Various back or side neck pains can occur suddenly and always cause significant discomfort. Particular vigilance must be caused by constant painful sensations of a strong nature. Neck pain and upper back pain may also be accompanied by other clinical symptoms, such as heaviness in the back of the head, fatigue, tiredness, headache, restricted movement.
If the pain syndrome persists for more than a week and the treatment performed does not bring the desired results, professional medical help should be sought. Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to get rid of the painful disease quickly and effectively.
The reasons
Many people wonder why sore throat? As practical experience shows, there can be many reasons for this. The clarification of such issues should be considered exclusively by a specialist, because the correctness of the treatment depends directly on it. The most common reasons why the back and side of the neck can hurt very badly and often:
- Pathology of the cervical spine (various injuries, bruises, dislocations, intervertebral hernias, osteochondrosis, vertebral joints and so on).
- Myeloma of the throat.
- Great physical activity.
- Being in an uncomfortable position for a long time (for example, sleeping in a sitting position).
- Cervical sciatica.
- Muscle stretching (sudden movement of the head, improper exercise).
It has been shown that even scoliosis of the skin can cause pain.
Pathology of the cervical spine
If the patient complains that his neck and upper back hurt quite severely and often, it is first of all necessary to exclude the pathology of the cervical spine.
Particular attention should be paid to osteochondrosis and spondylosis. Today, these are the two most common diseases of the spine, in addition to injuries and injuries that can cause very significant pain and discomfort in the neck and upper shoulder girdle. Characteristics of pain syndrome in degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the cervical spine:
- The pain occurs at rest, even when the patient tries not to move at all.
- It is usually very difficult for them to choose a position in which they would not feel intense painful sensations.
- There is almost always a restriction of mobility in the cervical spine.
- Slight pressure on the cervical vertebrae can lead to increased pain.
Myogelosis of the cervical spine
A pathological condition in which there is a painful compression of muscle fibers associated with a violation of local blood circulation is called myogenesis. As a rule, the provoking factors are:
- Hypothermia and freezing.
- Blasting.
- Prolonged uncomfortable position.
- Physical fatigue (excessive stress).
Most experts believe that myoglia should be considered a complication after an inflammatory process in the muscles. It should be noted that it is manifested not only by pain, but also problems with muscle relaxation, increased tone and limited mobility. In addition, the pain often extends to the upper back and shoulder girdle. Leaving myogels untreated, you run the risk of worsening your condition, as the disease is prone to progression and chronic course.
If you do not know the true cause of your sore throat, it is best to consult a specialist immediately.
Cervical sciatica
The sting of the nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord at the level of the cervical spine leads to sciatica. According to clinical practice, in the vast majority of cases, osteochondrosis is the cause of the development of this pathology. With sciatica, patients notice that the throat hurts and burns so that it is simply impossible to touch it from behind or from the side. What is the clinical picture observed with damage to the roots of the cervix arising from the spinal cord:
- It hurts severely and constantly in the neck, the shoulder, the shoulder girdle.
- Painful sensations are usually intensified by movements of the head, hands, upper body.
- The neck muscles are too tense.
- There is a violation of sensitivity in the hands (numbness, tingling and so on).
- Weakness in the upper extremities.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
- Increased fatigue.
Crick
Despite the severity of the pain syndrome, the muscle strain is considered one of the mildest pathologies and rather quickly curable, compared to other diseases that cause neck and upper back pain. Injuries, poor exercise performance and increased stress can lead to muscle strain. What complaints will patients express at the same time:
- Acute pain in the neck, back of the head and upper shoulder girdle.
- Excessive muscle tension that restricts the mobility of the head and cervix.
- The general condition suffers (physical discomfort, weakness, fatigue occurs).
- The throat hurts when you turn your head.
Diagnostics
Without discovering the specific cause of pain in the cervical region, it is quite difficult to completely eliminate this pathological symptom. If we eliminate only painful sensations and not what causes them, then we can only rely on a temporary improvement of the situation. Modern diagnostic methods allow you to quickly reduce the range of possible causes, from which your throat hurts from the back, the side or both sides. As a rule, the following organic studies are used:
- Standard X-ray examination.
- Ultrasound examination.
- Electrocardiography.
- Electromyography.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
Treatment
What to do if your throat hurts? Even at home, there are some remedies you can take to reduce the pain. If you associate pain with injury or muscle strain, then a cold compress for the first 48 hours is recommended.
A very effective treatment is to apply ice or cold objects to the neck area for about 15 minutes every few hours. To avoid the appearance of a cold burn from touching the ice, it is necessary to exclude direct contact with the skin. To do this, ice or very frozen objects are placed in a plastic bag, additionally wrapped in a not very dense cloth and only then applied to the surface of the skin.
After two days, they change to warm compresses. You can use a regular plastic hot water bottle or rubber. The duration of application of the compression should not exceed 20-30 minutes. This process can be repeated every 2 hours. In addition, give the sore throat adequate rest. For the first time after an injury or sprain, go to bed more often, trying to relax your neck muscles. It relieves tension better when you lie on your back. In the acute phase, it would be helpful to limit yourself to different types of exercise. Take a short break from exercise.
Do not forget that too much rest helps to weaken the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. Once you get back to normal, it will be easy to get a new build of already weakened muscles. An alternation of dosing physical activity and good rest is considered optimal, but only if there is no severe pain. The traditional treatment of pain is as follows:
- Medication.
- Topical treatment.
- Physiotherapy procedures.
- Manual therapy.
- Massage
- Physiotherapy.
Talk to your doctor about what to do if your throat hurts.
Medication
Analgesics help to quickly relieve neck pain with varying intensity. Today, many of these medicines can be bought in pharmacies without a prescription from your doctor. However, we must remember that most of these drugs have a significant number of side effects and contraindications. Therefore, each medication should be coordinated with a specialist. Most of the time, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as sedatives.
Many clinical studies have shown that taking NSAIDs can cause some side effects. Most of the problems are related to corrosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, quite often, along with the pain syndrome, there is intense tension in the neck muscles. To relieve muscle spasm, the use of muscle relaxants is recommended.
Topical treatment
Topical treatment has been shown to be beneficial in controlling neck and back pain. As a rule, all kinds of medicated ointments, gels and creams are used that have a strong analgesic effect. Some types of drugs are very popular as external agents.
The mechanism of analgesic action is different and depends on the active ingredient that is part of the ointment, gel or cream. Only a qualified doctor can tell you which medicine is best for you. With severe pain, causing significant discomfort, novocaine blockade is sometimes prescribed. Medical compresses have also been shown to be effective. The average duration of the procedure is about 30 minutes. To achieve the desired result, it is necessary to perform a total of at least 7-8 procedures.
If you are not sure what to do when your neck and back hurt, then it is best to consult a specialist first.
Physiotherapy
In most cases, physiotherapy is actively involved, consisting of various procedures, massage sessions and physiotherapy exercises. Many years of experience have shown the effectiveness of the following physiotherapy methods to eliminate pain:
- Electrophoresis.
- Ultrasound treatment.
- Electrotherapy.
- Magnet.
- Laser.
- Acupuncture.
Exercise and massage
Therapeutic exercises and massage are mandatory components of complex therapy for almost any disease or pathological condition. However, many people forget that they can only be used when the acute stage has passed. Severe pain syndrome is considered a contraindication to exercise and massage therapy. An example of a basic series of physical exercises for relaxing and strengthening the neck muscles:
- You can stand or sit. The main thing is to keep your back straight. The arms should be loose and down. Perform 10 head tilts, first on one side and then on the other. Do the exercise at a slow pace without sudden movements.
- The situation is similar. We tilt our head down and try to touch the front surface of the chest with our chin. The number of repetitions is 10 times.
- The situation is similar. We make head movements back and forth, imitating a duck. The number of repetitions is 10 times in each direction.
- Slow circular movement of the head. If painful sensations occur, we stop exercising.
- We sit in a chair. Place the palm of the hand on the forehead. We tilt our head forward while trying to resist with our palm. Exercise helps strengthen the anterior neck muscles. You can also place your palm left, right and back and tilt your head to the appropriate side.
- Stand up. Relax your arms and place them along your body. We tilt our head first to one side, while we lift our shoulder, then to the other. The number of repetitions is 10-12 times.
After a brief briefing by a physiotherapist or other specialist, therapeutic exercises and self-massage of the collar can be done regularly and at home without any problems.
ethnoscience
It is difficult to support the fact that traditional medicine has long been established in our lives. However, if you are unsure about what a particular folk remedy is, it is not recommended to use it in therapy. Many physicians have seen the serious consequences of abusing non-traditional treatments more than once in their clinical practice. In some cases, it is allowed to use certain folk remedies to get rid of the pain, but only after consulting a doctor. Exclusively for acquaintance, we present many recipes of traditional medicine:
- You can apply a regular fresh cabbage leaf on the painful area. There are no time limits. Cabbage leaf compresses also work well.
- Rubbing honey. The honey massage is rubbed on the part of the neck where the patient experiences the greatest pain.
- Mustard-salt compression. For cooking, you need a kilo of table salt, a spoonful of mustard powder and 100 ml of water. Put all the ingredients in the pan and heat for 5 minutes. The mixture is then poured into a tissue bag, which is placed on the painful area of the neck. To improve the effect, you can wrap a warm cloth around your neck (for example, a handkerchief).
Prophylaxis
In many cases, quite unpleasant sore throat can be prevented. To do this, it is necessary to avoid various types of injuries, muscle diseases and intense physical exercise. It is very undesirable to freeze or overcool. It is also recommended to exercise in active sports, but not to the detriment of your health. Do not start chronic diseases, especially degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Have a complete medical examination at least once a year.