A feeling of pain of varying intensity in any part of the body is always unpleasant. In addition to tangible discomfort, they always serve as an alarm signal for the development of anomalies in various systems of the human body. Do not ignore or try to "muffle" pain medication with pain medication. It is necessary to understand the reason for its origin and conduct therapeutic measures.
Why does my neck hurt when I turn my head?
Our neck is interesting and multifunctional, from the position of anatomy and physiology, but a fairly fragile organ. It contains muscles, nerve fibers and blood vessels, as well as the cervical spine. The first two vertebrae are connected to the skull. With their help, a person can freely turn his head. Inflammatory, degenerative and "age-old" pathologies of this part of the body provoke the onset of pain syndrome.
Causes of pain in the neck when turning the head:
1. Mechanical Damage:
- tearing or stretching of muscles and ligaments;
- displacement and vertebral fractures;
- subluxation of intervertebral joints.
2. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- osteochondrosis;
- spondylarthrosis ;
- scoliosis;
- kyphosis;
- herniated intervertebral disc;
- inflammatory process of cervical muscular tissues.
3. Diseases of a rheumatic nature.
4. Pathologies of infectious origin.
5. Oncology.
Pain in the neck on the right side of the head
Often the reason for the painful discomfort in this position is:
- The onset of osteoarthritis or osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. These diseases of the musculoskeletal system are characterized by a slow but progressive development. Damage to the bone tissue of the vertebrae and squeezing the nerve fibers, cause dull, constant pain.
- The hernia of the intervertebral disc causes noticeable discomfort, spreading aching soreness in the shoulder.
- After a long static position of the body or a cold, a sharp pain on the right when turning the head arises because of muscle contraction. If the syndrome does not go away, you should consult a vertebrologist.
- Diseases of the brain and narrowing of the spinal can often manifest soreness of the neck to the right and limitation of mobility of the head. This symptom is accompanied by dizziness, vomiting reflex, general weakness.
Pain in the neck on the left side of the head
The reasons for the localization of pain in this part of the body can be varied. The most part is an improper landing, which generates an overload on the muscles of the neck. They stretch, harden and prevent the free rotation of the head in different directions. Discomfortable sensations extend to the left shoulder and upper limb, causing paresthesia and lethargy. Continuous work in front of the monitor contributes to the development of stagnant phenomena in the neck, provoking soreness.
Sharp pain in the neck when turning the head can occur as a result of trauma or degenerative processes of the spine:
- cracks or primary vertebral fractures;
- sports polytrauma;
- nerve impaction with "bone spurs";
- damage to the intervertebral interlayer.
The neck hurts behind when the head turns
Here are the most common causes of pain in the back of the neck:
- Some infectious diseases are accompanied by severe pain in the neck when turning the head. Unpleasant sensations extend to both upper extremities.
- Localization of pain in this area may indicate the development of spondylosis. This disease is characterized by the formation of bone outgrowths (osteophytes), which are expanding, intensively pressing on the roots of the nerves.
- Bulging and herniated intervertebral discs can also cause permanent pain in the back of the neck, which is accompanied by blood pressure changes and migraine attacks.
- An upset in the metabolism of muscle tissue provokes atrophy of the ligamentous apparatus (cervical myopathy). One of the first symptoms of this ailment is a tangible discomfort, which, if you want, turns your head to the side.
- In the late stages of development of spondylitis, fusion of the adjacent vertebrae is possible. This causes particularly acute pain.
The neck hurts when you turn your head after sleeping
The pain in the neck with the movement of the head after awakening is experienced by many. This causes a feeling of inconvenience and limits working capacity. The main factor of unpleasant sensations, according to doctors, is the wrong position of the body in a horizontal position. The static load on the neck slows the blood circulation and causes stagnation, the person wakes up with a drawing pain in the head, neck, shoulders. If the soreness does not pass, it can become a signal of the onset of the aforementioned diseases of the spine or other ailments. Differential diagnosis should be entrusted to the doctor.
The neck hurts at turn of a head - how to treat?
If discomfort occurs as a result of poor sleep, which does not correspond to the hygiene norms of workplace organization or in case of hypodynamia, try to reconsider your lifestyle. In case of aggravation of unpleasant sensations that do not go away - it is important to consult a vertebrologist and a neurologist on time. Treatment of pain in the neck when turning the head should be carried out in a complex, after the examination of the patient by specialists.
Modern medicine has a wide range of instrumental and laboratory diagnostics for solving the problem of skeletal-muscular apparatus pathologies:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- manual technique;
- surgical intervention.
Pain in the neck when turning the head - ointment
When the neck hurts while turning the head, an ointment containing a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory active ingredient will help get rid of it. The pharmaceutical industry produces a sufficient number of varieties of this drug that are characterized by an irritating-distracting and anesthetic effect:
- Nimide-gel;
- Remisid;
- Diclofenac;
- Revmond;
- Dolgit;
- Nurofen-gel;
- Indovazin ;
- Finalgel et al.
The active components of these drugs (nimesulide, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, etc.) are prescribed by the doctor individually in each individual case, since they have a number of contraindications and side effects.
Neck Massage Therapy
Patients often complain of pain in the muscles of the neck when turning the head. This kind of localization is caused by spasm of muscle and ligament tissue. Relax massage will help. Massage should not provoke the painfulness of the treated area. During the exacerbation of certain diseases, the performance of this procedure is contraindicated. To get rid of the discomfort in the neck, it is important to find out its cause.
This procedure is carried out by experienced specialists, but easy relaxing movements can be done by yourself:
- Mask the neck area gently, without effort and sharp pressure. At the same time, stiffness in muscles disappears, blood flow arrives and soreness disappears.
- Stroking longitudinal and circular movements follow 6-7 times, changing direction and not changing the amplitude.