The neck is made up of vertebrae that go from the skull to the upper part of the trunk. The cervical discs absorb the impacts between the bones. Bones, ligaments and muscles support the head and allow it to move. If there are any abnormalities, abnormalities, inflammation or trauma, they can cause pain or stiffness in the neck area. In such moments, it is difficult to immediately determine what the neck hurts from and take any measures.
Many people sometimes experience discomfort or stiffness in this area, most often due to poor posture or overexertion. In most cases, neck pain is not a serious condition and can be resolved in a few days. However, in some cases, such a symptom may indicate a serious illness and requires a doctor's consultation.
This article will help you understand why the neck hurts on the right side, as well as in other places. It will also provide a classification of the types of pain and its most common causes. Consider how you can get rid of discomfort in this part of the spine.
Types of pain in the cervical region
To prescribe effective treatment, a specialist must accurately determine the symptoms and causes of the pathology. Doctors classify neck pain as follows:
- cervikago - low back pain;
- neck pain.
The latter type involves pain resulting from damage to the vertebrae or cervical muscles. Neck pain, in turn, can be divided into pain:
- associated with skin lesions (superficial somatic);
- associated with muscle or spinal damage (deep somatic);
- associated with the appearance in the body of an infection or disruption of the work of internal (visceral) organs.
Neck pain, which affects the adjacent areas, is divided into:
- for cervicobrachialgia (pain goes from the neck to the shoulders);
- to cervicocranialgia (pain goes from the neck (through the nape of the neck) to the head).
Speaking of cervicago, it is worth noting that this pain is always sharp, it limits the mobility of the neck. It suddenly appears and torments a person for a certain time so that it is impossible for him to think of anything else.
To determine why the neck hurts, it is extremely important for the doctor to establish its nature and describe it using the classification listed.
Common causes
Based on medical statistics, very often people seeking medical care for neck pain are diagnosed with a number of the following diseases and conditions:
- cervical osteochondrosis;
- osteoporosis;
- muscle spasm;
- slipped disc;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- systemic disorders in the body (infectious processes, tumors, problems with the immune system).
However, pain can be caused not only by the presence of a person's disease. The appearance of discomfort can also be caused by muscle tension or strain (due to sitting at a computer for a long time, driving a car, lifting weights, uncomfortable sleeping posture or playing sports). Also, discomfort can appear due to the fact that a person has a headache closer to the neck.
Why is this happening and what is the root cause? Only a specialist can answer this question. Sometimes people, trying to get rid of discomfort, take self-medication: massage, antibiotics, painkillers and other drugs. However, the consequences of such actions may not be the most favorable.
It should be understood what the diseases and conditions listed above are and how they can be dangerous, and also why you cannot cure them yourself.
Cervical osteochondrosis
The appearance of this pathology in humans is associated with anatomical specifics. The dimensions of the cervical vertebrae are much smaller than the bone structures of other segments of the spine. The neck is constantly under stress, and this is due to the fact that its main functions are to support the head and ensure its mobility. If a person asks why his neck hurts from behind, then he needs to consult if he has osteochondrosis in this part of the spine.
Symptoms of this disease can be the following:
- Pain from the neck to the shoulder that extends to the outer surface of the shoulder, forearm and hands.
- Penetrating pain in the neck or occipital region (especially worse in the morning, with head movement, cough, etc. ).
- Headache (paroxysmal or persistent, dull, impulsive, aggravated by turning the head), dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears.
- Pain in the chest muscle.
- There is a violation of the blood flow of the cerebral arteries, which sometimes leads to a temporary loss of consciousness. With a deterioration in health, speech and motor functions can be impaired.
It is not worthwhile to cure this disease on your own, as the consequences of such actions can be far from joyful. But turning to professionals, a person can be sure that the therapy will be of high quality and effective.
Typically, the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can include the use of various anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, restorative gels and ointments, physiotherapy, and health exercises. Various medicinal patches can be used, and so on.
Osteoporosis
This is a bone disease that occurs when bones lose their density. As a result, they weaken and can break in the event of a fall or minor impact. It is more common among women during menopause, but habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, and sedentary behavior increase the risk of it occurring.
For many people, the formulation of such a diagnosis can be the answer to the question of why the neck hurts from behind and at the same time gives it to the arms and shoulders.
Doctors distinguish three stages of this disease. The first stage assumes that a person begins to experience such changes in the cervical spine as a decrease in the density of the vertebrae, mild cramps, weakness and pain occur. In the second stage, constant headaches appear, the pressure can drop sharply and rise above normal, numbness in the hands and general weakness appear. The third (most difficult) stage assumes that a person suffers from severe deformities in the vertebrae, a hump may appear in the collar area, and pains in the head and neck become constant companions.
Treatment of osteoporosis aims to slow or prevent its development, maintain bone mineral density, and reduce pain. This is achieved through the use of supplements and drugs, as well as the revision of one's lifestyle by a person in favor of light but constant loads (walking, sports), proper nutrition.
Muscle spasm
Why does the neck on the left side hurt? The cause could be a spasm. It occurs not only on the left, but can affect the right side and the back of the neck. This is due to the involuntary contraction of the muscles due to intense exertion. The situation often causes severe pain that lasts from minutes to several days.
Wondering why the neck muscles hurt, a person should think about how he sleeps, works, sits. Spasms often occur due to a violation of the natural position of the body, the transfer of weights to the shoulders, including bags, hunched shoulders and other conditions (including serious diseases).
Pain relievers can therefore help relieve neck pain, relieve muscle tension, and reduce inflammation. However, they must be taken, following the enclosed instructions and with the knowledge of the doctor. If you are unsure whether neck pain is caused by a spasm, you should not take any medications before consulting a specialist. In this case, you can apply an ice pack (wrapped in a towel) to the neck to temporarily relieve the pain.
It is always worth remembering that it is very difficult to independently determine what is hurting your neck. If the discomfort persists or intensifies, this can be a very serious reason to go to the doctor.
slipped disc
This element is a strong ligament that connects one vertebral bone to the other. Discs are cushioning cushions between each vertebrae of the spine. A hernia in the cervical spine can occur when too much pressure is exerted on even a healthy disc (carrying heavy loads, falling from a height).
Symptoms of this condition usually include severe pain that can spread to one or both arms or legs, as well as numbness or tingling in the extremities, muscle weakness, and loss of sensation. Initially, a person may not understand why the neck hurts when turning, bending, or other habitual movements. However, over time, the discomfort becomes unbearable. Some people may have no neck or back pain with a herniated disc. Where the symptoms will manifest themselves depends on where exactly the pathology is located.
Treatment of a herniated disc depends on the severity of the disease and the visible damage. Most often, people's condition improves within six weeks of their first visit to the doctor. In many cases, quality drugs and physiotherapy are sufficient. In therapy, drugs can be used to control pain, reduce muscle spasm.
Inflammation of the lymph nodes
Typically, such pathologies result from exposure to bacteria or viruses. When these changes occur in the body, it does not become difficult to understand why the neck hurts on the left or right, since it is in these areas that the lymph nodes are located. They can swell in response to an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold. Associated symptoms that may be present along with edema are cough, fatigue, chills, runny nose, profuse sweating.
What hurts the neck with inflammation of the lymph nodes? The answer is simple: the pathological process affects the nerve endings, which send pain signals.
Treatment of this condition usually includes identifying its nature (virus, infection, bacteria, tumor). Then the doctor prescribes drugs for the treatment of the root cause, which has a beneficial effect on the removal of the inflammatory process.
Various systemic disorders in the body
Sometimes people may not understand why the neck and head hurt, hence these sensations go to the back or arms. Often this condition can be caused by some systemic disorders in the body. These include various cancers, depression, arthritis, infectious processes, meningitis, internal bleeding and other serious pathologies.
Pain in the cervical region can also occur when the body does not receive the required amount of some useful substances (vitamins, micro and macroelements).
Why does the neck hurt in front, behind, or muscle discomfort and headache are felt, only the doctor will answer based on the results of additional tests and studies. The main cause could be due to poor condition of other organs, not just the neck area.
Diagnostics
The first thing to do to establish the cause of neck pain is to visit a therapist. He will appoint the necessary consultation with other specialists and determine the need for technological diagnostic methods.
The specialist will explain why the neck hurts on the right side, left or another part of it. He will collect a complete history and determine what ailments in the body are currently occurring.
During the examination, a person can be assigned the following diagnostic methods:
- magnetic resonance;
- TC;
- electrocardiogram;
- Ultrasound.
MRI can help determine the condition of tissues, CT scan - to identify pathologies in the cervical vertebrae, ultrasound is needed to study the arterial ring, nearby vessels and tissues, and the ECG so that the doctor can exclude various heart pathologies.
In addition, one of the mandatory tests is the study of the patient's blood, which will help establish whether inflammatory or infectious processes occur in the body.
What to do?
Every suffering person wants to get rid of it as soon as possible. For neck discomfort, the following can help:
- Apply ice to the sore spot (initially wrap with a towel).
- If the mild pain is caused by overexertion, you should temporarily stop heavy exercise and give your neck muscles time to rest.
- You need to perform light neck exercises (pushups and slow bends) throughout the day.
- You should control your posture so as not to aggravate the situation with additional loads on the muscles and vertebrae.
If the pain persists within a day or two, you should seek the help of a doctor who will determine why your neck hurts. If you add to this symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, fever, numbness or tingling, swelling, nausea, and inability to move your head or limbs, then you should immediately call an ambulance team or go to a specialist.
Prophylaxis
In order not to wonder why the neck hurts closer to the head, in other places or muscle spasms occur, it is important to monitor your health and follow a number of the following recommendations:
- You should only sleep on comfortable pillows that allow the cervical spine to relax during rest. To avoid neck and back problems, it is best to purchase an orthopedic pillow.
- The best position for a comfortable rest of the entire spine is lying on the back. You should train yourself to fall asleep in this position.
- you need to choose the correct height of the chair and the position of the monitor when working on the computer.
- Not worth texting, playing or reading on mobile devices for a long time. This creates an excessive load on the neck (most often, during this activity, the head goes down, causing disturbances in the work of this part of the spine).
- It is important to pay attention and make time for exercise, outdoor walks and sports.
- You should adapt your diet and diet. It is very important that the body receives the necessary amount of nutrients throughout the day.
- It is better to give up bad habits (overeating, smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs).
Conclusion
Having considered the main reasons why the neck hurts, we can conclude that it is unlikely that you can establish and fix the problem yourself. Therefore, it is important not to hesitate. You need to see a specialist right away, even if neck pain can be tolerated. It is worth remembering that even mild discomfort can indicate disturbances in the functioning of the body.