Almost everyone will experience neck pain at least once in their lifetime. The symptoms can have many causes, but serious damage is rare. Instead, in most cases, the reason is relatively harmless neck tension or muscle spasms, which can arise, for example, from constant work on the PC, one-sided movements during sports or general overload (as a result of heavy physical work, etc.). To a certain extent, those affected can help themselves with simple exercises and preventive measures. But if the pain lasts longer or if accompanying complaints such as fever , symptoms of paralysis or numbness occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
Table of Contents
- Neck pain: definition
- Causes of Neck Pain
- Discomfort in the neck from wear and tear
- Neck pain after sleeping
- Treatment for pain in the neck
- Home remedies and exercises for neck pain
- Neck pain prevention
Neck pain: definition
Neck pain is a common problem that affects almost everyone at some point. They can appear in different forms and accordingly show themselves, for example, once in the form of suddenly shooting, pulling or stabbing pains, which disappear again after a short time. Other sufferers report regular pain attacks. Depending on how long the complaints last, doctors differentiate between acute (ie up to 3 weeks) and subacute (4 to 12 weeks lasting) neck pain. If these occur again after a certain period of time, they are referred to as recurrent (“recurring”). If they last longer than three months at a time, doctors speak of chronic pain in the neck.
Causes and therapy for complaints in the neck. Image: SENTELLO-fotolia
The symptoms are often not limited to the neck and throat. Instead, they also radiate into other areas of the body, which means that many patients also suffer from back, head or shoulder pain. While problems in the upper part of the cervical spine are more likely to lead to neck pain, disorders in the lower cervical spine tend to be at the expense of the shoulders. In addition, there are usually more or less pronounced restrictions on movement such as a stiff neck , which is a massive additional burden for those affected.
Causes of Neck Pain
Neck pain can have many triggers. Serious damage is rare, instead it is often comparatively harmless tension or cramps in the neck muscles. These are mostly caused by an imbalance in the muscles (“muscular imbalances”), which in turn can have various causes. Above all, this includes permanent bad posture (e.g. due to incorrect sitting at the PC), lack of exercise, excessive strain or one-sided movements during sports or relieving postures after injuries. If certain muscles are overloaded through incorrect or monotonous strain, they harden – while other muscles atrophy due to permanent underload. As a result, the natural support corset of the spine becomes increasingly unstable
Neck pain
This video shows neck pain exercises that can be used to relieve the discomfort in the neck.
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In addition to this, accident-related injuries such as a so-called “whiplash” can also be considered. This is often caused by a rear-end collision when the head is thrown back and forth and the muscles and ligaments in the neck are overstretched. More rarely, the symptoms can also have a serious background such as an abscess in the throat, osteoporosis , rheumatic diseases or a tumor. Therefore, parallel symptoms such as fever, back pain , chills , paralysis, inexplicable weight loss, tingling in the limbs, balance problems or regular falling asleep of the hands should always be taken seriously and clarified immediately by a doctor.
Meningitis can be the cause of the symptoms. Characteristic for this are above all a stiff neck , which means that the person concerned can no longer bend his head on the chest. This is usually accompanied by severe neck pain and flu-like symptoms such as high fever, severe headache and body aches , chills , dizziness and a general feeling of illness. If meningitis is suspected, see a doctor as soon as possible. Because if bacterial meningitis is present, it must be treated immediately, otherwise there is a risk of life-threatening complications such as paralysis or sepsis (Blood poisoning ).
Acute severe pain in the neck, arm, back, or upper abdomen can also be a warning sign of a heart attack . In this case, severe chest pain that lasts longer than five minutes and a strong feeling of constriction in the heart area are typical, as well as a burning sensation in the chest and unspecific signs such as strong inner restlessness , cold sweat , pale face, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting . If such alarm signals occur, the emergency doctor must be notified immediately, because any time delay can be fatal in the event of a heart attack.
If the problem is “chronic” complaints in the neck area that last longer than three months, psychological stress due to conflicts, fears, problems in the partnership, financial worries, persistent emotional overload, etc. often play a central role. In order to check to what extent psychological factors could be responsible for their own physical suffering, those affected should observe themselves closely. Questions like “In which situations do my neck muscles cramp?” Can help to understand your own symptoms and to develop targeted coping strategies.
Discomfort in the neck from wear and tear
In older people in particular, wear and tear is often the reason. Because with increasing age, degenerative changes (“signs of wear and tear”) occur naturally in the musculoskeletal system, which can manifest themselves through pain, restricted mobility or paralysis, among other things. These include, for example, changes in the intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies (chondrosis and osteochondrosis) in the cervical spine or osteoarthritis of the small vertebral joints. In addition to neck pain and restricted mobility, headaches at the back of the head as well as shoulder and arm pain often occur in parallel . This also applies to a herniated disc in the area of the cervical spine, with this extremely rare disease of the spine often also having to struggle with severe back pain or, for example, paralysis in the arm area.
So-called ” spondylosis ” is also a disease of the vertebral bodies that is caused by degenerative damage. This is characterized by deformations such as jagged or raised areas on the vertebral bodies, which enlarge in the course of the disease and can lead to a bony connection of one or more vertebral segments (ankylosis).
Neck pain after sleeping
If the pain persists over a longer period of time and is also clearly noticeable in the morning after waking up, the chronic and incurable disease fibromyalgia can also be considered. This is made up of the Latin terms “Fibra” (fiber), “mys” (muscle) and “álgos” (pain) and accordingly describes a clinical picture that is caused by persistent muscle and connective tissue pain as well as increased pressure sensitivity at certain pain points (” Tenderpoints ”). The pain can occur in the arms and legs as well as in the trunk area and is often described by those affected as dull, burning or piercing. “It is the same feeling as with a great sore muscles” or “They remind me of the typical aching limbswith a flu-like infection ”explain patients. In many cases, the pain lasts for years and can worsen after physical exertion. In addition, there are usually accompanying symptoms such as sleep disorders, exhaustion, headaches , chronic fatigue , anxiety or irritable bowel syndrome .
Fibromyalgiais a relatively common disease that affects around 2 percent of the population (around 1.5 million people) in this country. Nevertheless, it is largely unknown and is rarely discussed in public, which is due, among other things, to the fact that it is neither detectable in the blood nor on the X-ray and is therefore often not officially diagnosed. The causes for the development of the “invisible disease” have not yet been fully clarified. It is suspected, however, that the symptoms are triggered by a disturbance of the pain memory in the brain. If the brain continuously signals a pain stimulus to a nerve cell, its sensitivity can increase so that the activity continues even without a stimulus. As a result, the patient feels permanent pain, which, however, do not arise in the respective areas of the body itself, but are the result of the disturbed processing of pain. This could also explain why no changes or signs of inflammation can be seen at the affected tender points.
An important risk factor is psychological stress in the professional and / or family environment, e.g. through permanent excessive demands, crisis situations, conflicts or deaths. In this case, the “internal” tension can no longer be relieved accordingly and manifests itself in external tension that can no longer be resolved, which then leads to sleep disorders and pain in the shoulders, neck and back. Since a familial accumulation of fibromyalgia can be observed, a genetic predisposition is also assumed, and other inflammatory-rheumatic systemic diseases or, for example, an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus can trigger or intensify the disease. In addition, a number of other risk factors such as physical overload, operations and injuries (e.g. due to an accident),
Treatment for pain in the neck
Treatment depends on the cause. If tension is the reason for the complaints, in most cases these will subside on their own after a few days or weeks. To support the healing process, painkillers (e.g. paracetamol) or anti-inflammatory drugs (“non-steroidal anti-arheumatic drugs”, or NSAIDs for short), for example, stretching and strengthening exercises, massages and cold and warm applications are used as required. An operation, on the other hand, is usually only carried out if the cause has been clearly clarified (e.g. leaked intervertebral disc tissue) and this can probably be remedied by the operation. Since interventions in the area of the cervical spine are associated with risks, it is particularly important here to carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of an operation in each individual case.
In the case of long-lasting, chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, so-called “multimodal pain therapy” can usually best help the patient. By combining different types of treatment such as medication, physical therapies (wraps, mud and mud packs, cold chamber, nerve stimulation, etc.), relaxation techniques or acupuncture, attempts are made to alleviate the patient’s suffering. In addition, self-help groups and special pain management programs, for example, can help to learn how to deal better with severe complaints and thereby regain a better quality of life.
Home remedies and exercises for neck pain
Stress, tension, fears and emotional stress are often the cause, as they literally “sit on the neck” and cause painful tension there. In order to counteract or prevent stress-related neck pain, it is important to look after the soul and use suitable techniques to ensure relaxation and inner peace. There are many ways to effectively reduce stress , but everyone has to find out for themselves which method is the right one. Questioned, among other things come autogenous training , the progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson, breathing exercises, meditation or hypnosisThere are also techniques in which the state of relaxation is achieved through mindful movements. In addition to yoga , the traditional Chinese martial art Tai-Chi Chuan (abbreviated as “Tai-Chi”) offers an effective opportunity to experience relaxation and thus successfully fight against negative stress and the physical consequences. Characteristic of what is known as “Chinese shadow boxing” are slow-motion movements that are carried out in combination with concentrated breathing.
Herbal remedies also offer beneficial support, as they can have a calming and relaxing effect and thus contribute to better stress management. Valerian, lemon balm and St. John’s wort have proven to be particularly effective. A tea made from passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) can help with stress symptoms such as inner restlessness, anxiety and sleep disorders. To prepare the infusion, a heaped teaspoon of passionflower is poured over 200 ml of boiling water, left to steep for about six minutes and then drunk in small sips.
Aromatherapy can also be helpful in the case of strong or permanent stress, because the essential oils used for this have an overall positive effect on well-being and thus promote the reduction of internal tension. For patients who suffer from tension and complaints such as neck or headaches in connection with stress and pressure, scented oils of lavender, chamomile, marjoram and peppermint are particularly suitable, which can be used, for example, as a bath additive, in a fragrance lamp or in the form of a massage oil .
Professional massages can relieve the symptoms if tension is the cause. Image: RioPatuca Images – fotolia
Neck pain prevention
Movement is particularly important when it comes to preventing painful tension in the neck, shoulder or back area. In order to promote blood circulation and loosen up the muscles, regular endurance sports such as jogging, swimming or cycling (ie about two to three times a week) are particularly suitable, with each session lasting at least 30 minutes. Above all, it is important to choose a sport that is good for you and at the same time fun – because this increases the chance that it will be carried out in the long term. Those who, on the other hand, find it “agony” to go jogging after work quickly runs the risk of losing motivation and the sports program will soon be discontinued.
In general, as a preventive measure, greater attention should be paid to relieving the neck more often. Accordingly, it is advisable to check your own posture at regular intervals – especially if you are working in the same position all day, for example on the computer. Obesity can also quickly lead to poor posture and neck problems and should therefore be reduced.
To prevent tension-related pain in the neck from occurring in the first place, it is important to strengthen the muscles in this area and to stretch them regularly. Ideally, the training should be carried out regularly and, above all, according to professional guidance (e.g. from a fitness trainer) in order to avoid incorrect loads and damage. Often, even small exercises in everyday life cause stronger and more relaxed muscles in the neck and shoulder area, which effectively prevents painful tension.
