One of the most common discomforts that we encounter every day is neck and back pain – it occurs in 30-50% of the population annually. However, some of us don’t realize that if it happens more than once in a while, it could be a sign of illness. This common ailment often leads to problems with mobility, so when you experience repeated pain, you should start acting!
Chronic neck pain is defined as pain that lasts more than three months. It affects women much more often than men and usually occurs in middle age. Many patients complain of pain that manifests itself only in one side – right or left. What can cause neck pain:
- Smoking,
- Age over forty,
- Physical activity related to repetition of the same activity that may strain the cervical spine,
- Injuries to the neck or shoulder, and even their surroundings,
- Occupation causing constant stress, mental tension,
- Problems with pain in the lumbar spine,
- Activities that require bending the neck in a certain direction or holding the head in one position for long periods of time.
All of the above factors can lead to problems with cervical pain. However, sometimes pain can mean complications that require treatment and contact with a specialist:
- Muscle strain or tear – this happens with a direct injury or overloading of the neck. This pain is manifested by increased ailments when moving the neck, it often also radiates towards the shoulder blades, appears on the left or right side. The patient also has a problem with turning the neck to the side where he does not feel pain. The most common treatment is an orthopedic collar and rehabilitation.
- Cervical spine degeneration – in this case, the patient experiences severe pain in the neck, which intensifies during movements. It may or may not be unilateral (left or right). Sometimes it is accompanied by muscle weakness, numbness and tingling. Osteoarthritis occurs in two sections: cervical and lumbar. It is usually caused by overloading the discs or simply aging of the body. Treatment may include special therapy, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, or surgical removal of the problem.
- Diseases of the thyroid gland – it happens that neck pain is accompanied by a diseased thyroid gland. Patients with acute infectious thyroiditis, in whom pain radiates to the ear or throat area, complain of them in particular. This is often accompanied by fever and difficulty swallowing. Biopsy is used for treatment followed by appropriate antibiotic therapy.
- Discopathy – that is, the most common cause, which consists in the formation of a herniated disc located between the vertebrae. In addition to severe pain, it is manifested by radiation to the hands, muscle weakness and difficulty in moving the head. As in the previous cases, it can occur on the left or right side of the neck. Relief of pain involves the use of physiotherapy and analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, and in very advanced cases it may be necessary to remove the disc and replace it with a new one.