He pulled his neck, what should I do? This is a common question. We will deal with him in this article.
Stretching the cervical muscles in a person is always accompanied by unpleasant sensations and severe pain. Because of this, the head cannot normally turn and move. All movements are limited and constrained. Stretching should not be taken carelessly. It is a pretty serious problem. Signs and symptoms should be known to anyone. If they manifest, you must immediately consult a specialist who will prescribe the right treatment. Thanks to it, the probability of developing negative consequences is minimized, the healing process is accelerated. That is why it is so important to know everything about the premises, causes and symptoms of this pathology.
So what to do if you pulled the ligaments around your neck?
The main causes of neck sprain
The cervical region includes seven vertebrae that protect the spinal cord from possible damage. Even a slight neck injury can cause paralysis. Each sudden movement or seemingly harmless at first glance fall can cause stretching in both an adult and a child.
What is dangerous:
- sports outdoor games (you can inadvertently stretch your muscles during movement);
- strong physical activity;
- uncomfortable posture in a dream;
- accident (these include accident, unsuccessful fall).
Possible symptoms
The very first sign that you have pulled your neck is the occurrence of aching or sharp pain. At the same time, turning your head is almost impossible - each attempt is accompanied by painful discomfort.
This, as a rule, often happens during weight lifting or during training (in everyday life there are often situations when a load is placed on the body that exceeds several times the permissible norm). In the first place, the muscles and ligaments suffer, but spinal damage is not ruled out.
When a person after an unsuccessful movement or physical exercise felt that he was pulling his neck and pain, or saw a swelling, you can be sure that the neck muscle was damaged or a sprain was obtained. In this case, it is better to immediately consult a doctor who examines the patient and prescribes appropriate therapy to him.
So, the main signs of stretching are as follows:
- loss of sensitivity (or its decrease) in the lower and upper limbs;
- neck pain;
- spasms of the upper limbs;
- persistent headaches;
- loss of mobility of the neck.
When he pulled his neck, everyone should know what to do.
If a child is injured
Not always young children can clearly explain what exactly bothers or hurts them. For this reason, parents (or any adult who cares for a child) should establish the presence of sprains or muscles.
Signs of a sprain:
- swelling in the neck;
- lethargy;
- loss of mobility;
- loss of consciousness (most often immediately after an injury);
- unnatural (strange) position of the head.
If the baby is able to talk, he will be able to complain of harassing pain. First of all, you need to go to the doctor (for a preliminary reduction in pain, the child can be given "Ibuprofen" or "Paracetamol" in accordance with the age dosage). After consultation with the doctor, a warm bath for muscle relaxation and bed rest are allowed.
If you are pulling your neck, what should you do first?
Diagnostic methods
Before making a diagnosis, a specialist should have a good look at the inflamed area and palpate. This is done to establish a specific area of damage. After the initial interview and examination of the patient, the specialist prescribes the following research methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging, which helps the doctor determine exactly where the stretching occurred and what are its causes;
- Ultrasound examination, which allows the specialist to eliminate cardiac pathologies when establishing a diagnosis, because with muscle stretching sometimes the pain radiates to the chest area;
- Radiography - with its help, the doctor examines both the neck and the spine. Thanks to this method, the presence of additional deformation in these areas is established.
- CT scan.
Only a qualified specialist is able to make the correct diagnosis and give the right treatment course, relying on such diagnostic methods. Therapy, if you pull your neck and turn painfully, will contribute to the recovery of the victim as quickly as possible.
First aid
When a person has pulled ligaments or muscles of the neck, you must immediately give him first aid. The actions in this case are as follows:
- First of all, you need to ensure complete rest of the affected area. It will be ideal to take a horizontal position, put a tight roller in the neck area (you can twist it from any towel). Thus, the load on the spine will be distributed evenly, the injury to the neck will no longer affect so well.
- To alleviate the symptoms of stretching (edema and pain) can also be done with a cold compress (wet or dry). At the same time, it is forbidden to apply ice to the skin; you need to wrap it in a napkin or towel.
- The next step is the use of anti-inflammatory drugs that can be freely purchased at any pharmacy. Thanks to them, you can cope with pain (the use of painkillers is also allowed).
In the event of an accident (accident, accident), an ambulance must be called immediately.
When he pulled his neck, what to do, the doctor will tell.
Treatment options
Stretched ligaments and muscles should be returned to normal (in the absence of attention to this issue, scars may form on the muscle surface that impede the normal functioning of the body).
Conservative treatment methods are:
- the use of a collar splint, which helps to reduce the load on the vertebral cervical spine during treatment if a person has pulled muscles;
- prescribing anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs;
- classes of special physiotherapy exercises (all exercises are usually recommended after the collar tire has been removed);
- reflexology;
- rejection of strong physical exertion;
- physiotherapy;
- acupuncture;
- massage.
Stretching the neck needs an integrated approach to therapy, so all medical recommendations must be followed.
Drug Overview
A specialist will prescribe special gels, creams and ointments to reduce the inflammatory process and eliminate pain. However, parents need to remember that it is not possible to use adult medications alone to treat muscle strain in a child. It is better to consult a doctor for an appointment.
The most effective and popular medicines are the following gels and ointments: Apizartron; "Fastum"; "Traumeel"; Dolobene; Ibuprofen.
For severe pain it is allowed to take painkillers (Ketorol, Nise, Spazmalgon). In the most severe cases, if necessary, the doctor can prescribe even special injections. They are made in addition to the main medicines that are taken orally.
Usually, after the main treatment course, you will need to undergo special rehabilitation programs, especially if the person has tightly pulled his neck.
Folk methods
Traditional medicine can only be used as adjunctive therapy. They can be used to treat neck strain in children. The most effective are two recipes:
- Cabbage and raw potatoes. On a fine grater you need to grate potatoes, mix with sauerkraut in a ratio of one to one. Best applied at bedtime to an injured area.
- Decoction of lingonberry leaves. Dried crushed ingredients need to pour one glass of boiling water. The resulting solution rubbed the injured area.
If there are fears that a folk remedy may cause an allergic reaction in the patient, before use, you can test the composition on the wrist, and see if the reaction will occur. In its absence, you can apply the product without fear.
Prohibited Treatment
Most often, if a person pulled his neck, then he tries to “develop” it on his own - he begins to move actively and stubbornly does not notice the sensations of pain. This approach can only worsen well-being and cause complications.
The next wrong action is to apply a warm compress. Muscles relax due to heat, this is true, but if there is an inflammation along with stretching, the influence of heat only worsens the situation.
There are also situations when a young mother craned her neck, but if it is impossible to leave the baby she does not go to the doctor, hoping for an improvement. This approach is fundamentally wrong, because the lack of proper treatment can cause a complete loss of mobility.
Cervical sprain can cause many discomfort to the victim. If a person pulled muscles, he simply goes out of action for several days and practically abandons everything.
In this case, do not forget about special physical exercises during rehabilitation. They are best carried out under the supervision of an experienced specialist and on his own recommendation. If the doctor does not recommend such exercises, then extra independence can be fatal for the patient.
To avoid cervical distension, you need to warm up both the muscles of the back and the neck before exercise. This will completely save a person from various injuries and sprains.
If the child pulled his neck, what should I do? Komarovsky offers parents some valuable advice.
Tips Komarovsky
E.O. Komarovsky says that there should always be a “cooling bag” in the freezer. You can pour ice pieces from the freezer into a plastic bag, wrap it with a thick cloth and provide first aid if the child has pulled his neck. It is advisable to smear the sore spot with any vegetable oil, because babies have delicate skin. There should also be an elastic bandage at home. It is necessary to limit the movement of the damaged part of the body for 5-6 days. The diagnosis should be made only by a doctor. You can not treat on your own. With any stretching, it should become better within 2-3 days, in the absence of improvements, you should consult a doctor.