Back and neck pain occurs periodically in every person. This may be due to recent physical activity, a sedentary lifestyle or the presence of serious spinal pathologies.
In order to find out the cause of the pain and the possible complications of the disease, you should undergo a medical examination in time. Often the cause of severe back pain can be a herniated disc or serious damage to the spine due to injury.
In elderly patients, pain in the lumbar region is associated with degenerative diseases of bone tissue. In the future, the development of the disease will lead to the need for surgical intervention, when drug treatment does not lead to the expected effect. Therefore, you should not delay the visit to the doctor or independently determine the pathology.
Symptoms
Painful sensations begin to appear in the cervical region, then move to the shoulders and the area between the shoulder blades. In this case, the patient has pain during movement of the head or shoulder joint. In the future, such manifestations become stronger, and a person feels stiffness when turning the head.
The main symptoms that a person has serious pathologies of the spine are:
- numbness of the shoulder joint and neck muscles;
- periodic painful sensations in the upper back;
- muscle strain;
- clicking and characteristic sounds of the joints;
- limitation of free movement of the shoulder, which occurs after sleep;
- tingling sensation in soft tissues;
- sharp shooting on different sides of back;
- discomfort around the ligaments and neck.
When these symptoms appear, a person begins to think about why the back and neck can hurt and what should be done to get rid of the discomfort. In such cases, you should know the main reasons and start therapy in time.
reasons
Unpleasant sensations in the back and neck area in most cases arise due to muscle spasms and subluxations of the vertebrae. They are quite difficult to notice during a general examination by a doctor, so a more effective diagnosis is needed. Computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance are often prescribed, which visualize even minor structural changes. The first technique is very suitable for studying the bone formations of the spine, and MRI allows you to understand why the muscles and soft tissues hurt.
Muscle spasms
The main reason why it gives in the back is considered to be muscle spasms. They can occur over time after a small spasm develops into a serious muscle strain. The reason may be the following factors:
- prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions;
- incorrect position during sleep;
- great physical activity and active actions;
- hypothermia, as a result of which inflammatory processes occur in the muscles.
Even a small draft can cause a muscle spasm. Improper use of air conditioning and high temperature differences lead to inflammation of muscle tissue.
Vertebral subluxation
In case of mechanical damage, the vertebrae are shifted to the underlying one. As a rule, this phenomenon is observed in severe injuries during car accidents. Subluxations are accompanied by damage to the ligament apparatus, muscle tension and disruption of the joint capsule. The doctor can recognize the pathology by severe pain during palpation, when turning the head and moving the neck.
Subluxations are treated by surgeons and traumatologists. A person can independently correct a vertebra, but only after a highly qualified consultation with a specialist. In mild cases of pathology, immobilization with a Shants collar is prescribed for one month.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae
Another cause of pulling and painful pain in the neck can be osteochondrosis. It is a degenerative disease of the spine that occurs as a result of metabolic disorders. The neck has a weak muscle corset, which causes a large load on the vertebrae. As a result, the vertebral artery tightens and the necessary nutrition of important brain structures is not obtained.
The following factors can serve as causes of osteochondrosis:
- disturbed metabolism;
- sedentary way of life;
- genetic predisposition;
- hypothermia;
- prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions;
- obesity.
To prevent the appearance and further development of osteochondrosis, it is enough to do gymnastic exercises and follow the doctor's prescriptions.
Intervertebral hernia
Intervertebral hernia is an inflammatory and degenerative disease that is accompanied by deformation of the intervertebral disc and rupture of the annulus fibrosus. Intervertebral discs play the role of shock absorbers, reducing the destructive effect of the vertebrae on each other.
Over time, they can lose their elasticity and flexibility, causing severe pain and discomfort. When an intervertebral hernia occurs, the patient may experience frequent headaches and muscle pain. Insufficient nutrition of the brain causes dizziness, weakness and constant sleepiness.
Possible complications
Even minor pains can affect a person's health or cause serious complications that require immediate surgical intervention. Ignoring inflammatory and degenerative diseases leads to pathologies of the vascular system, the appearance of strong throbbing pains and disturbances in the brain.
After a blockage of the vertebral artery, a person experiences weakness, fatigue, visual hallucinations and other symptoms. If the patient does not seek medical help in time, diseases such as cerebral ischemia and stroke may occur. Over time, they can be fatal.
Diagnosis of pathologies
After examination by a doctor, one of the diagnostic research methods is prescribed for a wider understanding of the pathology. For mechanical injuries and injuries to the vertebrae, a CT (computed tomography) scan is prescribed, which is based on X-rays. X-rays are fixed in all tissues of the body and are displayed differently on the monitor screen. The specialist receives several dozen layered images with a three-dimensional image of the bone structures of the spine.
The method has its contraindications. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is better to choose MRI (magnetic resonance), which uses electromagnetic waves to detect degenerative diseases and pathologies of soft tissues. Modern tomographs allow you to get high-quality images of all parts of the back in a few minutes and find out why the back and neck hurt.
If the doctor suspects an infectious disease of the central nervous system, polyneuropathy and other diseases of the central nervous system of different etiology, then a lumbar puncture is prescribed. This method is widely used in neuroscience. During the procedure, the patient is given spinal anesthesia, or spinal anesthesia, when the patient is injected with an anesthetic into the subarachnoid space. The injection is made as close as possible to the roots of the spinal nerves.
Medical treatment
When the first symptoms appear, most people solve the problem with anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. For the beginning of the therapeutic effect, the following drugs are used:
- Analgesics with a pronounced analgesic effect based on metamizole sodium or nalbuphine;
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that act directly on the focus of inflammation and effectively relieve swelling;
- Muscle relaxants, which reduce the tone of muscle tissue and relieve tension;
- Anesthetic and anti-inflammatory ointments with local action.
The doctor can prescribe both tablets and ampoules, which have an immediate effect. As a complex therapy, ointments or gels that relieve swelling and chondroprotectors are prescribed. This group of drugs restores the joints and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Physiotherapy procedures
In addition to drug treatment, the patient is prescribed physiotherapy procedures. This can be therapeutic yoga, a special massage or treatment with mineral waters and mud. To choose the right gymnastic exercises and procedures, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe therapeutic courses. In some cases, stretching exercises can make it worse, so physical therapy alone is not recommended.
Another method of treatment is manual therapy. The specialist preliminarily conducts a manual massage to prepare the soft tissues for further exposure. It then targets the joints and spine. Such manipulations with the help of hands effectively help improve blood flow and relieve pain. The deep effect on the back muscles allows you to remove tension and swelling.
Some specialists prescribe the patient electrophoresis. This method is based on constant electrical discharges that are applied to the diseased areas of the body. The method has the following advantages: reduction of the inflammatory process in the muscles of the back and neck, removal of swelling and pain, reduction of muscle tone, improvement of blood supply to the tissues of the back. The therapeutic effect is observed after the first procedure.