When you try to turn your head to the affected side, there is sharp pain and tension in the neck muscles.
Myositis can manifest in the background of respiratory or viral disease. Then there is pain in the throat, neck, swollen lymph nodes.
Treatment
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help stop inflammation quickly and effectively. Various ointments and gels can be used topically. Here it is necessary to add an important fact about the finalgone - it is necessary to smear it with a thin layer and under no circumstances can it be washed off with water.
You can use semi-alcoholic and heating pads - with vodka, diluted alcohol or dimexid. Folk remedies also help: boiled potatoes, rubbing with honey, applying crushed cabbage leaves.
In addition to treating myositis, colds are also treated - antiviral or antibacterial drugs, vitamins, nasal and throat sprays. For quick relief of sore throat is very helpful spray - a powerful antibacterial and antifungal drug whose effect can be felt 20-30 minutes after the start of treatment.
Cervical osteochondrosis
Everyone has heard of this disease, but the reasons for its development are still a mystery.
Predisposing factors are injuries, prolonged forced position, microtraumas of muscles and tendons during heavy physical work, dystrophic processes in the spine, age, menopause.
With protrusion, instability, hernia in the cervical spine, the nerve roots are compressed, the blood flow in the vertebral artery is disturbed, which leads to cerebral ischemia.
All symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are divided into:
- reflex;
- radicular and vascular compression;
- spinal.
More:
- Reflex symptoms occur with prolonged irritation of tissue receptors of the pathological spine. Nerve impulses from the affected vertebra enter the spinal cord, causing changes in the surrounding muscles and tissues. The muscles of the healthy side take over all functions, forming a pathological stereotype of movement. And the muscles on the affected side fix the displaced spine in a certain position, preventing its further curvature. But they also do not give the opportunity to take a physiological position. If a person does not go to the doctor and chiropractor at this time, muscle atrophy occurs, degenerative changes in the vertebral tissues, cervical osteochondrosis is formed. In the future, the progression of the disease causes inflammation and fibrosis of the shoulder girdle muscles, inflammation of the periarticular sac is formed. Reflex symptoms:
- pain along the spinous processes - palpation of the neck will cause discomfort, pain, cracking in the spine;
- tension and pain in the muscles of the back of the neck, intensified by attempting to turn the head or probing;
- cervical pain - aching or sharp pain in the neck, may occasionally recede, giving the person rest. But with loads, a long stay in a sitting position (for example, during flights, long trips in a bus or a car), the pain will not last long. With cervical pain, a person may occasionally hear a squeak in the neck, feel discomfort and numbness of the skin;
- cervicocranialgia - heaviness and pain in the neck that spreads to the head. The back of the head most often suffers - there is heaviness, a feeling of "pulsation", numbness, the person wants to support the head with his hand or lean on a hard surface. Occasionally there are "waves" - the back of the head and neck appear to be burning or freezing. Sleep also suffers - it is intermittent, superficial, the patient wakes up in the morning sluggish, apathetic, tired. The pain can spread throughout the head - photophobia occurs, constricting pain in the temples, neck, eyes, high blood pressure, nausea and vomiting often occur;
- cervicobrachialgia - pain in the cervical region spreads to the shoulder and arm. There is pain and cramping of the shoulder muscles, stiffness, pain in the shoulder joint, creaking, difficulty trying to raise or remove the arm.
- Compression of the roots and vessels of the spinal cord is manifested by vertebral artery syndrome. This is a large complex of different manifestations of vertebral compression. There are 3 groups of symptoms that directly indicate the disease:
- pulsating and painful headache of persistent or paroxysmal nature, burning, unbearable. It increases with prolonged uncomfortable position, spreads from the nape of the neck to the forehead;
- cochleovestibular changes - dizziness, gait instability, various tinnitus (clicking, buzzing, buzzing). Dizziness in patients is constant or paroxysmal, worsening the quality of life of the person;
- pathology of vision - darkening and "flies" in front of the eyes, discomfort and a feeling of "sand", tingling, decreased vision.
There are several types of manifestations of vertebral artery syndrome:
Barre-Lieu syndrome - there is pain in the back cervical and occipital part, which passes into the front parts of the head - "removing the helmet". It intensifies at night and after sleep, especially if the person has slept on an uncomfortable pillow. When turning the head, dizziness and tinnitus appear, darkening of the eyes.
Basilar migraine - before the migraine attack, there is darkness in the eyes, flickering black dots, photophobia. The attack begins with severe dizziness, tinnitus, impaired articulation of the tongue (the person has difficulty pronouncing words). Severe pain in the back of the head, the back of the head, makes a person immobilize to reduce the attack. Vomiting occurs at the height of the headache, in severe cases - fainting.
Cochleovestibular symptom - painful pain in the back of the head, squeaking when tilting and turning the head, dizziness, hearing loss and impaired speech intelligibility. Often patients are unable to distinguish whispered speech.
Ophthalmic syndrome - on the background of cervical osteochondrosis, vision is impaired. The person develops rapid eye fatigue when reading, loss of visual fields, redness of the conjunctiva and tearing.
Spondylarthrosis
The disease is characterized by "wear" of cartilage with bony growths along the edge of the joint surface. The disease occurs at any age, but most often occurs in the elderly. Trauma, inflammation, congenital changes in the joints can cause the development of spondyloarthritis.
Symptoms
The patient is disturbed by pains in the cervical spine, which are intensified by turning and tilting the head. Often a person cannot completely turn his head to the side, trying to increase the range of motion causes back pain. In the supine position, the pain subsides. In addition to the neck, the process includes the spinal region, knee joints and hips.
As the disease progresses, there is a narrowing of the intervertebral canal in the cervical and lumbar region. Spondylogenic myelopathy develops - a chronic disease of the spine with a weakening of muscle tone and dysfunction of internal organs. Myelopathy causes an increase in pain in a person, reduces the speed of blood flow in the veins of the neck and head.
Spondyloarthritis
Prolonged pain in the back of the head, inability to fully draw the head to the chest - symptoms may also indicate rheumatoid arthritis of the spine. The disease develops against the background of polyarthritis - multiple joint lesions.
Symptoms
The pain occurs in the back of the head, spreads to the back of the head, intensifies when the head is tilted back and forth, turns left and right. The person cannot move his head completely, the neck muscles are tense and sore. In severe cases, a life-threatening complication develops - bulbar syndrome. Its manifestations are diverse and depend on the degree of pinching of the medulla oblongata during subluxation of the atlas. The patient's speech is impaired - it is vague, slow and the person gets tired of speech quickly. Ingestion is also impaired, especially liquid foods. The person chokes, fluid comes out through the nose or corners of the mouth. Cardiac activity is disturbed - arrhythmia and tachycardia occur.
In children, cervical spondyloarthritis develops as a complication of acute sinusitis - sinusitis. The disease is called Grisel's torticollis after a French doctor. The disease is formed with a defect in the articulation of the atlas and teeth of the axial vertebra.
The symptom of the disease is specific and enables a quick diagnosis: the child's head is tilted towards the source of the inflammation and it is slightly turned towards the healthy side.
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis and spondyloarthritis is the same. The patient needs a consultation and treatment with a manual therapist. The specialist will quickly and painlessly place the vertebrae in place, eliminating the need for expensive treatment in the clinic. If necessary, every six months or a year, a neurologist at the clinic prescribes a course of medication: these are injections given intramuscularly or intravenously and tablets.
Good helps in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis neck massage, acupuncture. You can use self-massage - rub the neck muscles from the back of the head to the shoulders in light circular motions. You cannot massage the neck muscles by force - you can cause an increase in arterial and intracranial pressure.
Patients often use an applicator - the point effect of needles reduces muscle tension, stimulates blood circulation. Applicators should be used only after consulting a doctor and making an accurate diagnosis - needles are contraindicated in the oncological process, because they stimulate tumor growth.
In the case of vertebral artery syndrome and cerebral ischemia, nootropic therapy is mandatory: intravenous injections of drugs that stimulate vascular circulation, increase brain oxygenation, reduce dizziness and tinnitus.
Tuberculosis of the spine
The spread of tuberculosis in the bones and joints most often affects the spine. The danger of illness is in a long period of silence. Tuberculosis does not manifest itself in any way for 2-4 years. As the disease progresses and the vertebral bodies are destroyed, there is heaviness in the neck and shoulders, vague pain in the spine without clear localization.
The man cannot hold his head on his own for a long time, he constantly tries to support it with his hand. Due to severe neck pain, the patient avoids turning and tilting his head. As the vertebrae are destroyed, the process spreads to the surrounding tissues, an abscess is formed - an abscess in the capsule. There is swelling on the back of the neck, densely elastic consistency, which slowly increases in size. The abscess can spread to the throat, cough, difficulty swallowing and sore throat.
Treatment of the tuberculosis process is carried out in a specialized tuberculosis dispensary. Treatment is difficult and time consuming, with numerous side effects. Powerful bactericidal preparations of synthetic production are used. Course doses with 2-3 drugs are prescribed. In the process of treatment, monthly blood and urine tests and examination for Mycobacterium tuberculosis are performed. Once every two months, the patient undergoes an X-ray examination.
Cervical spine cancer
The tumor can appear at any age. A neoplasm can grow from cartilage, bone, and nerve tissue. The tumor may be a stand-alone disease or be a metastatic focus from another organ. The most common metastases in the cervical region are cancers of the breast, prostate, lungs and stomach.
The symptoms will increase as the tumor spreads: the person has constant pain in the neck, there are difficulties in tilting and turning the head. Weakness, sweating, fatigue occur. Tumor growth and compression of roots and blood vessels will lead to tremors and weakness of the arms and shoulder girdle, constant headaches, dizziness.
Treatment
Apply:
- surgical intervention - complete radical excision of the tumor within healthy tissues;
- chemotherapy - cytotoxic drugs that slow down the division of tumor cells and prevent their further development;
- radiation therapy - action on tumor cells by ionizing radiation;
- symptomatic treatment - the most commonly used painkillers in the last stages of cancer, narcotic analgesics.
Spinal cancer is an extremely dangerous disease, the manifestations of which are often attributed to osteochondrosis, and treatment is delayed. Therefore, when there is pain in the cervical spine, it is necessary to do an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging. This will allow you to quickly diagnose and begin appropriate treatment.
In the polyclinic, magnetic resonance imaging is rarely prescribed for financial reasons - but in many private centers this examination is performed for a fee. It is better to pay a few thousand rubles and protect yourself than to cure the disease for a long time, not knowing what the source of the trouble is.