A person most often associates pain in the neck with being in a draft or osteochondrosis. However, not always unpleasant sensations are caused by bodily ailments. It happens that doctors can not always establish the exact cause of the pain syndrome. Here comes the help of psychosomatics. Pain in the neck, according to this science, can be caused by psychological causes. After all, our mental and physical condition is closely interconnected.
What is psychosomatics
Psychosomatics is a science that studies the relationship between stress and the physical health of a person. Specialists in this branch of alternative medicine believe that many diseases arise not only for physiological reasons, but also because of internal conflicts and personality traits. A patient experiencing emotional experiences becomes more vulnerable to various ailments.
The neck is equipped with many nerves. They are especially sensitive to the psychological state of a person. Often a patient suffering from prolonged discomfort, wonders: "Why does the neck hurt?" The psychosomatics of unpleasant sensations in this area is connected with the conflict between the mind and emotions of a person. Very often, neck pain is difficult to treat with medication. But as soon as a person's life problem is resolved, inner calm calms down and the pain disappears.
Psychological causes of pain
How to find out why a person has a sore neck? According to psychosomatics, such a symptom can have a different origin. It can be caused by the following reasons:
- Lack of flexibility of character. In this case, the pain is associated with a "clamp" in the neck. It becomes difficult for a person to make movements. Such a symptom is noted if the patient is in a difficult life situation, but because of obstinacy he cannot show enough flexibility to solve the problem.
- Reluctance to acknowledge the problem. Some people have the wrong reaction to stress, they begin to deny that they have a serious problem in life. This can result in neck pain.
- The conflict between the mind and emotions. There are times when pragmatism dictates one decision to the patient, and feelings suggest a completely different one. Because of this contradiction, pain can occur. It is believed that a person living in harmony with himself rarely suffers from unpleasant sensations in the neck.
- Inability to say no. Shy and insecure people with difficulty refuse others in anything. If such situations are repeated frequently, then pain with difficulty in movement may occur. It is as if the person cannot shake his head in denial.
- Suppression of emotions. If a person is constantly restrained and does not give an outlet to his feelings, then he has “clamps” in the neck muscles with pain.
- Fear of condemnation. In this case, it hurts a person to turn around. He subconsciously fears the judgmental views of others.
It is important to remember that psychological problems should be considered only if a person has not revealed physical pathologies during the examination. Only in the absence of diseases of the spine and peripheral nerves can we talk about the psychosomatics of pain in the neck.
Pain on the left
It is important to pay attention to the localization of discomfort. The causes of pain in different parts of the neck differ from each other.
There are times when a person has a sore neck on the left. The psychosomatics of pain in the left side of the body is associated with the personal life of a person, and in the right - with the social. Discomfort and discomfort can occur in conflict situations with loved ones, such as family members or friends. The more a person suppresses his emotions and shows obstinacy, the more painful feelings are expressed.
Pain on the right
Sometimes, after unpleasant situations at work, the patient has a sore neck on the right. The psychosomatics of such a symptom is most often associated with conflicts in the public life of a person. Often people try to hush up such situations and do not want to acknowledge the problem. This usually leads to aggravation of symptoms.
Often the pains are so severe that it is difficult for a person to turn his head. This may be due to fear of condemnation or a sense of guilt.
A person often has to take an unnatural position of the body due to the fact that his neck hurts. In psychosomatics, such a manifestation is assessed as the impossibility of abandoning bad habits. The patient understands with the mind that he needs to deal with pernicious inclinations, but he does not have enough willpower for this. It can be said that a person’s body position is as unnatural as his habits.
Sore neck back
Why does a person have a sore neck from behind? The psychosomatics of such a localization of pain is often associated with the inability to say no or yes.
Usually, back pain makes head movements much more difficult. To find out the cause of the discomfort, you should perform the exercise. You need to try to make an affirmative nod of your head. If it is difficult for a person to carry out such a movement, then probably he cannot accept the situation and shows excessive stubbornness. You should also try shaking your head in denial. If there are difficulties, then it may be difficult for such a person to refuse and say no.
Pain in the shoulders and neck
Often a person has pain in the neck and shoulders. The psychosomatics of these manifestations is associated with neurotic depression. This condition is often observed in people experiencing a difficult life situation. The load of psychological problems seems to put pressure on a person’s shoulders.
Another cause of such pain may be a conflict between the inner desires of a person and the expectations of others. This psychological state is usually accompanied by guilt. In this case, stoop is noted, the patient feels tension in the neck and shoulders. Movement becomes stiff.
How to find out the psychosomatic cause of pain
It can be concluded that there are many causes of neck pain. The psychosomatics of such a symptom can be associated with various internal problems. How to understand exactly what reason relates to your case? To do this, perform the following exercise:
- Sit in a comfortable position, relax all muscles and close your eyes.
- Try to determine: with which particular movements the pain intensifies.
- Answer yourself the question: "What habitual actions cannot be performed due to pain?"
Very often, pain intensifies precisely with such actions that the patient is afraid or avoids performing on a subconscious level. For example, if a person does not have sufficient flexibility of character, then the pain can intensify with an affirmative inclination of the head. And if the patient is afraid of the condemnation of others and avoids looking back, then the unpleasant sensations become stronger when the neck is turned.
Solution
There are cases when a diagnostic examination does not reveal physical pathology, but a person is worried about constant pain in the neck. The psychosomatics of this syndrome is always associated with internal personality problems. Pills and ointments in this case only temporarily stop the pain syndrome. How to get rid of discomfort? Psychologists recommend working through the life situation and their psychological problems. Psychosomatics specialists give the following recommendations:
- We need to try to objectively assess the difficult situation. It is useful to write on a piece of paper all the pros and cons of the situation. Next, you need to think about what results your actions can lead to and what your inaction can turn into.
- You need to learn to listen to your body. If neck pain is worse when you shake your head, then you should learn to say no. If stiffness appears when the neck is tilted, this indicates that you need to accept the situation and not deny the problem.
- You need to try to evaluate the problem from different angles, taking into account the opinions of other people. At the same time, one must try to be flexible in thinking.
- You should not suppress your emotions. If you feel anxiety and anxiety, then do not hide these feelings. Indeed, ignoring a complex problem will never lead to its resolution.
The psychosomatic causes of neck pain are quite rare. Most often, discomfort in the cervical spine is associated with pathologies. Therefore, you must first undergo a medical diagnosis. And only if the examination did not reveal any violations, you need to think about the psychological causes of pain.
If it is impossible to independently understand the situation, you should contact a specialist. Psychosomatic medicine centers operate in large cities. If it is impossible to find such a specialist, then you can contact a therapist or psychologist.