The neck is above all the most mobile part of the spine, which is responsible for the movements and turns of the head. But if we compare the structure of cervical and, for example, lumbar or thoracic vertebrae, it can be noted that the former have a much thinner body. But it is on this department that the entire burden of maintaining the head and its movements falls. Due to such a natural "injustice", the cervical region often suffers from diseases and injuries, which leads to the fact that a person's neck hurts when turning the head.
Neck pain has now become one of the most common problems. They occur in people regardless of age, occupation or physical fitness. More and more often, patients turn to doctors with such complaints: "I can't turn my head", "My neck hurts a lot", "My neck is stiff". There are many reasons for such symptoms, it is important to diagnose them correctly. Otherwise, it will be impossible to quickly get rid of the pain.
Characteristics of pain
This condition, when it hurts to turn your head, is familiar to many. This happens due to pathologies of the muscles, ligaments or spine in the cervical area. In addition, the pain appears not only in the neck, but also in the shoulders, even in the hands, it is given in the back of the head. Other symptoms may appear: numbness, tingling, weakness, darkening of the eyes. In this case, the head cannot be turned to the side, a person must turn with his whole body.
In most cases, neck stiffness and pain last from a few days to a week. They can be different in nature: shooting, smashing, burning, surrounding, stabbing. Sometimes the pain is also different in strength: from weak, painful to sharp, very strong. If it is not related to any pathology, but appears due to overwork or stress, it will pass even without serious treatment, only by reducing the load and anesthetic ointments.
A visit to the doctor is necessary if the neck does not stop hurting within a week, as well as when other symptoms appear. This may include numbness, tingling or crawling sensations, headache, nausea, weakness or fever. It is also important to seek medical attention if your neck hurts suddenly for no apparent reason and the stiffness builds up quickly.
reasons
Neck pain can be caused by a variety of factors. Most often, they are associated with muscle tension or their increased tone. This happens after physical exertion, for example during sports. When a person often tilts or turns his head, lifts weights or performs high-amplitude movements with his arms, lactic acid forms in the muscles and microtraumas occur to the fibers. The damage can be localized in the neck or collar area. This leads to pain that gets worse every time you turn your head.
Athletes are not the only ones who suffer from this problem. It often reduces the neck of loaders, builders, workers, seamstresses, drivers - that is, those whose professional activity is associated with constant overstrain of the hands and the collar area.
Static loads are no less dangerous for the neck. Often, waking up, a person notices that his neck is relaxed. This happens due to an uncomfortable position during sleep or due to an incorrect choice of bedding. For example, sleeping on too soft feathers, a large or firm pillow, a sagging sofa can lead to soreness in the collar area. A similar situation develops when a person spends a long time in an uncomfortable position, for example, sitting with his head tilted in front of the computer or talking on the phone, pressing it to his ear with his shoulder.
In addition to muscle strain, injuries are often the cause of pain. In most people, the neck muscles are quite weak, and the cervical spine has a more fragile structure than others. Because of this, any sudden movement, blow to the neck or even a fall of a person can result in injury to this area.
They suffer from injuries mainly muscles and ligaments. Most often, the muscle that runs along the back of the neck and is responsible for the movement of the scapula is subject to sprains. Vertebral fusion or fracture is also common. The consequences of all injuries are severe pain that makes any movement of the head impossible.
Muscular pathologies that cause neck stiffness and pain when turning or tilting also include myositis. It is an inflammation of the muscles that occurs due to hypothermia, infectious disease, injury or overexertion. The inflammation is accompanied by edema, as a result of which the mobility of the head is severely limited. The cause of this condition can even be severe stress, which leads to muscle spasm and limits any movement of the head.
What diseases appear
There are more serious reasons for this problem. If the pain does not go away after a few days, every movement causes pain, numbness or tingling in the fingers, headache, it is very important to see a doctor. After all, most likely, such pains are a symptom of a pathology that requires special treatment.
In case of severe pain that limits the mobility of the neck, it is better to seek the advice of a specialist.
They are most often found in diseases of the cervical spine. Each person has different symptoms, but pain when turning the head almost always occurs. There are some of the most common pathologies.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is now becoming more and more common. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition, increased stress on the neck muscles when sitting in front of the computer. Usually, with osteochondrosis, the neck hurts on the right side or on the left, because the cause of this is damage to the nerve roots.
A herniated disc or disc protrusion in the cervical region is common. After all, the muscles that hold the vertebrae in the correct position are weak here, and the load on the neck is always high. Because of this, the discs suffer, which become very fragile due to improper nutrition. As a result, the vertebrae come together and affect the nerve roots. This, as well as muscle spasms, lead to pain when turning the head.
Arthrosis of the intervertebral joints is less common. Elderly people are most susceptible to it, as it is a degenerative-dystrophic process. Often, arthrosis is accompanied by a narrowing of the spinal canal and the appearance of bony growths near the vertebrae. Because of this, some patients cannot move their head at all.
Scoliosis and stooping are not considered serious pathologies by many, but they can also cause pain and stiffness. Due to the incorrect position of the spine, the increased load falls on one side of the neck. As a result, the pain appears only on the right or left side.
The cause of this condition can be other diseases: vascular disorders, neurological pathologies or infections. Of these, meningitis is the most dangerous. This is a rather rare disease, but dangerous. In addition to the stiffness of the neck, with meningitis, a person has a headache, nausea, weakness, and the temperature may rise. One such disease is meningococcal infection.
Pain and stiffness in the neck and collar area can be a symptom of the rock muscle syndrome, cervical sciatica, shoulder-scapular periarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, vertebral artery insufficiency, neuralgia of the occipital nerve. Although the manifestations of these diseases may be similar, their treatment should be different, so it is very important to diagnose correctly.
Pain in children
This condition, when it is impossible to move the head, occurs even in children. Some babies are born with a pathology such as torticollis. In this case, the child's head takes a forced position - tilted to one side. This is due to a spasm of the neck muscles.
Pain when turning the head can also occur in older children. Most often this is due to infectious diseases. It can be lymphadenitis, parotitis, purulent tonsillitis, meningitis. It is very important to recognize the disease in time and start the treatment.
Treatment
In many cases, when overwork, hypothermia or stress become the cause of such an unhealthy condition, you can relieve the pain yourself. The main thing at the same time is not to limit yourself to taking painkillers. An integrated approach is necessary: it is necessary to limit the mobility of the head with the help of orthopedic devices, massage, special gymnastics, rubbing ointments or applying compresses are useful.
But if such pains are a symptom of some disease, only a doctor can determine how to treat them properly. After all, it is very important to conduct not only symptomatic therapy, but also the treatment of the underlying pathology.
Different therapeutic measures depend on the cause of the pain, but there are some that apply in every case:
- Medicines to relieve pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, to improve blood circulation and metabolic processes.
- Rest for a few days, immobilization of the neck with a Shants collar or a more rigid brace is sometimes indicated, which will help speed up the healing of the damaged tissues.
- Cold or warm compresses.
- Massage, rubbing ointments.
- Physiotherapy.
The treatment of this pathology must be complex, necessarily including massage or manual therapy.
Medical therapy
Many people, when they do not know what to do to get rid of the pain when turning their head, start drinking painkillers. Sometimes this helps if such a condition is not associated with a serious illness. But it is worth remembering that any analgesics or NSAIDs should not be taken without consulting a doctor for more than 3-5 days. Therefore, if the pain does not disappear during this time, it is better to consult a specialist.
In addition, in many cases, only pain relief will not help restore neck mobility, as it is still necessary to relieve muscle spasms, normalize blood circulation and relieve inflammation.
Therefore, in such cases, a complex of drugs is usually prescribed:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain and inflammation.
- Muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms.
- Chondroprotectors help to restore the cartilage tissue, improve the mobility of the spine.
- Various ointments relieve pain, inflammation, warm and relax.
- Multivitamins compensate for the lack of vitamins.
Physiotherapy treatment
In addition to drugs, the treatment of neck pain necessarily includes other methods. Most often, a massage is prescribed, which helps to relax the muscles, improves the mobility of the neck. Manual therapy is effective but must be used very carefully in this department. In addition, spinal traction is sometimes indicated. This method helps well with nerve fiber damage, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia.
Physiotherapy is effective for any pathology. It can be electrophoresis, UHF, laser, magnetotherapy, paraffin applications, acupuncture. Useful mud applications, therapeutic baths. These procedures normalize muscle tone, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes, have a general strengthening effect.
And therapeutic exercises will help to consolidate the result of the treatment and restore the range of motion. Begin to perform special exercises after the pain and inflammation have subsided. They strengthen muscles, increase mobility and prevent muscle spasms. All exercises are performed slowly, without sudden movements, avoiding the appearance of pain.
People's funds
Such pathology is treated at home. That is why many patients, in addition to the methods prescribed by the doctor, use various folk recipes.
- A bag of heated salt warms a neck well with muscle spasms.
- Pour boiling water over a leaf of horseradish, after it cools, attach to the neck and wrap with a scarf. You can leave the compress all night if there is no strong burning sensation.
- In a similar way, a compress is made from the leaves of burdock or cabbage.
- Mix 50 g each of honey and vodka, add 2 tablespoons of fine salt and some grated horseradish. When the mass becomes homogeneous, use it to rub the neck.
- An effective warming compress is made from 300 ml of alcohol, 10 ml of camphor and a bottle of iodine.
- Mix the egg yolk, camphor spirit, vodka and mustard powder. Rub your neck before bed.
- If you mix crushed ginger root, some garlic and oil, this ointment will help you get rid of cramps quickly.
- A drink of aloe juice and black radish mixed with honey is good for relaxing and calming.
By itself, the neck will not stop hurting, its mobility will not be restored. That is why it is better to immediately consult a doctor and start the right treatment than to constantly suffer from the inability to turn your head.