Pain in the back and neck occurs periodically in every person. This may be due to recent physical activity, a sedentary lifestyle or the presence of serious spinal pathologies.
To find out the cause of pain and possible complications of diseases, you should undergo a timely medical examination. Often the cause of severe back pain can be disc herniation or severe 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 will not bring the expected effect. Therefore, you should not postpone going to the doctor or independently determine the pathology.
Symptoms
Painful sensations begin to appear in the cervical region, after which they move to the shoulders and the area between the shoulder blades. In this case, the patient has pain when moving the head or shoulder joint. In the future, such manifestations become stronger, and the person feels stiffness when turning his head.
The main symptoms that a person has serious pathology of the spine are:
- numbness of the shoulder and neck muscles;
- periodic pain in the upper back;
- muscle tension;
- clicking and characteristic sounds of joints;
- limitation in the free movement of the shoulder that occurs after sleep;
- tingling sensation in soft tissues;
- sharp shooting from 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 needs to be done to get rid of the discomfort. In such cases, you should know the underlying causes and proceed with therapy in time.
Causes
Unpleasant sensations in the back and neck area in most cases occur 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 magnetic resonance are often prescribed, which visualize even small structural changes. The first technique is suitable for examining the bone formations of the spine, and MRI allows you to find out why muscles and soft tissues are injured.
Muscle spasms
The main reason why it gives in the back is considered to be muscle spasm. They can occur over time, as a small spasm develops into serious muscle tension. The reason may be the following factors:
- prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions;
- wrong position during sleep;
- great physical activity and active actions;
- hypothermia, as a result of which inflammatory processes occur in the muscles.
Even a small current can cause muscle spasm. Improper use of air conditioning and high temperature changes lead to inflammation of muscle tissue.
Vertebral subluxation
In case of mechanical damage, the vertebrae are moved to the lower one. As a rule, this phenomenon is observed in case of serious injuries during car accidents. Subluxations are associated with damage to the ligamentous apparatus, muscle tension and damage to the joint capsule. The doctor can recognize the pathology with severe pain during palpation, when turning the head and moving the neck.
Subluxations are treated by surgeons and traumatologists. A person can adjust the vertebra independently, but only after a highly qualified consultation with a specialist. In mild cases of pathology, immobilization with a Shants collar is prescribed for a month.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Another cause of pulling pain and pain in the neck can be osteochondrosis. This is a degenerative disease of the spine, which appears as a result of metabolic disorders. The cervical part has a weak muscular corset, which causes a large load on the vertebrae. As a result, the vertebral artery is clamped and the necessary nutrition of important brain structures does not occur.
The following factors can serve as causes of osteochondrosis:
- disturbed metabolism;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- genetic predisposition;
- hypothermia;
- prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions;
- obesity.
To prevent the appearance and further development of osteochondrosis, it is enough to do gymnastics and follow the doctor's prescriptions.
Intervertebral hernia
Intervertebral hernia is an inflammatory and degenerative disease, which is associated with deformation of the intervertebral disc and rupture of the fibrous ring. 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 brain nutrition causes dizziness, weakness and constant drowsiness.
Possible complications
Even minor pains can then affect a person's health or cause serious complications that require immediate surgical intervention. Ignoring inflammatory and degenerative diseases leads to pathology of the vascular system, the appearance of severe throbbing pains and brain disruption.
After the vertebral artery is closed, the 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 appear. 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. With mechanical injuries and vertebral injuries, CT (computed tomography) is prescribed, which is based on X-rays. X-rays are fixed in all tissues of the body and appear differently on the monitor screen. The specialist takes several dozen images layered with a three-dimensional image of the bone structures of the spine.
The method has its contraindications. During pregnancy and lactation, it is better to choose MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which uses electromagnetic waves to detect degenerative diseases and soft tissue pathologies. Modern tomographs allow you to get high-quality images of all parts of the back in a few minutes and find out why your 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 various etiologies, then a lumbar puncture is prescribed. This method is widely used in neurology. 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 medications. For the beginning of a therapeutic effect, the following drugs are used:
- Analgesics with a pronounced analgesic effect based on sodium metamizole or nalbuphine;
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that act directly on the focus of inflammation and effectively relieve swelling;
- Muscle relaxants that reduce the tone of muscle tissue and relieve tension;
- Anesthetic and anti-inflammatory ointment with local action.
The doctor can prescribe tablets and ampoules, which have an immediate effect. As a complex therapy, ointments or gels are prescribed, which relieve swelling and chondroprotectors. This group of drugs restores joints and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Physiotherapy procedures
In addition to drug treatment, the patient is prescribed physiotherapy procedures. It can be therapeutic yoga, 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, strenuous exercise can lead to worsening, so physical therapy alone is not recommended.
Another treatment method is manual therapy. The specialist performs a manual massage in advance to prepare the soft tissues for further exposure. Then it goes to the joints and back. Such manipulations with the help of hands effectively help improve blood flow and relieve pain. A deep effect on the back muscles allows you to remove tension and swelling.
Some specialists prescribe electrophoresis for the patient. This method is based on continuous 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 edema 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.