Reason No. 2. Uncomfortable mattress
What do I mean by "inconvenient"? This means it is too hard or too soft. In the first case, such a mattress does not allow the muscles to relax and rest during sleep, so in the morning you may feel a certain “brokenness” in your body.
For people diagnosed with scoliosis, I recommend choosing softer models. There is also a general rule that is important to consider: the older the person, the softer the mattress he usually needs. Another factor to consider is the springs. I do not recommend mattresses with blocks of independent springs. They are easily crushed under heavier parts of the body. It will be difficult to rest on such a model.
It is important to understand that all these recommendations are general in nature, since individual feelings play a primary role. Brand, popularity, cost - all this is also secondary. Test the mattress in the store. The good one is the one you don't notice. You should not feel hard, hot or too soft on it; you should not “sink” into the mattress. Keep these qualities in mind when you test different models.
The neck is the head of everything. How do her injuries affect the condition of her skin and hair? More details
Neck sprain
Ligaments are bands of connective tissue that hold bones together, including the bones of the spine. Sprains of these ligaments can occur as a result of a fall or sudden sharp turns of the head, which unnecessarily stretch and overload the ligaments. Another reason is chronic tension due to prolonged exposure to an incorrect position. If there is sharp pain, limited mobility and swelling in the neck - especially after a fall - place the person on their back on a hard surface and immediately call an ambulance
.
Reason No. 3. Muscle strain
If a person trained too actively the day before and the body experienced overload, it is quite natural that his back and neck may hurt in the morning. Similar problems appear after a long walk, especially in uncomfortable shoes, after haphazard workouts in the gym with heavy weights, and, of course, they are typical for untrained people who suddenly started playing sports and did not calculate their own strength. By the way, if you are an unprepared tourist who decided to master a difficult hiking or mountain route “at a glance,” be prepared for the fact that the next day your body will definitely not thank you for such a forced march.
"Tight" neck
Neck exercises: video tutorial
Especially for readers of the portal, we have prepared a video course of exercises for the neck. Be sure to complete the entire complex: parts one, two and three.
This non-medical term is often used to describe the discomfort in the neck that a person experiences when standing up after sleeping in an awkward position. Similar symptoms also occur in those who have sat at the computer without a break for a long time or suddenly jerked their head sharply. A “tight” neck is not a diagnosis, and this problem can have completely different causes. Typically, the feeling of stiffness is caused by muscle spasm or nerve compression as a result of a displaced intervertebral disc. Unpleasant sensations usually go away after resting in a comfortable position and doing physical therapy. Attention: if symptoms persist for more than a week, do not delay visiting your doctor.
Reason No. 4. Uncomfortable shoes
I never tire of reminding readers and patients that the body is a single system, all parts of which are interconnected. This is important to know and remember in order to correctly determine the causes of pain and other symptoms.
If you've been walking around all day in uncomfortable shoes, it's not just your feet that will hurt. The tension will spread to other parts of the body, up to the lumbar and cervical regions.
The same thing happens when a person with flat feet puts on orthopedic shoes. It unloads the feet, they stop hurting, but the tension goes away. In this regard, I strongly do not recommend wearing orthopedic insoles (shoes) for hallux valgus, flat feet and other similar disorders, since this does not solve the problem itself, but only temporarily eliminates the symptom.
Shoes with flat soles and high heels should be banned once and for all. Yes, in some situations you can afford such models, but constantly walking in flip-flops, UGG boots and stiletto heels is harmful and dangerous!
Therapeutic exercises for the neck. Set of exercises Read more
Neck injuries leading to spinal cord damage
Charging in the office
Neck pain can occur even at work. But several effective exercises - for example, exercises in the office - can be performed right at your desk.
Spinal cord injury can occur for a number of reasons.
As a result of road accidents or sports injuries, a so-called whiplash injury
, which is caused by a sudden movement of the neck back and then forward.
This injury causes damage to the ligaments and intervertebral discs, which in turn irritates the nerve roots and spinal cord. Attention!
Neurological symptoms of whiplash may not appear immediately, so it requires immediate medical attention.
A fracture of the bones of the spine in the cervical region is a consequence of injury or a consequence of osteoporosis. The bones of the spine in people with this disease are very fragile. If such a fracture damages the spinal cord, the person may die from respiratory failure or remain disabled for life. Timely assistance in this case is especially important for survival. Therefore, a person with suspected spinal cord injury should be placed on a hard surface and an ambulance should be urgently called
.
Reason No. 7. Alcohol
When alcohol is broken down, toxins are formed that affect muscles, primarily those that are overstressed, that is, they have an excess of metabolic products. It's not surprising that alcohol can be the real last straw for already overstrained muscles.
I note that there are many more causes of neck and back pain; I have listed the most basic ones. Similar problems can also arise due to fatigue and stress. However, only a specialist can determine the exact cause in each specific case. Therefore, if you lead a healthy lifestyle, exercise moderately, wear comfortable shoes, sleep on the right mattress and do not have any diseases, but neck discomfort and back pain bother you in the morning, you need to consult a doctor.
Neck pain: causes
The neck or, in scientific terms, the cervical spine, despite its modest size, is an important part of the human body. It is this that ensures active movements of the head, and the larynx, trachea, and important blood vessels that supply the brain and esophagus pass through it. Its structures contain the thyroid gland and large regional lymph nodes. Therefore, any pain signals in the neck area are a good reason not to self-medicate, but to come for a consultation with a specialist.
Pain in the back of the neck
can either immediately after waking up after a night's sleep, or during the day after physical activity.
The pain is often sharp, but can sometimes be dull, aching, jerking or throbbing. Moreover, it is often additionally accompanied by headache, migraine, dizziness, darkening of the eyes, tinnitus, numbness of the hands and fingers, impaired visual acuity and other unpleasant symptoms. The most commonly diagnosed pathologies that cause pain in the base of the neck
are diseases of the spine and its immediate cervical region:
- osteochondrosis;
- congenital anomalies;
- arthritis;
- spinal and neck injuries;
- arthrosis;
- spinal canal stenosis;
- inflammation of muscle tissue (myositis);
- inflammation of the nerve nodes of the cervical spine;
- intervertebral hernias, etc.
The cause of pain in the neck area is often various infectious diseases: osteomyelitis, tuberculosis, meningitis, etc. Diseases of the digestive system, heart, lungs, blood vessels, as well as various tumor-like neoplasms can cause discomfort in the tissues. As you can see, the list of reasons is impressive, which suggests that it is impossible to diagnose yourself.
Pain in the neck and back of the head: what to do
Many of our patients attribute pain in the cervical spine and accompanying symptoms to fatigue, drafts and seek to treat them with painkillers, warming ointments and other folk remedies that only temporarily help alleviate the condition. The specialists of our clinic recommend urgently seeking professional medical help if, after possible hypothermia and physical exertion, after 7-10 days the intensity of the pain does not decrease, but becomes sharp, pulling or aching, intensifies and does not give rest.
In our practice, there was a patient who complained of pain in the neck, headaches and dizziness. She came to us after she had tried treatment with different pills and even took a massage course at the clinic. However, the pain only intensified, and we had to perform a drug blockade to alleviate the condition. Subsequently, she underwent diagnostics, a diagnosis was made and a course of therapy was prescribed. 7 months have passed and her condition is steadily improving, pain and dizziness have disappeared. Our doctors helped her understand the causes of the disease and explained how to act so that the attacks did not return.
For accurate and reliable diagnosis in our clinic, patients are examined using the latest low-dose X-ray diagnostic equipment, have an MRI, and in especially complex cases, computed tomography. Often, according to research, patients have to be treated for diseases not related to the musculoskeletal system, but in some cases, the research done helps save a person from disability and surgery. Thus, one of our patients self-medicated on the recommendations of pharmacists after he developed a “stiffness” in his neck, pain in the shoulder girdle and numbness in the upper extremities. At the initial stage of development of the disease, the purchased ointment and patch reduced the manifestation of symptoms, but after a short time their intensity increased, and the person came to our clinic. After a thorough examination and MRI, several intervertebral hernias were identified, which, if not adequately treated, would subsequently require surgical intervention. After undergoing a course of therapy with us, the patient notes a decrease in hernias, the absence of unpleasant sensations and numbness of the limbs.
Diagnosis and treatment
Since neck pain is a common complaint, patients often attribute its occurrence to a sprain, osteochondrosis, or a “blow” and resort to self-medication (especially if the pain appeared after certain events or actions). But by refusing the necessary examination, they expose themselves to the risk of serious complications, since this symptom may indicate more dangerous diseases and conditions.
First of all, you need to contact a specialist for a diagnosis!
The doctor will prescribe the necessary tests to determine the cause of the pain:
- X-ray to rule out bone pathologies and injuries
- CT or MRI to detect protrusions and intervertebral hernias
- Ultrasound with Doppler to assess the condition of blood vessels
- Electromyography to assess the condition of the neck muscles
- Clinical blood tests
In rare cases, a spinal puncture may be necessary (if meningitis and other dangerous diseases are suspected)
