Every tenth person on the planet complains of neck pain.After lower back problems, it is the second most common reason for patients to visit an orthopedist.Limitation of daily activities and professional activities, physical and emotional discomfort, reduction of quality of life - this is what people with cervical spine diseases face.Therefore, it is necessary to be attentive to any signs of pathology and to avoid consulting a doctor in time to develop it.
Reasons
The origin of neck pain is quite diverse.In this area there are bone structures (spine), soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments), nerves and blood vessels.They undergo mechanical, inflammatory, metabolic and dystrophic changes.In this case, other nearby areas are often affected: the head, shoulders and thoracic region.Neck pain becomes a kind of marker of the following pathology:
- Osteochondrosis.
- InterveBral hernia.
- Spondyloarthrosis.
- Spondylitis.
- Myocyte.
Most of these conditions develop under conditions of constant load on the spine.The neck is the most mobile part exposed to external factors.Uncomfortable postures, sedentary work, constant muscle tension, hypothermia and stress are complex factors in modern life that contribute to the development of diseases.
Neck pain is not only local but also referred.They often spread to this area due to shoulder pathology:
- Arthritis.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Himeroscapular periarthritis.
- Brachial plexitis.
In addition, any part of the skeleton suffers from injury, which cannot be called a rare event.Considering these features, it is necessary to carry out differential diagnosis carefully to determine the cause of the pain syndrome.And this is possible only after a medical examination and additional research.
If you are concerned about neck and shoulder pain, you should first consult a specialist.Any therapeutic measures follow the diagnosis.
Symptoms
Each disease has its own symptoms.Neck pain is the most striking symptom of spinal pathology, which is difficult not to pay attention to.According to medical terminology, such a symptom is called cervicalgia.The spread of pain to the shoulder gets a new name - Cervicobrachialgia.This happens due to the general innervation and blood supply to these areas.
The characteristics of neck pain depend on the severity and degree of the process, as well as the subjective feelings of the patient himself.As a rule, these are:
- Sharp or dull.
- Shooting, stabbing, aching, pulling.
- Single or double sided.
- Weak, medium or strong.
- Paroxysmal or constant.
- Appears on the head, arms or when resting.
In addition to neck pain, there are other symptoms that make it possible to establish the source of pathological impulses.For this, a detailed analysis is required as part of their clinical examination.
Spine diseases
Of all the causes of pain in the cervical region, the pathology of the spine comes first.Many patients have osteochondrosis and disc herniation;They often have to deal with immune spondyloarthritis;Infectious spondylitis is somewhat less common.Neck pain can develop from muscle spasm or compression of nerve roots (radiculopathy).In the latter case, it is accompanied by innervation disorders manifested by the following symptoms:
- Numbness, crawling, burning, tingling.
- Decreased sensitivity in the neck, shoulders and arms.
- Activation or suppression of tendon reflexes.
- Muscle weakness.
- The pallor of the skin, its "ebucu".
The neck muscles are reflexively tense and can be felt as tight ridges on the side of the spine.Head movements are severely limited.It is often accompanied by shivering or headache.If the spinal cord is involved in the pathological process, transitional disorders develop in the form of paralysis of the upper and lower extremities.
In addition to neck pain, pathology of the spine can be the source of very serious problems that lead to loss of ability to work.
Myocyte
Myositis is likely to develop when the neck muscles are injured.It occurs in cases where it appears due to prolonged stress, hypothermia or infection.As a rule, the pain is painful in nature and does not spread to other areas.The range of motion is limited, there are local signs of local inflammation: swelling, redness, increased local temperature.The course of myositis is not severe, the disease is rarely accompanied by complications.
Plexian
Pain can occur due to inflammation of nerve plexuses located in the neck and shoulder region.They are formed by the anterior branches of the spinal roots and are responsible for the innervation of the skin and muscles in the corresponding areas, as well as the diaphragm.Cervical plexitis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Acute paroxysmal pain in the neck.
- Paraspinal muscle weakness.
- Hiccups.
- Dyspnea.
Damage to the brachial plexus is accompanied by motor, sensory and autonomic disorders of the upper extremity: weakness, superficial and deep sensations, pallor decreased.
Pain in the neck and shoulder can be a sign of inflammation of the nerve plexus - plexitis.It should be distinguished from vertebrogenic causes.
Arthritis
Arthritis of the shoulder joint is also accompanied by pain.Inflammation can be immune, metabolic or traumatic in nature, metabolic or traumatic.The following symptoms occur:
- Shoulder swelling.
- Redness of the skin on it.
- Increase in local temperature.
- Restriction of movements together.
Damage to the shoulder can be isolated or part of the structure of polyarthritis in connective tissue diseases, gout.If the treatment is not timely, the initial conditions for the development of joint arthrosis changes are created.
Osteoarthritis
Shoulder pain is often a manifestation of arthrosis.This pathology is degenerative and dystrophic in nature, affecting all components of the joint and primarily cartilage tissue.It is characterized by slow but steady progress.As osteoarthritis develops, it is accompanied by these symptoms:
- In the neck, friction, pressing in the joint.
- Then constantly changing "starting" and "mechanical" pain (appears at the beginning of the load).
- Shoulder deformity.
- Restriction of movements.
The disease causes significant suffering to patients, reduces their physical activity and prevents them from performing their usual activities.
Jumancapular periarthritis
This disease develops as a result of inflammation of periarticular tissues and shoulder synovium.Periarthritis is often the result of injury or overuse.It is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Sudden pain in shoulder, night and arm, worse at night.
- Acute limitation of mobility, especially arm abduction and elevation.
- Mandatory position of the weight: bent at the elbow and pressed to the body.
- Swelling along the front surface of the joint and on the side.
Humeral periarthritis is often confused with arthritis or arthrosis, but it differs from these diseases in the absence of pathological changes in the joint itself.
Diagnostics
To determine the causes of neck and shoulder pain, a comprehensive examination of the patient, including additional methods, is necessary.With the help of laboratory and instrumental studies, it is possible to create metabolic and structural disorders in the body.Depending on the clinical situation, the following procedures may be required:
- General blood and urine analysis.
- Blood biochemistry (indicators of inflammation, rheumatic tests, uric acid, calcium).
- X-ray of the spine and shoulder joint.
- Magnetic resonance (computer) tomography.
- Neuromyography.
- Arthroscopy.
Pain in the left shoulder and arm should be distinguished from heart pathology, so electrocardiography should be added to the above work.It is impossible to do without consulting special specialists: a neurologist, a spine specialist, a traumatologist, a rheumatologist.
The origin of pain is determined based on the results of a comprehensive examination.After the diagnosis, treatment measures can begin.
Treatment
To treat neck pain, you need to know its development mechanisms and causes.When clearly defined, a therapeutic program is created for the patient.The treatment includes methods of multidirectional effects on the musculoskeletal system, which allow to eliminate inflammatory changes, stop dystrophic processes, relieve pain and muscle spasms.First, you need to load on the neck and shoulder girdle to relieve the affected areas.A collar may need to be worn.
Drug therapy
Treatment of neck pain necessarily includes medication adjustments.In modern medicine, there are a wide range of drugs that help patients with problems of the musculoskeletal system.The most commonly prescribed drugs are:
- Non-antique anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Muscle discharge.
- Chondroprotectors.
- B vitamins.
- Vein.
For neck pain that responds poorly to such treatment, paravertebral blockades with Novocaine or hormonal agents are used.After eliminating acute symptoms, you can use local forms - ointment, gel, patch.
It is almost impossible to effectively treat the pathology of the skeletal system, which provokes pain in the shoulder joint without medication.
Physiotherapy
Comprehensive treatment of pain in the cervical region includes physical methods.With their help, you can eliminate inflammatory phenomena and improve biochemical processes in tissues.The following procedures can be used for pathologies of the cervical and shoulder joints:
- Physiotherapy.
- Laser treatment.
- Wave therapy.
- Magnetotherapy.
- Paraffin and mud therapy.
- Reflexology.
- Balneotherapy.
Optimal procedures will be prescribed by a physiotherapist, taking into account the characteristics of the disease and the characteristics of the patient's body.
Therapeutic exercise
Physical therapy exercises are good for neck pain.An individual gymnastics complex is prepared for each patient, which will help to treat the pathology: form a strong muscle corset, give flexibility and strength to the ligaments, restore the range of motion in the back and joints.
Post-isometric relaxation, where static tension is replaced by relaxation, exercises suitable for the neck.It is necessary to gradually expand the motor mode, avoid sharp turns and bending, and active rotation of the head.
Regular performance of therapeutic exercises not only restores movement in the affected parts of the skeleton, but also improves the general condition of patients.
Massage and hand therapy
Manual stimulation methods of the musculoskeletal system help to treat pain in the neck muscles.Massage is not only a useful procedure, but also very pleasant.At the same time, the blood supply to the soft tissues improves, the muscles relax, which helps to activate the recovery processes in the tissues.During manual therapy, functional blocks and subluxations in the cervical region are removed, the spine is stretched, which leads to decompression of the nerve roots.
Operation
Radical treatment of neck pain is required when conservative measures are ineffective.Most often, surgery is performed for severe hernia and osteochondrosis.Pathological disc protrusions, osteophytes, vertebral displacements are removed endoscopically and signs of instability are eliminated.Prosthetics can be made in the shoulder joint due to severe osteoarthritis and contractures and the contractures can be corrected.After the operation, rehabilitation is required, which depends on the degree of operation.
Neck and shoulder pain bothers many patients.In order to get rid of unpleasant feelings and possible consequences, it is necessary to immediately diagnose and treat skeletal pathology.