Today, the situation when the pain in the shoulder and neck is disturbing does not surprise anyone. Both children and the elderly can suffer from it. And it is not at all surprising when such complaints are presented by a person working in an office or engaged in heavy physical labor.
Why shoulder and neck hurts
This phenomenon often accompanies us in everyday life and usually does not attract much attention until it becomes impossible to ignore discomfort. To provoke the occurrence of such an unpleasant phenomenon as severe pain in the shoulder and neck, can often be the lifestyle that most modern people lead. It can be caused by either low intensity of physical activity or excessive physical labor.
In addition to muscle strain, the causes of pain between the neck and shoulder can be divided into two large groups. The first is the various pathologies of the anatomical structures located here. They can affect the musculoskeletal system, nerve plexuses, and blood vessels. The second reason is diseases of the internal organs, in which the pain in the shoulder and neck is reflected (radiating). These can be various diseases of the heart, pancreas, gall bladder. That is why, in order to make the correct diagnosis, the doctor conducts a thorough examination and tries to determine the true cause of the pain.
Muscle pain
Everyone wants to know when pain in the shoulder and neck is bothering, why it arises, and this is a completely logical question. The most common cause of this phenomenon is overstrain of the muscles of the neck and collar zone. You must admit that if you sit at the table all day without lifting your head and being distracted only by a short lunch break, and often even spending it behind the monitor screen, it is difficult to expect vigor and well-being by the end of the day. But such a picture is repeated day by day. And it is not surprising that pulling, exhausting pains appear. In addition, tissue edema, which occurs due to lack of mobility, does not have the best effect on the blood vessels and nerve fibers, which this zone is very rich in. And since it is through them that the blood supply to the brain occurs, it is not surprising that headaches and dizziness accompany pain in the shoulder and neck. In addition, if the muscles of the collar zone and neck are constantly experiencing excessive load, then persistent migraines, visual impairment may occur , and if the cervical spine is involved in the pathological process, it may also impair the functioning of internal organs.
What to do?
How to remove pain in the shoulders and neck? What to do According to popular wisdom, it is always easier to prevent than to cure, so it will be the simplest not to bring yourself to such a state. But if the pain still appeared, then with the help of simple actions, you can quickly fix the situation.
- Self-massage was and remains a great way to relieve tension from tired muscles. To begin with, from top to bottom, towards the shoulder joint, gently rub the neck and shoulders, then rub them more intensely, and then, using pinching movements, grab the muscles with your thumb on one side, and the other four on the other, knead intensively. With your relaxed fingers, pat on the rubbed muscles. The massage is completed by the same stroking movements with which it was started.
- If possible, it is worthwhile to put a cold compress on the neck and collar area (for this you can use crushed ice wrapped in a scarf), and after 5-10 minutes replace it with a warm towel. This will relieve pain and increase blood circulation.
- Another way to help relieve stress, no matter how trite it sounds, is to rest. A few minutes spent in a calm environment on a flat horizontal surface, perfectly relieve muscle spasm.
- If there is no way to do any of the above, and the pain becomes unbearable, then you should not endure it - it is easier to take pain medication.
If nothing helps or relief comes only for a short time, and then pain in the neck comes again, the treatment of pain in the neck in this case should be transferred to the hands of specialists. This should be done as soon as possible, because the sooner measures are taken, the greater the chance of avoiding complications.
Shoulder lesions
Lesions of the shoulder joint and soft tissues of the shoulder are also a fairly common cause of pain in the shoulder between the shoulder and neck. At first, the pathology is manifested by minor pains on the right or on the left side of the neck, but after some time pain appears in the shoulder area. It becomes difficult for a person to raise a hand, wring it behind his back. Symptoms like these are the first signs of a shoulder-shoulder periarthritis. If measures are not taken in time, then the symptoms continue to increase:
- pain occurs more often at night;
- it becomes almost impossible to rotate a hand around an axis, despite the fact that forward movements are painless;
- the pain is sudden, spreading to the neck and arm;
- the patient takes a forced position - he presses his bent at the elbow to his chest;
- slight swelling on the front shoulder surface can be distinguished;
- possibly a slight increase in temperature;
How to cure shoulder pain
Fortunately, in the early stages, this pathology can be easily corrected. As a rule, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ("Diclofenac", "Voltaren") are prescribed to the patient both in the form of tablets and injections, and as ointments. If necessary, corticosteroid injections are also used. An important point in the treatment is to limit the load and movements in the affected shoulder. Physiotherapeutic procedures, in particular laser and magnetotherapy, also significantly accelerate the recovery process.
However, it must be remembered that only timely contact with specialists can guarantee a successful outcome. If the disease is started, then it may well go into the form of ankylosis. In this case, most often you have to resort to surgical intervention, but even this is sometimes not enough.
Osteochondrosis
If you increasingly think about what the pains in the neck and shoulders are talking about, then most likely the answer to your question will sound unequivocally - osteochondrosis. This disease is the second most common cause of such pain. It should be noted that if earlier people of old and mature age suffered from osteochondrosis, today it is rapidly “getting younger”. This progressive pathology causes degenerative-dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs. The consequence of this is the deformation of the vertebral bodies of the cervical spine , impaired blood supply and nerve conduction in this area.
Causes of Osteochondrosis
The causes of osteochondrosis can be many factors. Here are the most common ones:
- rachiocampsis;
- violation of posture;
- injuries to the back and neck;
- overweight;
- excessive physical activity;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- metabolic disorders;
- infectious diseases;
- a sharp reduction in physical activity in athletes;
- stresses.
Most often, if you do not take any measures, a spasm of the neck muscles that occurs when there is an excessive load on this area also passes into osteochondrosis. It is a violation of blood circulation that leads to an insufficient supply of spinal structures with oxygen and nutrients, which is the cause of degenerative changes.
How does cervical osteochondrosis manifest?
Manifestations of a disease such as cervical osteochondrosis can be very diverse. Most often it can be:
- pain in the shoulder and neck;
- frequent headaches, dizziness;
- fainting
- hearing loss, ringing in the ears;
- decreased vision;
- violation of sensitivity, sensation of goosebumps;
- weakness in the hands;
- impaired coordination, unsteady gait.
If treatment was not started on time or the treatment was incorrect, complications are likely to occur. They can become radiculopathies (lesions of the nerve roots), hernias of the intervertebral discs, the formation of osteophytes on the vertebral bodies.
Radiating pain
It happens that problems in the work of internal organs are accompanied by reflected (radiating) pain in the shoulder and neck, therefore it is often considered a consequence of cervical osteochondrosis. An example is an attack of angina pectoris. In addition to compressive pressing pain behind the sternum, it can often be accompanied by pain in the left shoulder, neck and lower jaw. The same symptoms, but more intense ones, also occur with such a dangerous condition as myocardial infarction. Pain in the neck, shoulder, and lower jaw on the right can accompany hepatic colic. People with cholelithiasis may experience similar symptoms after the slightest deviation from the prescribed diet. Another condition accompanied by pain in the shoulder and neck is Pancosta syndrome. It occurs in cancer of the upper lobe of the lung, when, due to a progressing pathology, compression of the brachial nerve plexus occurs.
Precisely because quite a few serious diseases can accompany neck pain, treatment for neck pain should be carried out by a neurologist or surgeon who can make an accurate diagnosis.
Prevention
Everyone has heard the phrase that preventing the disease is much easier than curing. In this case, she is more faithful than ever. Even simple gymnastics in the morning can reduce the risk of such pathologies by several times. Equally and correctly equip your workplace and, of course, the place where you sleep. In addition, if possible, it is necessary to avoid monotonous and monotonous movements, as well as a long stay in a forced stationary position. Well, if the pain still appeared - you do not need to wait for it to disappear by itself. It is imperative and as soon as possible to consult a specialist, because very often lost time in the future can turn into serious, up to disability, problems.