It happens that a person returns home and understands whether at work or in training he pulled his neck. What to do in such a situation, tells the traumatologist. Medical statistics show that it is with injuries of the muscular system of the neck that people treat most often. Some come with sprains, others because they ripped off their neck.
Relevance of the issue
Very often, the average person tries to orient himself when injured, what to do. Pulling his neck tightly, thereby a person becomes a victim of almost the most typical injury. It is said about stretching if muscle fibers or ligaments were damaged during inaccurate movements. Not to notice the injury does not work - she points to severe pain.
The current international ICD classifier includes a group of codes S10-S19, and 16 points in it are reserved for injuries localized in the neck. To alleviate the patient’s condition, the doctor will prescribe a course of warming procedures and prescribe an anti-inflammatory composition for topical application. Usually, the doctor, telling if the patient pulled the neck muscles, what to do, recommends going through a therapeutic massage program. If the case is difficult, they may advise using a special orthopedic design - a collar.
What provokes?
If you know where the stretch comes from and be careful enough, you may never have to consult a doctor to find out what to do if you pulled your neck. This part of the human body is especially weak, physical activity for it is more aggressive than for other parts. From year to year, traumatologists face thousands of cervical fractures, muscle breaks in this area. Domestic injuries, inaccurate movement, accident provoke phenomena. You can injure your neck if you sleep in an uncomfortable position.
The doctor will explain to the patient if he has pulled his neck, what to do at home, if the condition includes stretching and trauma to the muscle and ligamentous structures. In this case, the spinal column must be intact. If the injury affected the spine, a completely different course of treatment is prescribed, the case requires a more responsible and thorough approach, possibly with hospitalization of the victim.
Is it worth it to worry?
To others it seems that you should not bother the doctor if you pulled your neck. What to do, it seems, friends and acquaintances can advise, and indeed the problem is not so great, you can suffer temporary discomfort. But do not underestimate its dangers. Of course, predominantly serious consequences or complications do not occur, in about 70% of cases specific treatment is not prescribed, but sometimes the patient has to be urgently hospitalized.
If muscle, ligamentous elements are stretched, a weak pain syndrome or moderate severity indicates the pathology. Damaged areas may swell slightly. With a break in the fibers of a person, fever, neck and head ache severely, sensations radiating to ears, eyes.
Special case: child injured
Sometimes parents cannot understand why the baby complains of pain. Symptoms may suggest that the child has pulled the muscles of the neck. What to do, the pediatrician will tell. The doctor will examine the patient in order to assess the severity of the case. Manifestations in general are the same as in adults, but the symptoms are blurry, and the soreness is dull.
If we compare a child and an adult with the same injuries, the first one will probably have a weaker pain. At the same time, a certain discomfort still worries, even if it is mild, but the pain is necessarily fixed. On average, children are much less likely to form an inflammatory focus and swelling. If there is one, the temperature rises locally, the skin becomes hot, the skin turns red.
First measures
If an adult or a child has pulled his neck, a traumatologist will tell you what to do : the doctor has considerable experience working with such cases, so he can quickly navigate and assess the severity of the situation and the optimal correction method. As you know from practice, the sooner first aid is provided, the faster the stretching can be cured. Start with a comfortable lying position. Try to ensure the head is completely still. If there is a person nearby capable of helping, it is necessary that he helps to take a comfortable position.
The next step is to search for ice or any frozen product. If one cannot be found, the coldest water is drawn into the container and applied to the site of pain localization. Keep the area cold for at least an hour by regularly changing bottle water or ice.
Pharmacology: will it help?
As a rule, the average man, thinking what to do if he pulled his neck, begins to doubt: is it worth using analgesics? There is some kind of pain medication in almost any home medicine cabinet, but with some pathologies, analgesics are forbidden, and not everyone knows how things are in case of stretching. As a rule, there are no restrictions: you can use some composition that alleviates soreness and discomfort. Doctors recommend resorting to paracetamol or the Ketanov drug. You can take "Analgin."
Determining for himself, having been injured, what to do if he pulled his neck, it is worth analyzing a home medicine cabinet for the presence of non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are the most effective in this case, they quickly alleviate the condition. Taking the medicine will help bring down the temperature, stop the activity of the inflammatory focus and relieve pain. True, the tool is used one-time: such medicines are not intended for prolonged systematic use.
Helping yourself: what's next?
Among the expressed manifestations of injury - it hurts to turn your head. Pulling their neck on what to do, many begin to think right away - the sensations are unpleasant enough to want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Having given yourself or a nearby injured first aid, you must make an appointment with a specialist. A traumatologist will help. True, as is known from practice, many prefer to do it on their own, do not go to the doctor, unless there is extremely severe pain.
To improve the condition, it is wise to use medications designed against muscle strain. In the pharmacy there are many therapeutic ointments that are effective in such a situation. It is necessary to apply the drug, following the instructions, carefully observing the frequency of use and dosage. Improper use of the drug can cause allergies or side effects. When the neck muscles are stretched, the medicine is applied to the back of the neck without affecting the front.
Rest and analgesics
If the stretched neck muscles respond with pain, it is worth taking an analgesic to improve the condition. It is recommended to use the simplest painkillers, and paracetamol is considered the safest option. If the pain is very severe, you should choose Ketanov. This drug is used only as directed by a doctor.
To make the neck go faster, the body must be at rest. You can buy a special collar in the orthopedic department of the pharmacy to support the head. Using this system, they minimize physical activity on diseased muscle tissue, so that recovery will be quick.
How long, how short
Of course, having been injured, a person immediately thinks about how long he will have to suffer from pain. This is reasonable - due to pain, the ability to function in society is impaired, working capacity is reduced, and for those who study, the ability to perceive new material. Doctors believe that the duration of treatment and the time required for a full recovery vary from case to case very much. It depends on the nature and severity of the injury, the chosen therapy and the characteristics of the body, the level of immunity, the patient’s diet.
On average, the neck hurts greatly for no more than three days, after which a couple of days are worried about moderate pain. Pain of a moderate level is felt about a week, is activated when you try to move your head. If during this period the sensations have not passed, you need to urgently see a doctor. As a rule, a traumatologist will help, but you can first register with a therapist. In some cases, the patient will be referred to the surgeon.
Severe case: how to identify?
Although neck strain is usually quite safe, serious therapeutic measures are not necessary, you can do without the help of a qualified professional (although this is undesirable), a situation is possible in which you can not hesitate to contact a traumatologist.
The increased risks are indicated by a fever that lasts for one and a half to two days, a febrile condition of the patient. If the pain does not become weaker - this is a reason to worry. If the pain syndrome intensifies, this can be considered an obvious incentive to urgently visit a doctor. If severe pain does not go away in three or even four days, you must come to the clinic.
The severity of the case is indicated by severe swelling of the tissues, redness of the skin. The need to make an appointment is indicated by impaired vision, hearing ability, cognitive impairment. If the soreness leads to the jaw dropping, because of this, the person cannot drink and eat, do not delay visiting the clinic - probably the person needs specialized help, possibly hospitalization.
How to warn?
In order not to have to figure out how to treat an injury, you should be as careful as possible in everyday life so as not to get it. Of course, absolute protection of the cervical muscles cannot be guaranteed, but certain protective measures are known for this part of the body. They are applicable to both adults and minors. Doctors recommend that in cold weather, be sure to wear a scarf, avoid sleep under a stream of chilled air, and exclude any other hypothermia. In addition, you should control your motor activity, so as not to make too sharp movements of the neck.
If training is planned, it is supposed to endure heavy loads or a person is forced to face other loads, first you need to stretch your muscle tissue responsibly. If it was decided to do martial arts, before training you need to buy all the necessary ammunition to protect the body. Another important point is the timely and adequate treatment of pathologies, especially covering the back, spinal column. They can cause spasm, as a result - muscle stretching.