Cervical spine pain, also scientifically known as cervicalgia, is a relatively common and recurrent problem, which can occur at any age, but is more common in adulthood and old age.
Although most of the time it is temporary pain, caused by muscle tension and little, in other cases it can be caused by a more serious problem such as arthritis or even compression of the nerves, which cause more persistent and intense pain.
- For example.
- Whenever pain in the cervical region takes more than 3 days to improve.
- It is important to consult a physical therapist.
- Orthopedist or even a general practitioner to try to identify a cause that requires treatment.
Some of the most common causes of cervical spine pain include
Muscle tension is the first and most common cause of pain in the cervical spine region that is usually caused by daily activities or behaviors such as poor posture, sitting for a long time, sleeping in the wrong position, or contraction of the body muscles.Exercise.
This type of cause can also occur during periods of high stress, as tension usually causes contractures to appear in the cervical region.
What to do: An easy way to relieve discomfort is to stretch your neck 2 to 3 times a day, for at least 5 minutes; However, applying hot compresses on site for 10 to 15 minutes can also help.See some stretching examples that can be done.
The second major cause of neck pain is trauma, that is, when there is a violent blow to the neck, caused by a traffic accident or a sports injury, for example, being an easily exposed and sensitive area, the neck can suffer different types of trauma, which eventually cause pain.
What to do: Usually the pain is relatively mild and disappears within a few days with the application of hot compresses 15 minutes a day, however, if the pain is very severe or if other symptoms appear, such as difficulty moving the neck or tingling, it is important to consult a doctor.
Joint wear is the leading cause of neck pain in the elderly and is usually associated with a chronic condition such as cervical osteoarthritis, for example, causing inflammation between the vertebrae, causing pain.
In the case of osteoarthritis, in addition to pain, other symptoms may also occur, such as difficulty moving the neck, headaches and the production of small clicks.
What to do: Physical therapy is usually needed to relieve discomfort caused by osteoarthritis, however, the orthopedist may also recommend using certain medications to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.Better understand how cervical osteoarthritis is treated.
Although less common, herniated disks are also considered one of the main causes of cervical spine pain, in fact, the disc begins to put pressure on nerves passing through the spine, causing constant pain and even other symptoms such as tingling in one of the arms, for example.
Disc hernias are more common after age 40, but they can occur before, especially in people who have poor posture or need to work in less comfortable positions, such as painters, maids or bakers.
What to do: The pain caused by the hernia can be relieved with the application of hot compresses on site, as well as with the ingestion of anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers recommended by the orthopedist.Besides, it’s usually also necessary to do so, physiotherapy and RPG exercises.Learn more about disk hernias in the video:
The parrot’s beak, scientifically known as osteophytosis, occurs when part of the vertebrae enlarges more than normal, causing a bony lump that resembles the parrot’s beak.Although this lump does not cause pain, it can eventually put pressure on the spinal nerves and cause symptoms.such as pain, tingling and even loss of strength.
What to do: the parrot’s beak should always be diagnosed by an orthopedist and treatment is usually done with physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory drugs, more information about the parrot’s beak and how to treat it.
To relieve pain and ensure the most appropriate treatment is performed, it is very important to consult your doctor, diagnose the cause, and thus know the best treatment.
However, when medication is needed, your doctor usually says
Before using medications, it’s important to try other, more natural forms of treatment, such as frequent neck stretching and hot compresses at the pain site.
Most cases of pain in the cervical region improve with rest, stretching and hot compresses within 1 week, however, if there is no improvement, it is very important to consult an orthopedic surgeon or at least a gpated doctor.
In addition, it is also important to see your doctor when other symptoms appear, such as:
These symptoms usually indicate that pain is not just a muscle contracture and should therefore be evaluated by the orthopedist.