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Types and causes of cervical pain
Last reviewed: 19.11.2021
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The cervical spine is the most flexible of all departments. That is why it consists of a mass of vertebrae and spine, which have the ability to rub against each other, become inflamed and hurt with prolonged exertion. What are the types of cervical pains and how to get rid of them?
Response to past injuries
Even if we injured the neck many months or years ago, it may not respond with pain at the same time. But past injuries (micro-trauma) can make themselves felt after a long time. And then suddenly the neck starts to hurt, it would seem, without a reason, and we are surprised: it seems there were no overloads, where does the pain come from?
And there are still situations (and they are frequent) when microtraumas accumulate, leading to deformation of the cervical vertebrae, which a person can not even guess. On how quickly you react to the slightest pain in the neck, her health depends. Because even small pains in the cervical spine can signal serious problems with the health of the neck.
It is very important, first of all, to direct the vertebrae in the correct position and to fight the manifestations of their deformation, even if there are no pains yet or they are very weak and infrequent.
Causes of cervical pain
- Permanent sedentary work with cervical spine overexertion
- Injuries and micro-traumas, strokes, vertebral fractures
- Too much stress on the spine as a whole, as well as ligaments and joints
- Age changes, deforming cartilage tissue and the body of the vertebrae of the neck
- Infections of different species and localization
- Tumors, outgrowths in the vertebral body and between them
- Weak muscles, lack of physical activity, the same position of the neck for whole hours
- Stretching the cervical ligaments at high loads without warming up
- An uncomfortable position for sleeping, because of what the neck muscles become numb and sore
[How do negative changes occur in the cervical vertebrae?
Very often a person has problems with the disks. They are in the vertebrae. What is a disk? It is a connective tissue between the vertebrae, which has the property of changing its shape due to injuries, with age or from excessive overstrain of the cervical vertebrae.
When the discs change their shape, distorted, distorted, this process doctors called degeneration of disks. When such degeneration goes too fast and intensely, the pains can be excruciated simply incredible, and the situation becomes more complicated to correct.
When the vertebrae of the neck are injured, this causes degeneration, which very often happens unnoticed. A person may not even suspect that his cervical vertebrae change shape, wear out, distort. Together with the vertebrae, the connective tissue of the discs also wears out and deforms. Therefore it is important to be examined by a doctor at the slightest pain in the neck.
Different types of cervical pain
The neck all hurts differently: strongly and sharply, so that it is difficult to move, boring and at first "tolerant", and then can shoot through sharp bouts. And the causes of cervical pain are also different.
Mechanical neck pain
Why mechanical? Because it directly depends on how and how much we move. Mechanical neck pain - it is also chronic, it is difficult to get rid of it if you are not a fan of exercise and relaxation.
With constant neck tension and almost complete absence of movements (for example, when working at a computer), the neck joints become inflamed, and in the discs, connective tissue starts to degenerate discreetly (change the form). At first the neck does not respond with pain, but this is only the beginning. Then pain can become your constant annoying companions and arise at the slightest overexertion.
As soon as the neck receives a load, the muscles can spasm and you can not move from pain to the right or left. Before this state, it is better not to bring a respite to the neck muscles in the form of a change in position and inclinations in different directions.
Radiculitis of the neck
This disease is also called cervical radiculopathy. Cervical radiculitis affects the nerve roots of the neck, which become inflamed and begin to transmit strong pain signals to the brain. Nerve bundles are located in the spinal cord. They spread both on the shoulder, and further along the arm. That is why, in the inflammation or infringement of these spine, pain in the neck can give far into the hand and obstruct movement in it.
Nerve roots can be impaired by a deformed vertebra or spine that grows in it. The neck muscles then become weak, painful, they can even become numb in the area not only of the neck, but of the entire arm. This condition is dangerous because of severe pain, in which a person can even lose consciousness.
Cervical sciatica and disc herniation
When a person gives himself a strong physical load on the neck, the discs between the cervical vertebrae quickly deteriorate and become deformed. Then a hernia of the disc may occur, that is, the bulging of the disk core beyond the disk ring (the so-called fibrous ring). Nerve roots strongly squeeze, and this causes sharp and severe pain.
A damaged disc can "bite" with the help of bulging parts that were formed when damaged. The muscles of the neck and hands are numb, the pain intensifies, weakens and help with this kind of radiculopathy can only urgent medical aid.
It is noteworthy that the hernia of the cervical disc may not necessarily be in the elderly. Patients under 30 - and also in the risk zone, if they lead a sedentary lifestyle or, conversely, abuse excessive physical exertion.
Cervical myelopathy
In other words, this disease is called stenosis of the spinal canal. Stenosis is a dangerous disease of the cervical vertebrae, which signals a severe deformation of the vertebrae of the neck. How does stenosis occur?
On the vertebrae, with strong loads on the neck, improper nutrition and a string of injuries, spines, osteophytes, can grow. These spines can squeeze the nerve roots, they become inflamed, and then there is a sharp pain in the neck. Myelopathy is characterized by the fact that not only the nerve roots are squeezed, but there is also a strong load on the spinal canal. It squeezes, the spinal cord becomes inflamed, and a sharp pain in the neck prevents the person from moving. As an unpleasant addition in this situation - hand movements can be hampered, because pain also gives way.