Why pain in the back and neck

We heard enough already about what the worst pain in the neck and back can occur due to the fault of a herniated disc, and if there is a severe pain, go to the doctor in anticipation of the terrible sentence. However, myths about the inevitable pain when the hernia is exaggerated: hernia often is not a cause of pain in back and neck, although many older people in the picture are fixed at the same time, even a few 3-4 mm herniation. And how, then there is severe pain in the back and neck, even in young people?

Pain in the neck and back

Causes of pain in the neck and back

Back pain and neck appear most often due to spasms in muscles and joint subluxations of the vertebrae. Unfortunately, diagnosis of muscles and joints is made well enough. The smallest hernias and protrusion immediately identified using CT and MRI, while subluxations and misalignment of the vertebrae often go unnoticed. Electromyography , which allows to identify explicitly the various muscle tone, often not conducted at all.

How and why you may experience abnormal muscle spasms or subluxation of the vertebrae? Maybe they are only possible in weightlifting or only occur after injuries or injuries of the spine?

The fact of the matter is that it can happen to absolutely anyone, and almost imperceptibly.

Muscle spasms may increase throughout life and themselves leads to a shift in the spine and sprains

Spasms in the muscles of the back and neck

The impetus to spasms in the muscles can be quite humdrum things:

  • Constant uncomfortable tense posture in the sitting position
  • The second reason is a sudden movement and disproportionate physical exertion (particularly fans of independent repairs and zealous gardeners): muscle spasm of the thoracolumbar division of the back can occur due to carrying heavy loads for extended ahead of the hands; pain and tension in the muscles of the lumbar-sacral region occurs due to the attempts to raise the heavy tilt position
  • The third reason is muscle inflammation (myositis) due to elemental exposure. Probably, everybody knows the shot in the neck or back which occur due to a disastrous drafts. Oddly enough, it happens more in the summer than in the winter season. The reason this is wrong is the air conditioning running with exhibited equally wrong temperature (too large a difference between external and preset temperature)

Symptoms of pain in the neck and back

  1. Cervical myositis (sometimes called cervical radiculitis) causes backache coming on one side from the top of the head through the ear to the shoulder and arm
  2. Backache in the thoracic region of the back radiates to ribs in the form of intercostal neuralgia. Localization in the left part of the chest leads to simulate a heart attack
  3. Lumbar backache (lumbago) are given in the thigh. Same with inflammation of the sciatic nerve causes a sharp pain attack of "sciatica" in which the pain extends from the gluteal muscles and down the entire back of the thigh and lower leg literally to the soles
Pain in the neck

The mechanism of muscle pain

Why pain syndrome arising in the muscles, often treated difficult, despite the fact that the first attack may pass by itself? Why do muscles hurt?

The pain is so insidious phenomenon that resembles a beast that was awakened. While he's Napping, that's okay. But it is worth it to Wake up, you will have problems.

If the resulting muscle spasm in the back and neck passing through affects muscle nerves, enables the reflex mechanism of the pain reminiscent of a hell of boomerang:

  • A pinched nerve increases muscle spasm (this is their natural protective pain response)
  • Repeated spasm of the muscle irritates the nerve again and everything is going in the endless circle

The pain just could not subside due to constant reflex irritation.

Treatment of muscular back pain and neck

Contributes to the development of chronic pain syndrome and inappropriate treatment:

  • Heat compresses on the painful area, hot tubs, rubbing at first seem to lead to relief, but then the swelling of the muscles of the back and neck even more important and acute pain
  • Conduct therapeutic exercises and even stretching exercises during exacerbation can also lead to deterioration, because the reaction already tense muscles under the influence of additional load can be unpredictable. In some cases, they can relax, while others become even more intense
  • A similar reaction can occur during the massage

Pulled muscles are very firm to the touch, and the man himself is extremely difficult to bend-stretch, rotate neck, elevate and take away the hand.

Treatment of muscle spasms and acute pain should be aimed at more rapid elimination of pain syndrome

This is assigned to a week of bed rest and held:

  1. Five to seven-day course of pain relief non-steroidal drugs
  2. Pain in a wide region made novocaine or Lidocainum blockade
  3. Sessions of post-isometric relaxation is a very effective static exercises to relieve pain
  4. Manual therapy and acupuncture, provided that they are performed by qualified professionals
  5. Myofascial massage with the stimulation of the trigger (pain) points

Trigger points and area of pain are not always the same:

  • Sore lower back, and the muscle clamped much lower and not back and front

The displacement of the joints of the vertebrae of the back and neck

The displacement (subluxation) of the joints of the vertebrae is not an uncommon phenomenon. It can provoke:

  • Spinal injury, and even ordinary household: a fall, a blow, a bad fall on his feet, etc.
  • A sharp incline, turn neck and torso with too great an angle
  • Constant muscle spasm, compressing the vertebrae
Diagnosis

Diagnosis of displacement of the joints

If subluxation occurs after a fall or bad dynamics, to diagnose it can be sudden and long passing pain. During the displacement, you can hear a crunching or clicking

  • The surprise factor of pain syndrome should alert the physician, as in degenerative disc disease or herniation chronic pain and is present for a number of years
  • If the subluxation is caused by muscles, diagnosing it is more difficult, as the displacement develops slowly and is manifested in gradual increase in pain and immobility

Offset joints can not give a vivid clinical picture, except in those cases when it occurs in transitional areas:

  • Cervical-thoracic
  • Thoracolumbar
  • Lumbosacral

Each Department has its own characteristic additional characteristics of the displacement of the vertebra:

In the cervical:

  • Sick and dizzy to the floor fainting
  • Darkening, flies before the eyes, noise in the ears
  • The curvature of the neck
  • Weakness in the arm, burning sensation and numbness in the fingers (syndrome cervico-brachial plexus)

In the chest:

  • Stabbing pain between the shoulder blades that radiates to the sternum and the abdomen

These symptoms — frequent cause of hospitalization of patients with suspected myocardial infarction, ulcers and even appendicitis.

To establish that chest pain due to heart quite easily: After taking of validol or nitroglycerin pain attack fails

In the lumbar:

  • Acute backache radiating to the thigh, lower abdomen and groinThat occurs when a subluxation of the vertebra in the upper part of the lower back with a pinched femoral nerve
  • Chamber along the entire rear surface of the foot starting from the buttocks
  • Numbness, the feeling of leg cramps or they are deducted, These phenomena say about the pinched sciatic nerve by vertebral subluxation in the lower lumbar of the back

Treatment of subluxations of the joints

The optimal treatment of dislocation of a vertebra is its management, which is carried out using osteopathy and manual therapy. Rooting will not stop until until the vertebra snaps into its original place

Unfortunately, these sensible osteopaths and chiropractors, are able to conduct a proper reposition of the vertebra is very small.

  1. To start treatment you need also the mandatory relief of pain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  2. Then it is desirable to provide competent manual therapy session
  3. But manual therapy is not self-sufficient method of treatment, and in order to maintain its effect, the necessary measures to strengthen the diseased area of the spine. This can be achieved, while strengthening muscles and restoring their balance by:
    • Strengthening physical therapy
    • Massage
    • Electro-myostimulation

Cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis

Over time, chronic cervical myositis leads to osteochondrosis, and he, unlike hernia, a very common cause of neck pain and is quite common among very young people.

  • Symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease includes vascular disorders, when the pain in the neck and below — shoulder region, arms are added indications of cerebrovascular disease
  • Pain and muscle spasms in the thoracic region — in the form of burning, in the form of chronic aching pain interspersed with sensation as if legs were growing. The gait becomes uncertain: the man is literally walking on bent
A chiropractor

If in cervical osteochondrosis patients usually go to the doctor with a complaint that a headache, when lumbar the presumed cause is already much lower, and are already starting to complain about the "paralysis of the legs".

Muscle spasm in the lumbar region leads to a spasm and narrowing of the blood vessels, which impairs blood flow to all organs located below the problem area, including legs. Hence, there is a feeling of numbness in the extremities

If the pain in the back and neck, despite treatment, has not been completed within weeks, there is reason to suspect a more serious disease: the displacement of the joints of the spine or a herniated disc.

Pain when intervertebral hernia

Finally went to the herniated sources of the most intense pain in the cervical and lumbar, and neck and yet the most dangerous phenomenon, in view of the exceptional role of the neck as the main "pipeline" for the vertebral artery.

Pain in the hernia and do the most painful and long lasting, as it is caused by a pinched spinal nerve. But this disease never occurs in a vacuum and always the second time

As a rule of pathology is preceded by:

  • Long-dystrophic processes in the spine, e.g. osteochondrosis
  • Abnormalities in muscle function (the same pain and spasms in specific muscle groups)
  • Injury and other diseases

Thus the expression "I have unexpectedly formed a hernia" is wrong, although the output of the victim is often a complete surprise. But here we need the convergence of several external factors:

  • Heavy lifting in an awkward position
  • A sudden movement back
  • Fall on the feet or the coccyx. D.

The herniation does not always lead to pain:

Hernia
  • Front hernia directed to the opposite side of the spinal cord and never touch the nerve
  • Schmorl hernia, which so love to scare the doctors, often completely asymptomatic, since it is the vertical indentation of hyaline cartilage or the intervertebral disc into the vertebral body. It is also impossible contact with the nerve

Danger is only a back hernia

If it hurts in the neck and back, conduct a thorough diagnosis.

Very often, when a person treat hernia, and in the picture she really is, but to be the cause of pain can not, because there is no main reason: compression of the nerve. The location of the hernia eliminates this possibility

But a person has back pain and it is still persistently treated "a hernia" and even operate it. And causes pain really can be subluxation and locking of the vertebrae or a muscle spasm.