Causes of headache in the neck and neck

1 Why does a painful condition occur?

Discomfort and pain in the nape of the neck can be the cause of a variety of pathologies and chronic ailments of man. The most common of them is considered to be:

• of the spine disease;
• great physical and mental stress, which caused fatigue;
• unforeseen stress, which caused nervous tension;
• chronic cervical pathology( spondylosis);
• inflammation of the neck;
• violation of muscle circulation;
• high blood pressure;
• disruption of the brain, caused by a violation of the blood supply in the column of the spine.

Discomfort in the nape sometimes appears due to diseases of the cervical and occipital parts. It can be inflammation of the spine, osteochondrosis, minor dislocations in the intervertebral segments. The pain center in these pathologies is activated during the turn of the neck and is localized to a greater extent in the occiput. If you are in a wrong position for a long time, this can also cause occipital pain. In case of sudden stress and because of the resulting nervous tension, painful syndrome also arises in the occipital part of the head.

Painful foci in the nape may provoke spondylosis of the cervical spine. With this kind of pathology, the pain syndrome can spread to the shoulders, the eye and ear area, the back of the head. This phenomenon is characterized by the fact that the pain does not stop even when the head is still. Additional signs of this condition are immobility and pain in the neck, especially when trying to turn it. Sufferers of this type of pathology, as a rule, can not have a normal sleep because of neck pain, which prevents sleep and choose a comfortable posture. This provokes an extra burden on the cervical vertebrae due to an incorrect position of the head.

The consequence, why the head is hurting, is the syndrome of the occipital neuralgia, which is accompanied by a shooting pain in the head, extending to the neck, ears. The pain becomes more intense when you sneeze or move the body, the head. Between attacks, pressing pains in the occiput are observed. Patients with this kind of neuralgia are distinguished by a strained and stiff condition of the neck muscles, hyperesthesia - increased sensitivity to external stimuli.

2 Pathological abnormalities

In addition, neck pain may occur as a symptom of a disease such as myoglosis of the cervical spine. With this type of pathology, the neck muscles are compressed. In the course of the disease, there may be a headache in the nape of the neck, a stiff condition in the shoulder region.

Head occipital pain can be a symptom of hypertension, in which the pain syndrome is more often manifested in the morning. Persistent high blood pressure can cause pressing pain in the occipital part against a background of strong rapid heartbeat. To provoke the raised pressure there can be meteorological factors, stresses, cardiovascular diseases, shortage of vitamins in an organism. Morning pain should be a signal to check blood pressure and, if necessary, undergo treatment.

As a result of developing osteochondrosis can cause pain in the nape of the vertebrobasilar syndrome. The main symptoms in this pathology are, in addition to the pain in the nape, tinnitus, a veil before the eyes, nausea, a decreased hearing condition, sensations of bifurcation in the eyes. In patients, coordination of movement is often impaired. The most dangerous symptom of this disease is a sharp fall and stiffness during tilting or turning the head. In this state, a person does not lose consciousness, but experiences severe discomfort.

Pain syndrome in the temple and occipital part, extending into the brow of the face, can cause a cervical migraine. With such phenomena, patients often complain of impaired vestibular functions, dizziness, tinnitus, hearing loss, and pain in the neck.

Pain in the occipital part can cause permanently strained muscles. This condition threatens a person with improper exercise. As a result, the frontal part of the face, the back of the head, hurts. Painful sensations can appear due to fatigue, incorrectly chosen posture, long concentration of attention. Head-compressing pains cause a sensation of a heavy object on it. The pain is moderate, although it can also occur without external influence. A stationary neck sometimes helps reduce pain intensity.

In addition, to provoke pain in the neck and occiput may have little mobility or, conversely, excessive physical labor. A large load during pregnancy on the spine can also cause similar pain sensations.

Consultations of a cardiologist, traumatologist, masseur, neurologist, exercise therapy specialist can help in the diagnosis and treatment of frequently observed painful sensations in the occipital part and in the cervical spine. If the neck or neck hurts, you should first appear to the therapist, who will refer you to the right specialist if this is not related to a cold disease.

3 How to cope with the pain?

To relieve soreness in the occipital and cervical part, therapy prescribed only by a specialist doctor helps. Self-medication is categorically contraindicated even with the most minor pain manifestations. Often, such analgesics are neutralized by pain killers, which are used as a first aid medicine.

Often, drugs with high effective therapeutic indices can exhibit adverse reactions, so they should be taken cautiously and always get familiar with the instructions for their use. You can not break the dosage with the use of such drugs as Ketoprofen, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Meloxicam, since the risk of disrupting the work of the gastrointestinal tract is likely.

Softly acting groups of drugs include Acyclofenac, Diacerein, Celecoxib. These funds do not harm the work of internal organs. Preparations do not cause allergic reactions if they are used correctly. With strong pain, medications that do not have anti-inflammatory action help but relieve pain in the nape and cervical region - Flupirtine, Carbamazepine, Pregabalin "Relieve muscles and relieve pain, help Midokalm, Baclofen, Tizanidine." To fix a deficiency of vitamins help - Berokka, Neuromultivitis.

Oftenwith such types of pain, drugs that promote the normalization of metabolic processes and restore the vascular balance are used

These include Mexidol, Pentoxifylline, the autonomic nervous system normalizesAfobazol, Grandaxin, Valocordin, Corvalol are used as the traditional medications, Adelphan, Enap, Ranitek

The phytocomponents help to relieve stress and improve the neuropsychiatric state of aromatic oils - fir, lavender, juniper

4 Physiotherapeutic measures

Especially recommenddoctors with frequently observed headaches in the neck and neck use physiotherapeutic methods of treatment:

• therapeutic massage;
• manual therapy;
• thermal effect;
• acupuncture.

Therapeutic massage is an excellent influence on the condition of muscle tissues. If the pain is a consequence of injuries to the spine or head, to relieve tension and painful condition helps manual therapy. Due to it the frequency of movements in the vertebral region increases, the arterial blood supply improves. Acupuncture helps to work on special points on the human body, having a positive effect on the body as a whole.

5 Medical gymnastics

People have long tried to get rid of pain by non-medicamentous, and mechanical methods of influencing the sick part of the spine. Currently, you can help yourself by doing simple gymnastic exercises, which consist in a painless gradual stretching of the shortened muscle.

Before the beginning of the gym it should be convenient to sit on a chair. It is desirable that he had a back. Sitting directly, you should put your hands behind your head, so that your thumbs lay on the cheekbones and the rest on the back of your head. Inhale, throwing back, head back. At the same time, you should make resistance against this movement with your fingers. This resistance should be performed no more than 7 seconds on exhalation, relaxing the cervical muscles, gradually deviating to the back of the chair.

If the exercise is done correctly, a person can feel a uniform stretching of the muscles on the back of the neck in the nape of the neck. Do not use force and allow clicks or a crunch in the neck. All actions must be gentle and gentle.

6 Natural medicines

With prolonged unceasing painful manifestations in the nape, not associated with serious pathologies, fresh herbal tea helps with the addition of 1/3 tsp.cinnamon and a small amount of mint. After drinking this remedy, you need to lie down for a few minutes. It helps with increased pressure.

Shredded flowers of calendula, chamomile, motherwort, trout, cucumber, hawthorn fruit, taken in 1 tbsp.l., mix, brew in 1 liter of boiling water, let it brew for 6 hours. Filter the infusion, add to it 0.5 liters of vodka, 500 g of honey. Stir. Day insist. Use 30 g three times a day before meals. The course of treatment - until the drug is over.

For occipital pains, an olive oil mixed with vinegar helps in equal amounts. This mixture is dampened with a woolen cloth and wrapped around the head.

Kalinovy ​​juice with honey added to it in equal quantity, helps with pain, if it is used three times a day for 1 tbsp.l.not less than two weeks.

A pack of grated horseradish or onions, attached to the head, helps with pain caused by weather conditions.

Pain caused by the inflammatory process in the body can be reduced by attaching a fresh cabbage leaf to the forehead. It is fixed with a woolen scarf and held until it dries.

7 How to prevent recurrence of

To avoid painful sensations in the occipital and cervical part of the head, doctors recommend adhering to a specially developed scheme of motor activity, which is a complete elimination of vertical loads, timely treatment of diseases and spinal injuries, correction of posture, exclusion of sudden movements.

If it is impossible to avoid performing frequent physical exertion, doctors recommend using special orthopedic corsets. Great importance in preventive measures is played by therapeutic gymnastics, which is aimed at strengthening the muscular corset.

An important role played by tempering the body, a balanced diet, the rejection of harmful habits for health. A good effect is demonstrated by preventive actions with frequent pain associated with the meteorological situation. Doctors recommend with this kind of pain to reconsider their way of life and, perhaps, something in it to change. Do not tolerate constant pain, perhaps it signals a severe change in the body.