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 medical examination on 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, 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 pass 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 the person feels stiffness when turning his head.
The main symptoms that a person has serious pathologies of the spine are:
- numbness of the shoulder joint and neck muscles;
- periodic aching sensations in the upper back;
- muscle tension;
- clicking and characteristic sounds of the joints;
- restriction in free movement of the shoulder that occurs after sleep;
- tingling sensation in soft tissues;
- sharp shooting from different sides of the back;
- discomfort around the ligaments and neck.
When these symptoms occur, a person begins to think why the back and neck can hurt and what needs to be done to get rid of discomfort. In such cases, you should know the underlying causes and proceed to therapy in time.
Causes
Unpleasant sensations in the back and neck region 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 imaging are often prescribed, which visualizes even minor structural changes. The first technique is well suited for examining the bone formations of the spine, and MRI allows you to find out why 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 serious muscle tension. The following factors may be the reason:
- 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.
The cause of muscle spasm can be even a small draft. Improper use of the air conditioner and high temperature differences lead to inflammation of the muscle tissue.
Subluxation of the vertebrae
In case of mechanical damage, the vertebrae are displaced to the underlying one. As a rule, this phenomenon is observed in case of severe injuries during car accidents. Subluxations are accompanied by damage to the ligamentous apparatus, muscle tension and infringement 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 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 pulling and aching pain in the neck can be osteochondrosis. This is a degenerative disease of the spine, which occurs 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 the causes of osteochondrosis:
- disturbed metabolism;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- genetic predisposition;
- hypothermia;
- prolonged stay in uncomfortable positions;
- obesity.
To prevent the occurrence 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 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 nutrition of the brain 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 pathologies of the vascular system, the occurrence of severe throbbing pains and disruption of the brain.
After the vertebral artery is occluded, 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 methods of research is prescribed for a broader understanding of the pathology. With mechanical injuries and injuries of the vertebrae, CT (computed tomography) 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 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 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 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 occur, most people solve the problem with anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications. For the onset of a therapeutic effect, the following drugs are used:
- Analgesics with a pronounced 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 lower the tone of muscle tissue and relieve tension;
- Anesthetic and anti-inflammatory ointments of local action.
The doctor can prescribe both tablets and ampoules, which have an immediate effect. As a complex therapy, ointments or gel are prescribed, which relieve puffiness, 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. 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 deterioration, so physical therapy alone is not recommended.
Another method of treatment is manual therapy. The specialist preliminarily conducts manual massage in order to prepare 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 the muscles of the back allows you to remove tension and swelling.
Some specialists prescribe electrophoresis to the patient. This method is based on constant electrical discharges that are applied to 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, decrease in muscle tone, improvement of blood supply to the tissues of the back. The therapeutic effect is observed after the first procedure.