Why back and neck

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

Pain in the neck and back

Causes of pain in the neck and back

Back pain and neck appear most often due to spasms of the muscles and joint subluxations of the vertebrae. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of muscles and joints is to do well enough. A small hernia and protrusion will be immediately identified using CT and MRI, when subluxations and displacement of the vertebrae often remain unnoticed. Electromyography , which allows to identify unambiguously different in muscle tone, often not done 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 when injuries or injuries of the spine?

The fact is that it can happen to absolutely anyone, and almost unnoticed.

Muscle spasms may increase throughout life, and actually cause changes in the spine and sprains

Spasms of the muscles of the back and neck

The impetus for the spasms of the muscles can be quite humdrum things:

  • Constant uncomfortable, tense posture in a seated position
  • The second reason is the sudden movements and excessive physical activity (especially fans of the independent repairs and avid gardeners): muscle spasm of the thoracolumbar share back may be due to carrying heavy loads for extended forward, hands; pain and tension in the muscles of the lumbar-sacral area, because trying to raise the heavy tilt-position
  • The third reason is that, muscle inflammation (myositis), because of elemental exposure. Probably, all know, shot to the neck or back, caused by the disastrous drafts. Oddly enough, it happens more in the summer than in the winter season. The reason why this is wrong is the air conditioning running, all showing the same wrong temperature (too big difference between external and preset temperature)

Symptoms of pain in the neck and back

  1. Cervical myositis (sometimes called cervical radiculitis) cause back pain coming from the other side from the top of the head through the ear, shoulder and arm
  2. Back-chest-area of the back radiating ribs in the form of intercostal neuralgia. Localization on the left side of the chest leads to simulate a heart attack
  3. Lumbar back pain (lumbago) is given in the thigh. The same inflammation of the sciatic nerve causes a sharp pain attack of "sciatica" with pain extending to the gluteal muscles and down the whole back of the thigh and lower leg literally soles
Pain in the neck

The mechanism of muscle pain

Why pain syndrome due to muscle, often treated as difficult, despite the fact that the first attack may pass by itself? Why do the muscles hurt?

The pain is so insidious phenomenon, which reminds the beast that had awakened. When he is Napping, that's fine. But it's worth it to Wake up, you have problems.

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

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

The pain does not subside, due to the constant reflex irritation.

Treatment of muscular back pain and neck

Contribute to the development of chronic pain syndrome and ill-treatment:

  • Heat compress on the painful area, hot tub, rubbing at first seemed to lead to relief, but then the swelling of the muscles of the back and neck even more important and acute pain
  • Perform therapeutic exercises and even stretching exercises during an exacerbation can also lead to deterioration, because the reaction already tense muscles under the influence of an 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 people themselves is very difficult to bend-stretch, rotate neck, elevate and take away the hand.

The treatment of muscle spasms and acute pain should seek a more rapid elimination of pain syndrome

This has been shown to a week of rest and possession:

  1. Five to seven days pain relief non-steroidal drugs
  2. Vast painful area do novocaine or Lidocainum blockade
  3. The session of post isometric relaxation is a very powerful 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 is not always the same:

  • Sore lower back, and muscle attached much lower and no, the front and rear

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

Displacement (subluxation) of the joints of the vertebrae is not a rare phenomenon. It can cause:

  • Spinal cord injury, and even ordinary household: a fall, a blow, a bad fall on his feet, etc.
  • A steep slope, turn neck and torso too large 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-term pass pain. During the transition, you hear crunching or clicking on the

  • The surprise factor in the pain syndrome should alert the physician, such as degenerative disc disease or hernia the pain is chronic and has been present for several years
  • If the subluxation is caused by the muscles, the diagnosis is more difficult, because the displacement develops slowly and occurs in progressive pain and immobility

Offset joints can give life the clinical picture, except in those cases when it occurs in transitional areas:

  • Cervical-thoracic
  • Thoracolumbar
  • Lumbosacral

Each Department has its own characteristic file, the characteristics of the transitional vertebrae:

Cervical:

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

Chest:

  • Stabbing pain between the shoulder blades, radiating to the sternum and the abdomen

These symptoms — frequent reason for hospitalization in patients with suspected myocardial infarction, ulcers and even appendicitis.

Confirm that the chest pain is because the heart, is easy: When you take validol or nitroglycerin pain attack failed

The lumbar spine:

  • Acute back pain radiating to the thigh, lower abdomen and groin, Which occurs when a subluxation of the vertebrae in the upper part of the lumbar spine with femoral nerve entrapment
  • Runs along the entire rear surface of the foot starting from the buttocks
  • Numbness, the feeling of leg cramps or they have been taken awaySuch phenomena say a pinched sciatic nerve, that vertebral subluxation in the lower lumbar back

Treatment of subluxations of the joints

Optimal treatment of dislocation of the vertebra has its reduction, which is carried out with the help of osteopathy and manual therapy. Rooting will not stop until until the vertebrae snaps to its original place

Unfortunately, in real sense, osteopaths and chiropractors, are able to make the correct reposition of the vertebra is very small.

  1. To begin treatment, you will also need a mandatory 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 it strengthens the muscles and restore their balance:
    • Strengthening physical therapy
    • Massage
    • Electro-myostimulation

Cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis

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

  • Symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease includes vascular disorders, when the pain in the neck and under — neck area, the hands are added signs of cerebrovascular disease
  • The same pain and muscle spasms chest area — in the form of burning, in the form of chronic aching pain interspersed with feeling as if the feet grow. The gait becomes uncertain: the man is literally a walking bent
Chiropractor

If cervical osteochondrosis patients usually go to the doctor for a complaint, that the headache, after the lumbar the assumed cause there is already a lot smaller and the whining has already begun "paralyzed".

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

If the pain in the back and neck, despite treatment, has not been completed within a few 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

Eventually went to a herniated source of the most intense pain in the cervical and lumbar spine and the neck, and yet the most dangerous phenomenon in this exceptional position of the neck in the main "tube" of the vertebral artery.

The pain of the hernia, and, indeed, the most painful and long lasting, because it is caused by a pinched spinal nerve. But this disease never occurs in a vacuum and is always secondary

As a rule, the pathology is preceded by:

  • Long-dystrophic processes in the spine, for example. 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 victim is often a complete surprise. But here we need the convergence of several external factors:

  • Heavy lifting in an awkward position
  • The sudden movement back
  • Fall of the foot or coccyx, etc.

Disc herniation does not always cause pain:

Hernia
  • In front of the hernia is directed to the opposite side of the spinal cord and never touch a nerve
  • Schmorlin the hernia, which so love to scare the doctors, often completely asymptomatic, because it is the vertical indentation of the transparent cartilage, or intervertebral disk of the spine of the body. It is also impossible to contact the nerve

Danger is just a back hernia

If it hurts the neck and back, to make a thorough diagnosis.

Very often, when a person the treatment of hernia, and in the photo he really is, but it can cause pain can not, because there is no main reason: compression of the nerve. The location of the hernia eliminates this possibility

But people have back pain, and it is still persistently treated "a hernia" and even use it. And the cause of the pain can be really subluxation and locking of the vertebrae or muscle spasm.