Neck pain

Neck pain, which affects all age groups, young, old and children, disrupts the quality of life, sometimes with pain in the head and sometimes with pain in the back. It is reported that one in every three people experiences neck pain at least once in their lifetime. The pain is usually mild and temporary, but in rare cases it can be very painful, even severe enough to cause disability.

The neck is the region between the head and the body that allows the head to move and the body to remain balanced during this movement. The structure through which the important vessels feeding the brain and the spinal cord pass is also the exit point of the nerves going to the arms. It is the most mobile part of the spine and has a complex joint, muscle and ligament structure that is different from other spinal regions.

Causes of neck pain

    Neck pain is especially intense around the neck in young people. and neck-shoulder girdle originate from muscles. Cervical herniation, also known as slipped disc in the neck, is also among the rarer but important causes. Calcification, which occurs due to damage to the vertebrae, discs and ligaments with advancing age, is also a common condition.

Most neck pain is caused by posture disorders. Working in the same position for a long time (for example, those who do desk jobs) and activities in which the head is constantly looking up (such as painting) pose risks. From this perspective, it is a picture in which occupational risk factors are at the forefront. Many occupational groups are at risk, such as those who work in front of computers, those who work in workshops standing still, those who do handicrafts, and painters.

In addition, traffic accidents, falls, sports injuries, falling asleep in the wrong position, using high pillows, and bad travel conditions can cause neck pain.

Neck Calcification

Degenerative changes that cause neck calcification actually start in the 20-30s and progress, but they generally do not cause any complaints. Over time, damage to the joints causes changes in the surrounding muscles and ligaments. It manifests itself when faced with a factor that increases neck pain mentioned above, or sometimes with spontaneous pain. If the growth of bones in the vertebrae and joints occurs at an advanced stage due to damage, it may also cause pressure on the nerve roots coming from the neck or on the spinal cord itself.

Cervical Herniation

It is a clinical condition that occurs as a result of the tissue called the disc, which acts as a cushion between both cervical vertebrae, protruding towards the spinal cord and nerves going to the arm. Many different complaints may arise depending on the size of the press. Only neck and arm pain or loss of strength in the arm muscles, loss of sensation in the hands, numbness and clumsiness may also be observed. In case of compression on the spinal cord, difficulty in walking, weakness in the legs and urinary complaints may also be observed. Fortunately, cervical disc hernias actually have a lesser place among the causes of neck pain. However, it is a condition that needs to be evaluated carefully because of the problems it may cause, especially loss of muscle strength.
Inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Some common and well-known diseases such as neck ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis It is one of the involvement areas of rheumatic diseases. Patients with such a rheumatic disease should be evaluated from these aspects.

Soft tissue (muscle) rheumatisms

The neck area is the starting point or attachment point of the muscles connected to the shoulder due to the necessity of keeping the head upright all the time. It is an area that is used a lot, is under stress and does not have much opportunity to relax. In addition, it is the area with the most muscle contraction when people are sad, tense or bored. This contraction, which occurs with stress, causes tension in the attachment points of the muscles, causing neck and even headaches.

Although the most common diseases of the neck regions are the ones mentioned above, cancer or cancer spreads, bone tuberculosis, and diseases affecting the bone are also situations that should be kept in mind. Another important point is that shoulder pain is often confused with neck pain. Situations such as pain or limitation of movement when lifting the shoulder or turning it backwards, and not being able to lie on the affected side, support that the pain may originate from the shoulder.

Diagnosis of neck pain

Neck pain and The patient should be questioned about the duration of the pain, the reasons that increase or decrease it, occupation, whether the pain spreads to the arm, whether there is pain, numbness or muscle weakness in the arms and hands, whether the patient has additional rheumatic disease, and sleep status. Afterwards, a very careful examination should determine whether the pain is caused by structures such as bones and discs originating from the neck or by muscles. A careful neurological examination should be performed due to the risk of possible compression of the spinal canal or nerve roots. Afterwards, imaging methods such as direct radiography, MRI or tomography, and EMG may be performed to identify or differentiate conditions related to nerve involvement. If necessary, the diagnosis can be supported by blood tests.

Treatment for neck pain

A painful and stiff neck may get better within a few days - a few weeks, even without any special treatment. Usually all that is required is to be as comfortable as possible. is to provide a position. When neck pain is severe and lasts a long time, the following treatment methods can be used.

Medication Treatment

Drugs can be used to reduce pain in low back pain. For this purpose, painkillers/antirheumatic drugs, muscle relaxants, adjuvant drugs, weak opioids can be used. These medications can be taken orally or applied externally as a gel/cream.

Non-Drug Treatments

-Rest: Another treatment method is rest. The use of a neck collar may be recommended for this purpose.

-Complementary medicine methods: Complementary medicine methods such as acupuncture, neural therapy, ozone therapy, mesotherapy and prolotherapy can be used to control neck pain. Among these treatments, acupuncture, neural therapy and ozone therapy are used in our clinic. These 3 methods are the methods we prefer because they have a low side effect profile, the ability to control pain quickly, and a holistic perspective that also allows the treatment of other systems that may cause neck pain.

-Physical therapy: The combined use of physical therapy tools for neck pain is recommended as it has been one of the successful treatment methods that have been used for many years. It can control the pain in the neck area by reducing muscle spasm, reducing edema and increasing blood flow.

Exercise

The aim of exercise is to strengthen the muscles around the neck, reduce spasm. It shortens the muscles and stretches the ligaments. In this way, a balanced and natural corset is formed around the neck.

Since muscle tension has a great effect on neck pain, stretching exercises must be performed on the neck and shoulder girdle muscles.

Separately Exercises that work large muscle groups, called aerobic exercises, and increase heart rate and respiratory rate should also be done. These exercises also increase endorphins, called happiness hormones, which improves the patient's mood and reduces pain. These exercises are exercises such as running, walking, swimming and dancing. The patient should do whichever he/she likes more. Because aerobic exercises must be done for at least 8 weeks for the expected effects to occur.

Useful suggestions for people with neck pain

• Do not lift heavy objects. , do not pull or push, divide the loads you will carry into two equal parts and carry them close to your body.

• Do not carry loads with your head. Do not lift loads above head level.

• Do not keep your neck constantly bent forward or fixed in the same position (reading, doing handicrafts, writing, etc.)

• Do not squeeze the phone between your neck and shoulders while talking.

• Keep your back straight and lean while sitting.

• If necessary, lean into the crook of your neck. Reinforce your neck with a neck pillow that fits.

• Do not use an excessively high pillow.

• Organize your working conditions and conditions well.

• Do not use an excessively high pillow. p>

• Change positions every 30 minutes, especially at the computer and desk.

 

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