When the neck hurts: causes and treatments

In medicine, neck pain is called cervical pain. According to the results of numerous screening studies, 12-72% of people of working age occur during the year. That means sensationsknown to almost everyone. . . In 1, 7-11, 5% of people, cervical pain ultimately leads to disability. Let’s discover their most common causes and treatment methods.

Classification of cervix

All painful sensations in the neck are divided into acute and chronic. The first ones appear suddenly and have a pronounced character. They usually appear after hypothermia, strenuous exercise or heavy lifting. Chronic feelings of pain torment a person constantly, over a long period of time. They are mild, have a painful character and worsen after prolonged sitting or sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

Depending on the localizationthe pain is visceral, somatic superficial, and deep. . . The first occurs as a result of damage to internal organs. Visceral (reflected) pain may indicate angina, esophageal or pharyngeal disease, acute thyroiditis, dissection of the vertebral or carotid arteries.

Superficial somatic pain occurs in the skin due to trauma or small scratches, deeply localized in the tissues. The reason for the appearance of the latter is usually excessive muscle tension or pathology of the spine.

How to distinguish visceral pain from somatic? The first are diffuse in nature, that is, a person cannot determine their exact location: they radiate to other parts of the body, they are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fever, etc.

In 2008, Force's neck pain task suggested the following:tadia cervicalgia:

1. The patient has no symptoms indicating structural abnormalities. The daily activities of a person are not limited, he does not need additional examination and treatment. Such cervicals disappear after minimal lifestyle correction.
2. The person has no signs of serious structural damage to the spine or cervical organs, but his daily activities are slightly weakened. The patient sometimes needs painkillers. To prevent disability, he needs a lifestyle change, special exercises.
3. The person has no signs of serious organic damage, but there are neurological symptoms. The patient needs additional examination, complex treatment of the detected pathology.
4. The patient notices 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 in meningitis, acute disorders of cerebral circulation, TBI, increased intracranial pressure, intracerebral tumors.Neuropathic pain occurs due to spinal root pinching, tunnel neuropathy, traumatic nerve damage, polyneuropathy, multiple sclerosis, etc. . . .

The main causes of neck pain

Neck pain can occur occasionally or bother a person on a daily basis. Periodic cervicalgias that occur every few months are usually harmless and do not indicate any pathology. They pass quickly after a good rest or application of anesthetic ointment.

But constant pain or sudden severe neck pain should cause serious concern in a person.

Table 1. Main reasons

The cause	Mechanism of pain syndrome development	Characteristic signs of pathology
Hard work or exercise in the gym	Creating large amounts of lactic acid in the muscles. This substance causes painful sensations.	The pain occurs the next morning after intense physical activity. Unpleasant sensations are intensified by hand movements, turning the head. It passes in a few days
Hypothermia	Development of neuralgia - pain in the innervation of the occipital nerves	Usually a person has pain under the ear on the neck and nape of the neck. In most cases, occipital nerve neuralgia has a unilateral localization: painful sensations appear only on one side
Psychosomatics	Formation of muscle blocks - spastic contractions of the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle	A man's neck hurts for no apparent reason. A complete examination by doctors does not reveal signs of spinal lesions or diseases of internal organs
Pathological biomechanics of the shoulder girdle	Disorders of normal work of the muscles of the upper limb girdle. Excessive strain and spasm of the trapezius muscle	Slight impairment of mobility in the shoulders and cervical spine. Painful pain that worsens after prolonged sitting in the same position or doing physical work
Cervical osteochondrosis	Occurrence of pathological changes in one or more segments of spinal movement. Impaired spinal mobility, development of myofascial pain syndrome and spinal root constriction	Pain, paresthesias, and movement disorders in the cervical region extending to the back of the head and upper limbs. Detection of characteristic changes in the spine on MRI and radiographic images (osteophytes, reduction in the distance between the vertebrae, signs of damage to the intervertebral joints)
Cervicobrachial sciatica	Development of an inflammatory process on the nerves that make up the brachial plexus	Unilateral sharp pain radiating to the upper limb. The patient complains of burning and numbness of the hands and nape. Unpleasant symptoms appear after hypothermia or hard physical work
Acute thyroiditis	Formation of inflammatory or purulent foci in the thyroid gland with subsequent development of pain syndrome	Sharp pain and swelling in the thyroid gland. On palpation, you may feel an enlarged, painful, nodular thyroid gland
Colds and infectious diseases	Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the pharynx, larynx, trachea due to inhalation of cold air or under the influence of infectious factors	Occurrence of pain and sore throat, headache, runny nose, fever. General weakness, apathy, decreased ability to work
Burns in the throat or esophagus	Exposure of mucous membranes to chemicals, high or low temperatures with further development of the inflammatory process	Severe pain in the esophagus, which is worse when swallowing
Tension headaches	Constant excessive strain on the shoulder girdle muscles, frequent stress, depression	Painful diffuse pain in the head, radiating to the cervical region
Subarachnoid hemorrhage	Irritation of the meninges by blood flowing into the subarachnoid space	A sharp pain in the back of the head, reminiscent of a blow to the head
Multiple sclerosis	Damage to the myelin fibers of the brain and spinal cord with further 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	Compression of tissues, nerves or organs by a malignant neoplasm	Painful pains that last a long time. In tumors of the pharynx or esophagus, a person has difficulty swallowing food
Inflammation of the lymph nodes	Development of an inflammatory process in the lymph nodes in response to the penetration of infection, hypothermia, etc.	Painful sensations on the hips of the neck. Palpation along the sternocleidomastoid muscle may show enlarged painful lymph nodes

Overwork or hypothermia

If your neck hurts after exercise, physical exertion, or prolonged monotonous work, the muscle strain is wrong. Intense physical activity leads to the formation of lactic acid, which causes severe pain. Unpleasant sensations completely disappear after 3-4 days.

Neck pain radiating to the ear can occur after hypothermia. . . Due to the action of low temperature, occipital nerve neuralgia develops. The pathology is characterized by paroxysmal, cracking, burning pains in the nape of the neck. The pathology can be unilateral or bilateral.

Some people often sleep in their necks. This may be due to the wrong choice of pillows. However, painful feelings may also indicate cervical osteochondrosis. Therefore, if your neck hurts after sleeping, the first thing you need to do is change the pillow. If the pain syndrome does not go away, you should go to a traumatologist or vertebrologist.

Psychosomatic pain

If your neck hurts constantly, for no apparent reason, it may be a matter of psychosomatics. Muscle blocks can be caused by repressed emotions, stubbornness and one-sided thinking. In people with psychosomatic cervical muscles, 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 studies have established a link between personality traits and the appearance of the cervical spine. As it turned out, increased anxiety and aggression contribute to the development of cervical osteochondrosis. The discovered relationship can be used to more effectively treat vertebrogenic pain in the shoulders and neck in people with neuroses or diseases similar to neuroses.

Violation of shoulder girdle biomechanics

The reason your neck and shoulders hurt may be that your shoulder girdle muscles are not working properly. Functional weakness of the deltoid and overload of the trapezius muscles leads to the appearance of myofascial trigger points that cause the development of pain syndrome. Initially, the neck muscles are painful, but over time, organic changes develop in the spine.

Improper load distribution on the shoulder girdle muscles is a common cause of cervical pain. It is necessary to eliminate the cause of the pathology, ie to return normal biomechanics to the upper limb girdle. To achieve this, you need to carefully monitor your posture, perform special exercises.

Spinal osteochondrosis and its complications

Do your neck and spine between your shoulder blades hurt constantly? This may be a signal for the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The pathology is characterized by gradual destruction of the nuclei of intervertebral discs with subsequent development of protrusions, hernias, spondyloarthritis and cervical spondylosis.

Typical signs of osteochondrosis:

• pain in neck muscles, collar area;
• feeling numb in the back of the head;
• restriction of cervical spine mobility;
• violation of the sensitivity of the upper limbs;
• slight weakness in the hands;
• tinnitus, frequent dizziness, headaches.

A person with osteochondrosis not only has pain in the spine in the neck. Due to the reflex muscle tension, he develops myofascial pain syndromes. They are characterized by the appearance of pain, paraesthesia and numbness of the muscles of the back, shoulder girdle and upper limb.

In the initial stages, osteochondrosis is detected by MRI. . . Later, the pathology can be diagnosed thanks to radiography. On radiographs 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 neck due to severe pain that appeared after a sudden weight gain. A similar phenomenon indicates the formation of a herniated disc. The cause of pain in the back, neck and upper limb is pinching of one of the nerve roots that come out of the spinal cord.

Cervicobrachial 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 the upper limb.. . . Painful feelings arise acutely, they have a burning character. Many complain of a feeling of numbness in the back of the head, crawling on the arm, sensory and movement disorders in the upper limb.

What to do if your neck hurts, your head hurts and your arm is difficult to move? Seek medical attention immediately. Cervicobrachial sciatica requires serious treatment that you cannot provide for yourself.

Thyroid disease

Most pathologies of the thyroid gland are not accompanied by painful sensations. And only in people with acute thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland), the front neck hurts. Also, patients have a rise in body temperature, cold, general weakness, body aches and other signs of intoxication. On closer examination, an enlarged and painful thyroid may be felt. In some cases, several dense infiltrates are found in it.

Many people have neck pain after a diagnostic thyroid puncture. Unpleasant sensations last for several days. The cause of the pain is soft tissue trauma during the procedure.

Inflammatory diseases of the cervical organs

In 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 low-quality alcohol or accidental contact with the mucous membrane of chemicals. Neck pain, burning when swallowing, indicates involvement of the pharynx, larynx or esophagus. . .

Diseases of the neck and throat:

• pharyngitis;
• laryngitis;
• angina;
• diphtheria;
• Infectious mononucleosis;
• scarlet fever;
• epiglottitis;
• pharyngeal abscess;
• chemical burns of the esophagus.

The throat and neck on the hips usually suffer from a cold. The causes of the disease are hypothermia, sudden inhalation of cold air or a long walk in the cold. A good rest, hot tea and a few analgesic pills help to cope with the disease.

If you have a sore throat at the bottom of the neck, you should suspect pharyngitis or tracheitis (inflammation of the larynx or trachea). The development of the disease is caused by a 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 fever, difficulty swallowing, loss of appetite, general weakness and apathy.

Damage to the central or peripheral nervous system

Severe pain occurs with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The person himself describes them as a "blow to the head" and a feeling of pulsation in the back of the head. The patient develops nausea, vomiting, confusion, meningeal signs. A stiff neck develops approximately 6 hours after the onset of the first pain.

Meningitis has a similar clinical picture.. . . A person with meningitis has a very bad head and neck. Painful feelings are intensified by movements. During the examination, the patient discovers tension of the occipital muscles. Because of that, a person cannot bear the beard on the chest, even with the help of the outside. At the same time, a characteristic rash appears on the patient's body.

Neck pain can be caused by damage to the spinal cord or peripheral nerves, tumors of the central nervous system, demyelinating diseases, etc. All these diseases have a polymorphic clinical picture, and painful feelings are one of the symptoms of the pathology.

Back and spine pain can be one of the early signs of multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. In people with this pathology, the so-called Lermitte symptom occurs. It is characterized by a feeling of electric shock to the back of the head that occurs when the head is tilted forward.

Malignant or benign neoplasms

Various tumors of the cervical spine, pharynx, esophagus, thyroid, or other organs can also cause pain. Also, pain can occur in people with Pancost's cancer, a malignant neoplasm that is located subpleurally in the top of the lungs.

Muscle damage

In some cases, the lateral neck muscles ache in people with myositis, polymyalgia, and fibromyalgia. These diseases are characterized by damage to skeletal muscles of any localization. If a person notices pain in the neck muscles for no apparent reason, he may have one of these diseases.

If you have sore neck muscles in the front of your throat, remember if you recently had to scream, sing, or talk for a long time. Then the cause of discomfort is excessive straining of the vocal cords.

Other possible causes of cervical pain

Pain in the left side of the chest and collarbone extending into the neck usually indicates heart disease. In people with a similar pain syndrome, angina pectoris, arrhythmias, heart failure or heart attack are detected.

The neck on the side can hurt in people with caries, diseases of the oropharynx or nasopharynx. Unpleasant sensations can occur with tonsillitis - tonsillitis. If shoulder pain is noticed 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. They are usually small in size, but you can hardly find them. However, in some cases, the lymph nodes in the neck can grow and hurt. This phenomenon should be alarming, because it can indicate serious diseases, and even malignant tumors.

The most common soreness of the lymph nodes in the neck occurs due to their inflammation (lymphadenitis).The pathology develops on the background of tonsillitis, rhinitis or acute respiratory viral infection. . . The reason may be their defeat by metastases of 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 inches or more;
• occurrence of hyperemia and edema. Lymphadenitis is usually accompanied by redness of the skin and swelling in the area of inflamed lymph nodes;
• painful sensations. The person has pain behind the ear and neck on one or both sides at once. 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, apathy, headaches appear. The phenomena of intoxication appear in the acute form of lymphadenitis.

Cervical lymph nodes may become inflamed after prolonged exposure to drafts. The most common 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.

The lymph nodes in your neck are enlarged and sore, but you don't know what to do? It is best to see a doctor right away. The specialist will examine you carefully and prescribe an additional examination. Once you have passed the necessary tests, you can discover the cause of the pathology.

Reasons why the head and neck usually hurt

According to statistics, 70% of people with frequent headaches (cephalgias) have not only headaches, but also a cervical spine.Cervical pain can be caused by radiation of painful feelings or have a vertebrogenic nature. Many men and women with osteochondrosis have neck pain and headaches. Among all headaches, 15-20% have a cervicogenic nature.

Reasons why a person has a neck, head and temple:

• overwork;
• violation of blood circulation in brain tissues;
• diseases of the cervical spine;
• inflammation of the paranasal sinuses;
• High blood pressure;
• heart disease;
• menopause;
• migraine;
• excessive strain on the shoulder girdle muscles.

The most common type of cephalalgia is tension headache (HDN). It occurs due to mental stress, heavy mental activity or prolonged spasms of the muscles of the neck, back and girdle of the upper limbs. Neck massage, reflexology and a short intake of painkillers help a lot with tension headaches.

If you have frequent neck pain and dizziness, do not hesitate to treat. Cervical collar zone massage and acupuncture help cope with HDN. If you continue to feel pain even after the massage, you need a complete examination. Maybe there is a serious problem behind the banal headache.

For what reasons does a child have a sore neck?

Inflammation of the throat in a baby occurs with angina, acute respiratory viral infections, rubella, mumps, meningitis and some other infectious diseases. If the child has neck pain on only one side, the cause may be otitis media, pharyngeal abscess, lymphadenitis, or trauma.

Speaking of childhood diseases, torticollis should be mentioned. The pathology is characterized by congenital shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Due to the malfunction, the baby's head takes a forced position. It is constantly facing up and in the opposite direction from the damaged muscle. A child with torticollis also has neck pain. The main reason for this is constant muscle strain.

What to do?Grab the baby right away and go to the hospital. . . Seeking medical help in a timely manner will help identify the problem in time and begin treatment.

Which doctor should I go to? It is best to visit your pediatrician first. After the examination, the pediatrician will diagnose and prescribe treatment or will send you for a consultation with a narrow specialist.

How to relieve acute neck pain

Some people complain after hypothermia or weight lifting: "My neck hurts, I can't turn my head . . . ". This symptom indicates acute inflammation of the spinal root or neuralgia of the occipital nerve. If you feel such pain, you should always see a doctor.

You can use tablets, gels or a band-aid to relieve the pain. In this case, it is best to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids or warming ointments. Dry heat also has a good effect (heating pad, bag with heated sand or cereals).

Not sure which doctor to visit if you have unbearable neck pain? Since these cervicalgias usually indicate inflammation or nerve constriction, it is best to see a neurologist immediately. They will prescribe adequate treatment and, if necessary, block the medication. Corticosteroid injections can quickly and effectively relieve pain.

How to treat back pain in the spine

Neck pain is treated by an orthopedic traumatologist or vertebrologist. After injuries and surgeries in the cervical region, doctors prescribe the patient to wear a Shants collar. Pain relievers and muscle relaxants are used to relieve pain. To alleviate muscle cramps and restore normal shoulder girdle biomechanics, experts recommend a set of exercises. Therapeutic gymnastics allows you to develop muscles, restore normal mobility of the spine.

Which doctor should you go to if you have neck pain during pregnancy? First of all, visit your gynecologist. They will examine you and send you for a consultation with a specialist who will prescribe adequate treatment.