The neck consists of vertebrae that run from the skull to the upper trunk. The cervical discs absorb bumps between the bones. The bones, ligaments and muscles support the head and allow it to move. If there is any abnormality, disorder, inflammation, or trauma, it can cause pain or stiffness in the neck area. In moments like these, it’s hard to immediately determine what’s hurting your neck and take any action.
Many people sometimes experience discomfort or stiffness in this area, most often due to poor posture or overwork. In most cases, neck pain is not a serious condition and can be resolved within a few days. However, in some cases, such a symptom may indicate a serious illness and requires medical attention.
This article will help you figure out why your neck hurts on the right side as well as other places. It will also classify the types and most common causes of pain. Consider how to get rid of the discomfort in this part of the spine.
Types of pain in the neck region
To prescribe effective treatment, one skilled in the art must accurately determine the symptoms and causes of the pathology. Doctors classify neck pain as follows:
- cervikago - lumbago;
- cervicalgia.
The latter type is associated with pain resulting from damage to the vertebrae or neck muscles. Cervicalgia, on the other hand, can be divided into pain:
- associated with skin rashes (superficial somatic);
- involves muscle or vertebral damage (deep somatic);
- it causes the appearance of an infection or disruption of the work of the internal organs (viscera).
Cervicalgia affecting neighboring areas is divided into:
- in cervicobrachialgia (pain goes from the neck to the shoulder);
- for cervicocranialgia (pain from the neck (through the back of the head) to the head).
Speaking of the cervicago, it is worth noting that this pain is always acute, limiting neck mobility. He shows up suddenly and tortures a person for a while, making it impossible to think otherwise.
In order to determine why the neck hurts, it is extremely important for the physician to determine its nature and describe it using the classification listed.
Common causes
According to medical statistics, people who seek medical help for neck pain are most often diagnosed with a number of the following diseases and conditions:
- cervical osteochondrosis;
- osteoporosis;
- muscle cramp;
- disc herniation;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- systemic disorders in the body (infectious processes, tumors, problems of the immune system).
However, pain can be caused by more than just a person’s illness. Discomfort can also be caused by muscle tension or stretching (long sitting at the computer, driving a car, lifting weights, uncomfortable posture due to sleep or exercise). In addition, an uncomfortable feeling may appear due to the fact that a person has a headache closer to the neck.
Why is this happening and what is the cause? This question can only be answered by a specialist. Sometimes people who are trying to get rid of discomfort take self-medication - massages, antibiotics, painkillers and other medications. However, the consequences of such measures may not be the most favorable.
You need to understand what the diseases and conditions listed above are and how they can be dangerous, as well as why you cannot treat them on your own.
Cervical osteochondrosis
The appearance of this pathology in humans has anatomical features. The dimensions of the cervical vertebrae are much smaller than the bone structures of other segments of the spine. The neck is constantly under tension and this is due to its main functions of supporting the head and ensuring its mobility. If a person asks why the neck hurts from behind, they should consult if they have osteochondrosis in this part of the spine.
Symptoms of this disease may include:
- Pain from the neck to the shoulders, extending to the outer surface of the shoulders, forearms and hands.
- Penetrating pain in the neck or occipital region (especially worse in the morning, with head movements, cough, etc. ).
- Headache (paroxysmal or persistent, dull, impulsive, aggravated by turning the head), dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears.
- Pain in the pectoral muscle.
- There is a violation of blood flow to the cerebral arteries, which sometimes leads to temporary loss of consciousness. With deteriorating health, speech and motor functions may be impaired.
It is not worth treating this disease on your own, as the consequences of such actions cannot be far from gratifying. But by turning to professionals, you can be sure that the therapy will be of high quality and effective.
Typically, treatment of cervical osteochondrosis may involve the use of various anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, gels and restorative ointments, physiotherapy and health practices. Various medical patches and so on can be used.
Osteoporosis
It is a bone disease that occurs when bones lose their density. As a result, they will be weak and may break on a fall or minor impact. It is most common in women during menopause, but habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, and sedentary behavior increase the risk of it occurring.
For many people, formulating such a diagnosis may be the answer to the question of why the neck hurts from behind and at the same time gives it to the arm and shoulder.
Doctors distinguish three stages of the disease. The first stage assumes that a person experiences changes in the cervical spine such as decreased density of vertebrae, mild cramps, weakness, and pain. In the second stage, a constant headache appears, the pressure may drop sharply and rise above the normal value, numbness of the hand and general weakness appear. The third stage (the most difficult) assumes that a person experiences severe deformities in the vertebrae, a hump may appear in the collar zone, and head and neck pain become constant companions.
The goal of treating osteoporosis is to slow or prevent development, maintain bone density, and reduce pain. This is achieved through the use of supplements and medications, as well as by reviewing a person’s lifestyle in favor of light but constant loads (walks, sports) for the benefit of proper nutrition.
Muscle cramp
Why does my neck hurt on the left side? The cause may be cramps. Not only does it occur on the left side, but it can also affect the right and back of the neck. This is due to the involuntary contraction of the muscles as a result of the intense effort. The situation often causes severe pain that lasts from minutes to several days.
Asked why the neck muscles hurt, one should think about how he sleeps, works, sits. Convulsions often occur, violating the natural position of the body, moving weights on the shoulders, including bags, bent shoulders, and other conditions (including serious illness).
Painkillers can then help relieve neck pain, relieve muscle tension and reduce inflammation. However, these should be taken following the instructions provided and with the knowledge of your doctor. If you are not sure if your neck pain is caused by a cramp, do not take any medication without consulting a professional. In this case, you can apply an ice pack (wrapped in a towel) around your neck to temporarily relieve the pain.
It is always worth remembering that it is very difficult to determine on your own what your neck hurts. If the discomfort persists or intensifies, it can be a very serious reason to see a doctor.
Disc herniation
This element is a strong band that connects one vertebra to the other. The discs are padding cushions between each vertebra of the column. A hernia in the cervical spine can occur if too much pressure is put on even the healthy plate (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 limbs, muscle weakness, and loss of sensation. Initially, a person may not understand why their neck hurts during a twist, bend, or other normal movement. Over time, however, the uncomfortable feeling becomes unbearable. Some people may not have neck or back pain due to a disc herniation. The location of the symptoms depends on exactly where the pathology is located.
The treatment of a disc herniation depends on the severity of the disease and the visible damage. Most often, people's condition improves within six weeks of the doctor's first visit. In many cases, medication and quality physiotherapy are sufficient. In therapy, drugs can be used to control pain and reduce muscle cramps.
Inflammation of the lymph nodes
Generally, such pathologies result from exposure to bacteria or viruses. When these changes occur in the body, it will not be difficult to understand why the neck hurts on the left or right side because the lymph nodes are located in these areas. They may swell due to an upper respiratory infection such as a cold. Symptoms associated with edema include cough, fatigue, chills, runny nose, heavy sweating.
What does the neck hurt with inflammation of the lymph nodes? The answer is simple: the pathological process affects the nerve endings that send pain signals.
Treatment of such a condition usually involves identifying its nature (virus, infection, bacteria, tumor). The doctor will then prescribe medications to treat the underlying cause, which has a beneficial effect in removing the inflammatory process.
Various systemic disorders in the body
Sometimes people don’t understand why the neck and head hurt and these feelings go backwards or arms. This condition can often be caused by certain disorders in the body. These include various tumors, depression, arthritis, infectious processes, meningitis, internal bleeding and other severe pathologies.
Pain in the neck region can also occur if the body does not receive the required amount of useful substances (vitamins, micro- and macroelements).
Why the neck hurts in the front, back, or muscle discomfort and headache is felt, only the doctor will respond according to the results of tests and further examinations. This can be caused by the poor condition of other organs, not just the collar zone.
Diagnostics
The first thing you need to do to determine the cause of your neck pain is to see a therapist. It appoints the necessary consultation with other professionals and determines the need for technological diagnostic methods.
The specialist will explain why the neck hurts on the right side, left side, or other part of it. It collects a complete medical history and determines what abnormalities are currently occurring in the body.
During the test, a person may assign the following diagnostic methods:
- MRI;
- CT;
- ECG;
- Ultrasound.
MRI can help determine the condition of tissues, CT scan - to identify pathologies of the cervical vertebrae, ultrasound is needed to examine the arterial ring, blood vessels and nearby tissues, as well as an ECG so that the doctor can rule out various heart diseases.
In addition, one of the mandatory tests is the examination of the patient's blood, which helps to determine whether inflammatory or infectious processes are taking place in the body.
What to do?
Every painful person wants to get rid of it as soon as possible. In case of neck discomfort, the following may help:
- Apply ice to the sore spot (wrap it with a towel first).
- If the mild pain is caused by overload, temporarily stop strenuous physical exercise and allow time for your neck muscles to rest.
- Light neck exercises (slow bends and turns) should be performed during the day.
- You should check your posture so as not to aggravate the situation with additional strain on your muscles and vertebrae.
If the pain persists for a day or two, ask your doctor for help, who will determine why the neck hurts. If this is accompanied by symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, fever, numbness or tingling, swelling, nausea and immobility of the head or limbs, call an ambulance team immediately or come to a specialist.
Prophylaxis
In order not to wonder why your neck hurts closer to your head, other places or muscle cramps occur, it is important that you monitor your health and follow the recommendations below:
- You only need to sleep on comfortable pillows that allow the cervical spine to rest while resting. To avoid neck and back problems, it is best to buy an orthopedic pillow.
- The best position for comfortable rest of the entire spine lies on your back. You need to train yourself to fall asleep in this situation.
- you should select the appropriate chair height and monitor position when working with the computer.
- It is not worth writing, playing or reading SMS on mobile devices for a long time. This causes an excessive load on the neck (most often during this activity, the head lowers, which causes disturbances in the work of this part of the spine).
- It is important to pay attention and find time to exercise, walk in the fresh air and play sports.
- You need to change your diet and diet. It is very important that the body receives the required amount of nutrients during the day.
- It is best to give up bad habits (overeating, smoking, alcohol and drug use).
Conclusion
After examining the main causes of neck pain, we can conclude that it is unlikely that the problem can be identified and remedied on its own. That's why it's important not to hesitate. You should consult a professional immediately, even if your neck pain is tolerable. It is worth noting that even minor discomforts can indicate disturbances in the functioning of the body.