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Pain in the neck. Question answer
Topic: Questions and Answers
Neck pain (Cervicalgia)
Topic: Encyclopedia of diseases
Title
- Causes of the disease
- Symptoms
- Diagnostics
- Treatment methods
Neck pain ( cervicalgia ) is a common pain syndrome. About 10 percent of adults experience neck pain at least once in their lives. Cervicalgia (neck pain) can be caused by a number of factors, including muscle strain, ligament strain, arthritis, or nerve root compression. Neck pain can occur from a number of diseases of the spine and diseases of any tissue in the neck area. In addition, neck pain can be associated with infections, for example, viral throat infections lead to swollen lymph nodes and neck pain. Neck pain may also be associated with rare infections such as tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, septic discitis or meningitis (often accompanied by a stiff neck). Neck pain can be caused by diseases that affect the muscle structures of the neck (fibromyalgia or polymyalgia rheumatica). Provoking factors for neck pain are contact sports, injuries such as road traffic accidents, and excessive physical activity.
Pathogenesis of neck pain on the left side
Pain can be caused by a variety of reasons. A symptom often indicates the presence of pathology and its progression or exacerbation. As a rule, pain in the left neck appears due to:
- osteochondrosis in this part of the spinal column;
- infectious processes (colds, etc.) that provoke inflammation of the lymph nodes in the neck;
- injuries to the muscles or ligaments of the neck;
- pinched nerves with subsequent inflammation;
- muscle spasms, which are provoked by high levels of stress, hypothermia, drafts, etc.
How often a person will experience neck pain depends on age and the specifics of their lifestyle and work. If you have a sedentary job, don't like walking, and don't exercise even minimally, you'll most likely experience discomfort in your neck more often.
Diagnostics
Cervicalgia requires a clear identification of the cause of the pain. A full examination is especially necessary when neck pain is accompanied by neurological symptoms (dysfunction of the pelvic organs) or the pain is intense, there are sensory disturbances (numbness, tingling) or the pain lasts for more than a week of treatment at home.
During the examination, the doctor should assess the presence of painful points in the neck, range of motion in the neck, the presence of muscle spasms, the condition of the muscles of the neck and shoulders, the presence of muscle weakness, tension in muscle groups in the upper torso.
In some cases, instrumental studies such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ENMG (nerve fiber conduction testing) are necessary. These research methods help verify the diagnosis.
Types of neck pain
To identify the causes of pain in the left neck and prescribe treatment, you need to pay attention to the nature of the pain, the frequency of its manifestation, as well as the conditions under which the pain intensifies. All this will help to more accurately determine the cause and undergo exactly those diagnostic measures that are needed in your case to confirm the disease.
Pain in left front
In this case, problems may be associated with inflammation of the pharynx, tonsils, and vocal cords, which leads to pain in the left side of the neck in front. If the process is bilateral, the same sensations will appear on the other side. In this situation, a person has symptoms associated with inflammation - sore throat, cough, fever, etc.
Pain in the left back of the neck
If pain appears in the left neck, the cause may lie in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The nature of the pain can be cutting, shooting, aching, but in any case, such a symptom will provide constant discomfort. The same sensations are provoked by a hernia in the cervical spine. Often the problem lies in spinal stenosis, which leads to a narrowing of the spinal canal. Most often, this disease affects the upper parts of the spine and can lead to compression of the spinal cord, nerve endings and subsequent disruption of the functioning of the upper extremities, numbness and severe pain.
Pain on the left side
The neck hurts on the left side for the same reasons as in the front and back. That is, pain syndrome can develop from hypothermia and muscle strain, as well as due to the development of osteochondrosis and other diseases of the spinal column in the neck. Often a person receives neck injuries in this area; the pain can even be caused by turning the head too sharply.
Left and goes to the head
In this case, the problem may be the development of osteochondrosis, injury to neck structures, as well as circulatory disorders. If you feel pain that radiates to the back of your head, it is worth measuring your blood pressure, since a common cause of pain is its increase. With atherosclerosis of the vertebral artery, the symptoms are more or less identical. If the pain in the left neck is acute, the cause may lie in occipital neuralgia. In this case, very strong, even unbearable pain will “rise” from the neck to the head, temples, and eyes.
On the left side under the jaw
In this case, muscles may ache, but most often the problem is that the tonsils are inflamed, the person has developed pharyngitis or laryngitis, and there are also problems with the thyroid gland, inflammation of which is called thyroiditis
.
Treatment
Help before diagnosis
The appearance of pain in the anterolateral cervical region is a sign of various diseases, therefore, to identify the immediate cause, consultation with a specialist is required. Before the diagnosis is verified, for severe pain in the front of the neck, it is allowed to take analgesics from the NSAID group to eliminate discomfort. Without a doctor's prescription, it is not advisable to use warm compresses or other local treatments on the cervical area, as this may aggravate the symptoms. It is important to limit movements in the cervical spine as much as possible.
Conservative therapy
Drug treatment is primarily aimed at eliminating the underlying disease as the cause of pain; symptomatic therapy is also required to relieve pain. For chronic pain, physiotherapy methods are indicated - electrophoresis with anti-inflammatory drugs and local anesthetics, laser therapy and UHF. In the acute period, physiotherapeutic treatment is undesirable. It is necessary to ensure maximum functional rest for the neck and head. The following groups of pharmaceutical drugs are most often prescribed:
- Analgesics
. Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used, which have a pronounced analgesic effect. They reduce the amount of pathological cytokines that irritate nerve endings and eliminate local signs of inflammation. - Antibiotics
. For purulent lesions, massive etiotropic therapy is needed to eradicate the pathogen. For common processes in the cervical tissue, a combination of two drugs is indicated. For tuberculosis, specific treatment regimens are selected. - Corticosteroids
. If the causes of pain in the neck are rheumatic diseases, long-term use of hormones is necessary. To quickly relieve exacerbations, pulse therapy with prednisolone is recommended. If ineffective, cytostatics may be added. - Antithyroid drugs
. For thyrotoxicosis of various etiologies, medications that selectively inhibit thyroid function are indicated. If a decrease in the endocrine function of an organ is determined, thyroid hormone replacement therapy is used. - Antianginal agents
. To prevent angina attacks, drugs that improve blood supply to the myocardium and antiplatelet agents are effective. The best therapeutic effect is provided by beta-adrenergic receptor blockers, calcium antagonists, and myotropic antispasmodics. - General strengthening therapy
. For lesions of peripheral nerves, B vitamins (especially thiamine) are prescribed, which improve the nutrition of nerve fibers and the speed of impulse conduction. Additionally, agents with an anabolic effect are recommended.
Surgery
For unbearable pain in the neck, local anesthesia is performed in the form of novocaine blockades. When an abscess forms in the retropharyngeal space or in the case of suppuration of a median neck cyst, prompt opening of the abscess and provision of adequate drainage is necessary. After dissecting the abscess capsule, be sure to wash the cavity with solutions of antibiotics and antiseptics. When sialoadenitis is complicated by strictures of the excretory duct, its bougienage is required, followed by the introduction of proteolytic enzymes.
In case of proliferation of nodular goiter of the thyroid gland, which is accompanied by pain and compression syndrome, surgical interventions of various volumes are indicated. If the function of the rest of the organ is preserved, enucleation of the node is performed; in case of diffuse pathology, hemithyroidectomy or subtotal resection of the thyroid gland is performed. In case of severe neck injuries with damage to internal organs, revision, removal of bone fragments and elimination of defects of hollow organs are performed.
Causes of neck pain on the left side
It becomes clear that the area around the neck on the left can hurt for many reasons. It is worth learning more about each disease and determining the symptoms in order to roughly understand what triggered the development of pain and discomfort in the neck.
Osteoarthrosis and osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis manifests itself in the fact that the cartilage tissue of the spinal column gradually begins to deteriorate. The intervertebral discs become thinner, the distance between them decreases, and nerve roots are pinched. Osteoarthritis also affects the joints of the spinal column.
Neck muscle damage
One of the most common cases of neck pain is damage to muscle tissue. If you hit yourself or simply overstrain your muscles by being in a not very comfortable position for a long time, or get too cold, inflammation may begin, accompanied by pain and sometimes fever.
Why does it hurt only on the left?
The causes of neck pain on the left side are usually the same as those that cause pain in this part of the body in other places.
It’s just that, for example, with a protrusion or herniation of an intervertebral disc, only the left roots of the spinal nerves are pinched, while the right ones are free and continue to function. There are other nerves that, when inflamed, give one-sided painful sensations in the cervical region. These are, for example, the brachial plexus or occipital nerves.
Another cause of one-sided pain is injury: it doesn’t have to be a bruise, it could also be a sudden movement or a jerk in a vehicle. A tight (tense, not stretched) muscle after a long stay in the wrong position is enough to cause a sharp pain in the left neck.
Spinal tumors rarely cause unilateral pain, but such a situation cannot be excluded. This is also why the doctor necessarily prescribes an examination of the patient.
Diagnosis of the disease
To understand what to do and how to treat if the neck on the left is very painful, first of all, the doctor needs to understand what caused the pain syndrome. It is not enough to relieve the condition by taking painkillers; you need to identify what the pain indicates and eliminate its cause. To determine the exact reasons you may need:
- x-ray
; - Ultrasound;
- MRI
; - general blood test, etc.
Based on the results of the diagnosis, the doctor will tell you why the neck hurts in the lower left and how to cope with this phenomenon in order not only to feel better, but also to eliminate the root cause.
Where to start testing if you have discomfort in the throat and neck?
If it is unclear what is causing the discomfort, it is recommended to begin the diagnosis by visiting a therapist. This specialist will conduct a general examination, prescribe basic tests and, based on their results, determine which specialized specialist should be contacted. To find out the cause of the problem, the patient may be prescribed:
- Ultrasound,
- tests for thyroid hormones,
- radiography of the spine,
- alkaline test with antacids, etc.
At the Spectra clinic you can undergo a full examination in 1–2 days. Experienced specialists will select a set of necessary diagnostic procedures, advise on their results and recommend adequate treatment methods. To make an appointment, call or leave a request on the website.
How to treat pain on the left side of the neck
Most often, treatment is needed in the presence of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system in the cervical region. Treatment of pain may include the use of lidocaine and novocaine, injections of which are otherwise called “blockade”. This is necessary when the pain intensifies to unbearable. In other cases, various medications, physiotherapy and medical procedures are prescribed that relieve pain and inflammation and are selected individually.
Medicines
A nagging pain on the left side of the neck requires timely treatment, since otherwise the state of health will only worsen. Most likely, for pathologies of the structures of the musculoskeletal system, you will be prescribed:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which should reduce pain and stop inflammation;
- muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms;
- chondroprotectors that will stop degenerative processes in the joints;
- drugs to normalize blood circulation;
- Antidepressants, which will reduce anxiety and nervousness, will create a favorable basis for treatment.
Sometimes, when shooting pain appears on the left side of the neck, you need to use hormonal medications, as well as warming ointments that are applied to the collar area. If you have pain in the neck, do not delay visiting a specialist, make an appointment with a doctor.
Professional medical care
Our clinic understands that each patient is individual and prescribes therapy only if the entire clinical picture of his condition is available. After consultation, examination, collection of information about a person’s lifestyle, previous diseases and hereditary predisposition, diagnostic studies, the patient is selected a course of treatment aimed at quickly relieving pain, reducing the manifestation of symptoms of pathology and restoring the functionality of systems.
Our clinic has a convenient appointment schedule for specialists and a diagnostic center, a pleasant atmosphere and responsive staff. All doctors have extensive practical experience and prescribe the optimally effective course of therapy, individual for each specific case. All patients are closely monitored by the best neurologists, physiotherapists, and vertebrologists, who monitor the treatment process and adjust it if necessary. They don’t waste money on useless ointments, patches, and don’t take unnecessary painkillers. The advanced treatment methods we use help alleviate the condition already at the first visit, and then cope with the problem in just a couple of appointments. With us you will again feel lightness and freedom of movement.
Published medical histories are not the basis for making a diagnosis and prescribing therapy on your own. Self-medication can lead to disability. The presence of one or more of the above symptoms is a reason to seek help from a doctor.
Looking for a reason
When there is severe pain in the neck on the left side, diagnosis is usually not difficult. The main thing that the doctor needs to find out is whether there is an intervertebral hernia. To do this, an x-ray of the cervical spine is prescribed in two projections. If you need to clarify the diagnosis, the next step will be magnetic resonance imaging of the affected area. All types of diseases associated with the spine and adjacent soft tissues will help identify these two studies.
Diagnosis of diseases not directly related to the neck, other parts of the spine and adjacent nerve plexuses is the task of doctors, whose competence includes organs and systems that have come under suspicion as a source of pain. Since the reasons in this case may be different, diagnostic methods are used that are not similar to each other, so there is no point in describing them.
How to get rid of pain
If pain in the left neck occurs due to diseases of the spine or muscles, treatment will be the same as for similar problems in other areas of the back: anti-inflammatory tablets and ointments, physiotherapy, massage, and then, in some cases, physical therapy.
What should you do if your neck on the left side hurts badly, and you don’t see a doctor until tomorrow morning? You can use anti-inflammatory gels or ointments. Products containing diclofenac will not harm if the skin over the sore spot is not damaged. Warming ointments are possible for pain due to physical activity or, conversely, an uncomfortable static position, but it is strictly forbidden if there is a risk of injury.
If pain in the neck is not associated with the spine, or is caused, for example, by a tumor, abscess, inflammation of the nerve plexus, such treatment will not help, you need to look for and eliminate the cause. But in this case it is useless to guess: medical assistance is needed.
