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.
To find out the cause of pain and possible complications of diseases, you should undergo a medical examination in time. Often the cause of severe back pain can be a herniated disc or severe damage to the spine due to injury.
In elderly patients, low back pain is associated with degenerative diseases of bone tissue. In the future, the development of the disease will lead to the need for surgery, when drug therapy will not bring the expected result. Therefore, you should not postpone going to the doctor or independently determine the pathology.
Symptoms
Painful sensations begin to appear in the neck area, after which they pass 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 pathologies of the spine are:
- numbness of the muscles of the shoulder joint and neck;
- periodic sensations of pain in the upper back;
- muscle tension?
- clicks and characteristic joint sounds.
- limitation in the free movement of the shoulder that occurs after sleep.
- tingling sensation in the soft tissues.
- sharp shooting from different sides of the 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 underlying causes and proceed with the treatment in time.
Reasons
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 required. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are often prescribed, which depict 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 the muscles and soft tissues hurt.
Muscle spasms
The main cause of back pain is thought to be muscle spasms. They can occur over time after a minor spasm develops into severe muscle tension. The following factors may be the reason:
- prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions.
- incorrect position during sleep.
- great physical activity and energetic actions.
- hypothermia, as a result of which inflammatory processes occur in the muscles.
Even a small current can be the cause of a muscle spasm. Improper use of the air conditioner and high temperature differences lead to inflammation of the muscle tissue.
Subluxation of vertebrae
In case of mechanical damage, the vertebrae are displaced in the subject. As a rule, this phenomenon is observed in case of serious injuries during traffic accidents. Subluxations are accompanied by damage to the ligamentous apparatus, muscle tension and damage to 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 adjust the vertebra, 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 neck stiffness and pain can be osteochondrosis. It is a degenerative disease of the spine, which occurs as a result of metabolic disorders. The cervical part has a weak muscle corset, which causes a large load on the vertebrae. As a result, the vertebral artery is constricted and the necessary nutrition of important brain structures does not take place.
The following factors can serve as causes of osteochondrosis:
- disturbed metabolism;
- sedentary life?
- genetic predisposition?
- hypothermia;
- prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions.
- portliness.
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, which is accompanied by deformation of the intervertebral disc and rupture of the annulus fibrosus. The 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 aches. Inadequate brain nutrition causes dizziness, weakness and constant sleepiness.
Possible Complications
Even minor pains can then affect a person's health or cause serious complications that require immediate surgery. Ignoring inflammatory and degenerative diseases leads to pathologies of the vascular system, the appearance of intense throbbing pains and brain disorder.
After the vertebral artery is blocked, 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 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 broader understanding of the pathology. With mechanical injuries and injuries of the vertebrae, computed tomography (computed tomography), which is based on x-rays, is prescribed. X-rays are stabilized in all tissues of the body and appear differently on the monitor screen. The specialist takes several dozen images in layers 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 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 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 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 various causes, 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 anesthetic into the subarachnoid space. The injection is made as close as possible to the roots of the spinal nerves.
Medical care
When the first symptoms appear, most people solve the problem with anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. To initiate a therapeutic effect, the following drugs are used:
- Analgesics with a strong analgesic effect based on metamizole sodium 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.
- Local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory ointments.
The doctor can prescribe both tablets and ampoules, which have an immediate effect. As a complex treatment, ointments or gels are prescribed, which relieve swelling and chondroprotectors. 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. It can be therapeutic yoga, special massage or treatment with mineral waters and mud. To choose the right gymnastic exercises and procedures, you need to consult a doctor who will prescribe therapeutic courses. In some cases, stretching exercises can lead to worsening, so physical therapy alone is not recommended.
Another treatment method is manual therapy. The specialist preliminarily performs a manual massage to prepare the soft tissues for further exposure. Then it goes to the joints and spine. Such manipulations with the help of hands effectively help to improve blood flow and relieve pain. A deep effect on your back muscles allows you to remove tension and swelling.
Some specialists prescribe electrophoresis to the patient. This method is based on continuous electrical discharges applied to diseased parts 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.