First of all, the neck is the most mobile part of the spine, which is responsible for head movements and rotations. However, if you compare the structure of the cervical and, for example, the lumbar or thoracic vertebrae, it is noticeable that the former have a much thinner body. But on this department falls all the burden of maintaining the head and its movements. Because of this natural "injustice, " the cervical spine often suffers from disease and injury, causing a person's neck to hurt when turning their head.
Neck pain has now become one of the most common problems. They occur in people regardless of age, occupation or physical fitness. Increasingly, patients turn to doctors with such complaints: "I can’t turn my head", "My neck hurts a lot", "My neck is cramped. "There are many reasons for such symptoms, it is important to correctly diagnose them. Otherwise, it is impossible to quickly get rid of 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 collar zone. In addition, the pain occurs not only in the neck, but also in the shoulders, even in the hands, giving way to 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 has to turn his whole body over.
In most cases, the neck stiffness and pain lasts from a few days to a week. They can have different character: shooting, breaking, burning, circling, stabbing. Sometimes the pain is different and in intensity: from weak, aching - to sharp, very strong. If it is not associated with any pathology, but appeared due to overwork or stress, then it will pass even without serious treatment, just reducing the load and anesthetic ointments.
A doctor's visit is necessary if the neck pain does not stop within a week and also if other symptoms appear. This may include numbness, tingling or tingling, headache, nausea, weakness, or fever. It's also important to see a doctor if your neck suddenly hurts for no apparent reason and the stiffness increases rapidly.
causes
Neck pain can be caused by a variety of factors. Most often they are associated with muscle strain or their increased tone. This happens after physical exertion, for example during sports. If a person frequently tilts or turns his head, lifts weights, or performs high-amplitude movements with his hands, lactic acid is formed in the muscles and microtrauma of the fibers occurs. Damage can be localized in the neck or collar area. This leads to pain that gets worse with every turn of the head.
Athletes are not the only ones suffering from this problem. Often reduces the neck of loaders, builders, workers, seamstresses, drivers - that is, people whose professional activity is associated with constant strain on the hands and collar zone.
No less dangerous for the neck are static loads. Often, upon waking up, a person will notice that they have rested their neck. This happens due to an uncomfortable position during sleep or the wrong choice of bedding. For example, sleeping on a duvet that is too soft, a large or hard pillow, or a sagging sofa can cause pain in the neck area. A similar situation arises when a person spends a long time in an uncomfortable position, for example, sitting in front of a computer or talking on the phone with his head tilted, pressing his shoulder to his ear.
In addition to muscle tension, injuries are often the cause of pain. In most people, the neck muscles are rather weak and the cervical spine has a more fragile structure than others. Because of this, any sudden movement, a blow to the neck or even a fall of a person can cause injury in this area.
Muscles and ligaments suffer most from injuries. Most often, the muscle that runs along the neck and is responsible for moving the scapula is subject to sprains. A common occurrence is also vortex mixing or fracture. The consequences of all injuries are severe pain that makes any head movement impossible.
Muscle pathologies that cause neck stiffness and pain when twisting or tipping also include myositis. This is inflammation of the muscles that occurs due to hypothermia, an 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 causes muscle spasms and limits any movement of the head.
What diseases occur
There are more serious reasons for this problem. If the pain does not go away after a few days, any movement causes pain, numbness or tingling in the fingers, or a headache, it is very important to see a doctor. After all, such pain is most likely a symptom of a pathology that requires special treatment.
With severe pain that limits the mobility of the neck, it is better to seek the advice of a specialist.
Most often they occur in diseases of the cervical spine. Everyone has different symptoms, but pain when turning the head is almost always present. There are some of the most common pathologies.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is becoming more common. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition, increased stress on the muscles of the neck when sitting at the computer. Usually, with osteochondrosis, the neck hurts on the right or left side, since the cause of this is injury to the nerve roots.
A herniated or herniated disc in the neck area 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 large. Therefore, discs, which become very fragile due to improper nutrition, suffer. As a result, the vertebrae converge and injure the nerve roots. This, as well as muscle spasms, lead to pain when turning the head.
Osteoarthritis of the intervertebral joints is less common. Older people are mostly prone to it, since it is a degenerative-dystrophic process. Osteoarthritis is often accompanied by a narrowing of the spinal canal and the appearance of bone overgrowths 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, pain occurs only on the right or left side.
The cause of this condition can also be other diseases: vascular diseases, neurological pathologies or infections. Of these, meningitis is the most dangerous. This is a rather rare disease, but dangerous. In addition to stiffness in the neck, a person with meningitis has a headache, nausea, weakness, and a temperature may rise. One such disease is meningococcal disease.
Pain and stiffness in the cervical-collar zone can be a symptom of scalene syndrome, cervical sciatica, humeroscapular periarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, vertebral artery insufficiency, occipital nerve neuralgia. Although the manifestations of these diseases can be similar, their treatment should be different, so it is very important to make a correct diagnosis.
pain in children
This condition, in which the head cannot be moved, also occurs in children. Some babies are born with a pathology like torticollis. In this case, the child's head takes a forced position - tilted to the side. This is due to a spasm of the neck muscles.
Pain when turning the head can also occur in older children. This is most commonly caused by infectious diseases. It can be lymphadenitis, mumps, purulent tonsillitis, meningitis. It is very important to identify the disease in time and start treatment.
treatment
In many cases, when overwork, hypothermia, or stress become the cause of such an unhealthy condition, you can relieve the pain yourself. It is important not to limit yourself to taking painkillers. An integrated approach is required: it is necessary to limit the mobility of the head with the help of orthopedic devices, massage makes sense, special gymnastics, rubbing ointments or applying compresses.
However, if such pain is a symptom of a disease, only a doctor can determine how to properly treat it. After all, it is very important that not only symptomatic therapy is carried out, but the treatment of the underlying pathology.
Various therapeutic measures depend on the cause of the pain, but some apply in any case:
- Medicines to relieve pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes.
- Rest for several days, neck immobilization with a shant collar or more rigid orthosis is sometimes indicated, which will speed healing of damaged tissue.
- Cold or warm compresses.
- Massage, rub ointments.
- Physical therapy.
Treatment of this pathology should be complex and necessarily include massage or manual therapy.
Medical therapy
Many people start drinking painkillers when they do not know what to do to get rid of pain when turning their heads. Sometimes this helps when such a condition is not associated with a serious illness. However, it is worth remembering that painkillers or NSAIDs should not be taken for more than 3-5 days without consulting a doctor. Therefore, if the pain does not go away during this period, it is better to consult a specialist.
In addition, in many cases, pain relief alone does not help to restore neck mobility, since it is still necessary to relieve muscle spasms, normalize blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
Therefore, in such cases, a complex of drugs is usually prescribed:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used to relieve pain and inflammation.
- Muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms.
- Chondroprotectors help restore cartilage tissue and improve mobility of the spine.
- Various ointments relieve pain, inflammation, warm and relax.
- Multivitamins make up for the lack of vitamins.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
In addition to medication, the treatment of neck pain inevitably includes other methods. Most often, a massage is prescribed, which helps relax muscles and improve mobility of the neck. Manual therapy is effective but needs to be used very carefully in this department. In addition, spinal traction is sometimes indicated. This method helps well with damage to nerve fibers, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia.
With any pathology, physiotherapy is effective. It can be electrophoresis, UHF, laser, magnetotherapy, paraffin applications, acupuncture. Useful mud applications, medicinal baths. These procedures normalize muscle tone, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes, and have a general strengthening effect.
And therapeutic exercises help to consolidate the result of treatment and restore freedom of movement. Begin special exercises after pain and inflammation subside. They strengthen the muscles, increase mobility and prevent muscle cramps. All exercises are performed slowly, without sudden movements, to avoid the appearance of pain.
home remedies
Such a pathology is treated at home. Therefore, in addition to the methods prescribed by the doctor, many patients use various folk recipes.
- A bag of heated salt warms the neck well for muscle spasms.
- Pour boiling water over a leaf of horseradish, after cooling, attach it to the neck and wrap it with a scarf. You can leave the compress overnight if there is no severe burning.
- 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 a little grated horseradish. When the mass becomes homogeneous, use it to rub the neck.
- An effective heat compress is made from 300 ml of alcohol, 10 ml of camphor and a vial of iodine.
- Mix the yolks, camphor alcohol, vodka and mustard powder. Rub your throat before bed.
- If you mix crushed ginger root, some garlic and butter, this ointment will help you get rid of spasms quickly.
- Well relaxed and soothing is a drink made from aloe juice and black radish mixed with honey.
By itself, the neck does not stop hurting, its mobility is not restored. Therefore, it is better to immediately consult a doctor and start the right treatment than to constantly suffer from the inability to turn your head.