Stretching the neck muscles in people is always accompanied by severe pain and discomfort. This prevents normal movement and rotation of the head. All movements are constrained and limited. Pivoting is not something to be taken lightly. This is a pretty serious problem. Every person should know the symptoms and signs. If they appear in a person, then it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor who will prescribe appropriate treatment.
This will minimize the risk of negative consequences and speed up the healing process. Therefore, it is very important to know everything about the causes, prerequisites, and symptoms of this disease.
What is a neck strain?
To keep the head balanced, special muscle groups work. Thanks to them, it moves in different directions and rotations. The muscles also help with important processes such as swallowing and making sounds. But they are very deep, almost to the bone. These muscles facilitate full movement of the head, neck, and entire torso.
Due to various external and internal factors, the neck muscles can become severely stretched. In some cases, this even goes beyond their anatomical capabilities. A person immediately begins to feel pain and discomfort in the neck area. This usually happens to athletes during various training sessions or competitions.
Assessment of the condition of the cervical muscle corset
Since the neck muscles not only perform the function of protecting and supporting the head, but are also responsible for swallowing and the ability to make sounds, painful sensations when stretched can also appear during normal conversation. If discomfort occurs in the neck when chewing food, swallowing, or raising your voice, this is a reason to visit a traumatologist.
The practice of recognizing stretch marks is often reduced to simple manipulations:
- inspection and palpation;
- interviews regarding actions and conditions preceding muscle injury;
- several exercises involving the muscles to localize the area of increased pain caused by stretching.
Magnetic tomography may be required to confirm and verify the area of inflammation. More often, assessment of the condition of the muscles comes down to a single ultrasound of the neck. To eliminate the risk of damage to the bony part of the structure that supports the head, an x-ray is needed.
Possible causes of injury
A neck disease, which is called a muscle strain, occurs in a person as a result of various injuries to the forearm, spine, and shoulder blade. Therefore, the most common causes are injuries of varying severity. This could be a blow, a traffic accident, or a fall from a certain height. In these cases, muscle fibers rupture.
In addition, the causes of neck muscle strain are:
- Physical effort.
- Grueling workouts.
- Undeveloped muscles in the neck area.
- Overload.
- Dislocations.
- Accident.
- Unnatural head position that persisted for some time.
- Dehydration.
- Excessive hypothermia.
Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. The doctor will prescribe the optimal treatment, after which your muscles will quickly recover.
Symptoms of a Neck Strain
The first and main symptom is severe and sharp pain with every movement of the neck or head. For example: tilt, rotation. In a man, this problem manifests itself in a certain constraint. In the most difficult situations, it is even impossible to adopt a certain body position.
Immediately after straining the neck muscles, a person may feel certain symptoms that can definitely tell him about the development of the disease. In addition to severe neck pain, there are a number of other symptoms. Symptoms include:
- Redness or bruising in the injured part of the neck.
- Feeling of pain on palpation.
- Headache.
- Muscle contraction.
- Problems with neck mobility.
- Swelling.
- The pain may spread to the arms.
- Increasing pain when moving the head.
- Tension in the neck.
- The head can only be comfortable in a certain position.
Symptoms depend only on how serious the injury was and how badly the musculo-ligamentous apparatus of the cervical spine is damaged. The method and duration of treatment, as well as the recovery period, depend on this.
Symptoms of a sprain in a child
The problem with diagnosing neck strain in children is that they cannot yet accurately explain how and where pain and other discomfort occurs. First of all, parents should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Lethargy.
- Swelling of the neck.
- Fainting. This happens immediately after the injury.
- Difficulty performing certain movements.
- The head is in an unnatural position.
- The child himself says that he has severe pain in the neck. If a child has a strained neck muscle, it is better not to waste time, take him to the hospital or get examined by a pediatrician. The child felt severe pain. In this case, he may be prescribed drugs such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, but with strict adherence to the dosage in accordance with his age.
If a person has been injured, he should clearly know what to do when a neck muscle strain occurs in order to minimize the risk of side effects. First aid consists of the following steps:
Komarovsky's advice
E.O. Komarovsky says that there should always be a “cooling bag” in the freezer. You can pour pieces of ice from the freezer into a plastic bag, wrap it in a thick cloth and provide first aid if the child has strained his neck. It is advisable to smear the sore spot with any vegetable oil, because babies have delicate skin. You should also have an elastic bandage at home. It is necessary to limit the movement of the damaged part of the body as much as possible for 5-6 days. The diagnosis should only be made by a doctor. You cannot treat yourself. Any sprain should get better within 2-3 days; if there is no improvement, you should consult a doctor.
First aid
The person should be in a horizontal position and should be completely rested. It is best to use any hard surface. You should place a cushion under your head that can be rolled out of a towel. This helps minimize stress on the neck and spine. The patient should not turn his head or make sudden movements.
- Apply a cold compress. This could be a damp towel or other item. However, doctors do not recommend applying clean ice to the bruise site. Better to wrap it up with something early. This will help relieve the first symptoms of injury: pain and swelling. Cold causes blood vessels to constrict.
- Give the victim anti-inflammatory drugs. They will also help reduce pain. These can be any drugs. Pharmaceuticals that you buy at a pharmacy or have at home. For example, ketones or paracetamol.
- These are first aid measures if a neck muscle strain occurs at home or after playing sports. However, if your injury was the result of an accident or collision, the first thing to do is call an ambulance.
Before making a diagnosis, the doctor must carefully examine the damaged area and conduct a palpation examination. This is done in order to determine the specific location of the injury. After an initial examination and interview with the patient, the specialist prescribes research methods such as:
Degree of damage
There are several stages of pathology:
- Microtraumas. They provoke pain of moderate intensity. However, edema does not always develop. There may be a slight decrease in mobility or discomfort when trying to move the head. Recovery from microtrauma of soft tissue occurs in 5–7 days.
- Significant muscle tearing that accompanies severe stretching. In this case, recovery may take 1.5–2 weeks. Symptoms of this condition: intense pain, obvious limitation of movements.
- Tissue rupture. This pathology is treated under the supervision of a doctor; recovery may take several months. Symptoms: unbearable pain, severe swelling, change in skin color: redness, cyanosis, inability to move the head.
Diagnostics
MRI or magnetic resonance imaging. This will help your doctor figure out exactly where the sprain occurred and for what reasons.
- Radiography. With its help, the specialist will examine not only the neck, but also the spine. This will help determine if additional deformation has occurred in these areas.
- Ultrasound or ultrasound. This will allow the doctor to take heart disease for diagnosis because when the neck muscles are stretched, the pain sometimes radiates into the chest.
- CT scan.
- Based on these examination methods, only a qualified specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment that will ensure the patient’s recovery as soon as possible.
At the first symptoms, it is best to apply a cold compress. This will help limit further development of muscle tension and reduce pain. After this, be sure to take painkillers.
Treatment for neck strain
First of all, treatment requires bed rest, since the injured area must be completely at rest.
On the 3rd day after twisting the neck muscles, you can start using warm compresses. This means that the person should wear a warm scarf or jacket with a high collar. Additionally, you can use special warming ointments or gels. They will provide the necessary blood flow to the injured area. While sitting, use a special pillow to relieve tension from your neck and distribute the load evenly throughout your spine.
If a person is seriously injured, the doctor may recommend wearing a special splint that will firmly fix the neck in the correct position. Thanks to this device, you can avoid the development of negative consequences in the future. The splint is worn for about 2 weeks. If it is used longer, the muscles may begin to weaken.
For the most severe neck strains, your doctor may prescribe special injections to relieve severe pain and discomfort.
Folk remedies should be used only as additional treatment. They can be used to treat a strained neck muscle in a child. Two recipes are considered the most effective:
Traditional methods of therapy
Raw potatoes and cabbage. Grate the potatoes on a fine grater and mix with sauerkraut in a 1:1 ratio. It is best to apply it to the injured area before bed.
- A decoction of lingonberry leaves. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the chopped dried ingredients. Rub the resulting solution into the wounded area.
- If there are concerns that any of the folk remedies will cause an allergy, then before use you can try the composition on your wrist and see if there is a reaction. If nothing happens, use a neck cleanser.
The doctor prescribes special ointments, creams, gels that limit the development of inflammation and relieve pain. However, parents should remember that you should not self-administer adult medications to treat a child's neck sprain. It's better to register. You also need to consult a specialist.
Drug therapy
The most popular and effective drugs are ointments and gels, such as:
Apisartron.
- Traumeel.
- Ibuprofen.
- Dolobene.
- Fastum.
- In case of severe pain, you can take painkillers. If necessary, in the most severe cases, the doctor may even prescribe special injections. They are made in addition to the main medications that are taken orally.
After completing the main treatment, the person will have to undergo special rehabilitation programs.
A person sometimes does not know what to do when the neck muscles are dislocated after the end of the main treatment. Your doctor may recommend additional treatments to help you fully recover. These include:
Measures to restore all functions of the neck
Massage. It soothes muscle spasms and aims to strengthen them.
- Physiotherapy. It helps restore metabolic processes and ensures proper blood circulation in the injured area.
- Physiotherapy. It eliminates remaining pain and generally revitalizes the body.
- Acupuncture. Relaxes neck muscles, relieves inflammation.
- Manual therapy. It aims to improve health and the entire body, as well as relieve pain in the injured area.
- If you follow all the doctor’s recommendations and instructions, he will be able to guarantee the patient a quick recovery and avoid the development of negative consequences. With proper treatment, a person very quickly returns to a full life.
Anyone can get a neck strain. This happens for various reasons. Some of them do not even depend on humans. In them she becomes an accidental victim. The main thing is to prevent ligaments and muscles from rupturing in this case. However, in all other cases, if you follow basic safety rules, this can be avoided. For example, before training it is better to warm up all the muscles, avoid being in drafts, and do not use air conditioning.
Prevention of neck pain and musculoskeletal disorders in general
Anyone who has ever encountered the problem under consideration has repeatedly asked the question: “What methods of struggle exist?” First of all, it is worth noting that the best treatment at all times is considered to be prevention, which consists of creating optimally comfortable conditions for the functionality and nutrition of the human spinal column.
It is important to create such conditions, the observance of which will not just be continuous, but literally for life. This is precisely the secret of the success of preventive measures.
There are several components to preventing neck pain. Let's look at each of them.
Physical activity and sports
A key component in preventing destructive processes in the musculoskeletal system. Moderate exercise helps maintain optimal health.
Workplace safety
The ergonomics of working conditions largely determines the state of human health, because people spend quite a lot of time at the workplace.
If it is impossible to organize comfortable conditions, then you must at least strive to systematically relieve tension by systematically performing simple warm-up exercises.
Special diet
The lack of useful vitamins and minerals negatively affects the condition of the skeleton of the human body. In order for the tissues to have everything they need, it is important to ensure rational nutrition.
The daily diet should be moderately enriched with sources of not just energy, but also vitamins and microelements.
Don't forget about your drinking regime. To ensure the required level of metabolism, you need to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of clean water per day.
Taking chondroprotectors
The use of preventive courses of taking chondroprotectors helps maintain the optimal condition of articular tissues, and also allows you to accelerate regenerative processes when they are damaged.
Preference should be given exclusively to reliable drugs that have proven themselves in the modern pharmacological market.
One of the most effective is considered to be “Artracam”. Do you want to enjoy a full life? It's time to start preventing ODA diseases today. By adhering to the principles of maintaining your own health, you can forget about feeling unwell and enjoy all the benefits
