What Are the Most Common Causes of Upper Back and Neck Pain?

The part where the head and the trunk are connected is called the neck, and the scientific names are "neck" and "item". Neck pain is also called neck pain. Neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis, cervical fibromyositis, pillow fall, sprain, etc., is called neck pain.

Neck Pain

Chinese Medicine Name: Neck Pain
Affiliated Department: Surgery-Orthopedics
Disease site: Cervical spine

The main symptoms: Pain, numbness
Multiple groups: Young people
Whether to enter health insurance: Yes

Causes of neck pain

There are many causes of neck pain, so the principles of various neck pains are also different. The common causes are as follows:

Neck pain cervical spondylosis

Due to prolonged bowed work, computer use, high-sleeping, long driving time, etc., the cervical spine degenerates. When the cervical spine degenerates to a certain extent, it will cause cervical bone hyperplasia and cervical disc herniation. Bone hyperplasia and disc herniation can cause neck pain, such as nerves, muscles, and ligaments.

Neck pain neck muscle strain

Neck muscle strain is also called neck muscle fibromyositis. It is caused by repeated acute and chronic damage to the soft tissue of the neck. Traumatic aseptic inflammation and pain in the neck muscles occur. It stimulates the muscles to produce a permanent contraction state, muscle tension and long-term muscle spasm Local soft tissue vasospasm, inadequate blood supply to muscles and fascia, nutritional disorders, and aseptic inflammation of the tissues aggravate, thus forming a vicious cycle and making the pain worse.

Neck pain

There are many causes of cervical trauma, such as car accidents, falls, bumps, etc., which can cause neck pains due to damage to neck muscles and bones.

Neck pain falling pillow

This is caused by the misalignment of the facet joints of the cervical spine. When the neck is sprained, or the sleeping posture is incorrect, or it is suddenly invaded by the wind, cold, dampness, etc., the neck joints are misaligned and cause neck pain. This kind of pain is usually sudden, and the pain is aggravated when the neck turns.

Neck pain symptoms

The symptoms of neck pain are basically similar to those of cervical spondylosis. Mainly manifested as local pain, neck discomfort and limited movement. It is often said that I don't know where to put my head. The symptoms often start in the morning, and the fatigue, posture, and cold suddenly increase after stimulation. Early head and neck pain, shoulder and back pain, sometimes severe pain, do not dare to touch the neck, pressure is pain, and some patients do not dare to turn or tilt the case, often with the trunk when turning. Neck muscles can have cramps and tenderness. Sore neck and shoulders and upper back are often felt after the acute phase. Patients often complain of neck fatigue. Can't read books and watch TV for a long time; sometimes headache, pain in the back of the pillow, or "neck tightness" and "stiffness" in the morning after rising, inactivity or neck noise during activity, a few patients may have transient Reflex upper limb and hand pain and numbness.

Neck pain diagnosis

Self-diagnosis of neck pain

Diagnosing neck pain is simple, that is, the main complaint can be obtained, and the location and degree of pain can be obtained by examining the neck.

Neck pain hospital diagnosis

If you find neck pain, you should perform a cervical spine-related examination to find out the source of neck pain. Or neck pain caused by other diseases? Cervical spine pictures are the first diagnostic method of choice.

Neck Pain Scientific Pillow

(1) Pillow height: The physiological lordosis of the cervical spine is the basis for maintaining the internal and external balance of the spinal canal under normal conditions. If you do not pillow or the pillow is too low, the neck will be excessively reclined, which can increase the cervical lordosis, the muscles in front of the vertebrae and the anterior longitudinal ligament will be fatigued due to excessive tension, and chronic injuries will occur; and the yellow ligaments behind the spinal canal Flexion protrudes forward into the spinal canal; at this time, although the spinal canal is elongated, its volume becomes smaller, and the spinal cord and nerve root are prone to clinical symptoms due to various factors such as nucleus pulposus and osteophytes stimulation or direct compression. If the pillow is too high, the neck is excessively forward flexed, which can easily cause strains on the muscles and neck ligaments, supraspinous ligaments, interspinous ligaments, and yellow ligaments behind the cervical spine. Displace and squeeze the spinal cord, especially the anterior central artery.

Prominent and prolapsed nucleus pulposus and osteophytes, especially in patients with spinal canal stenosis, will have corresponding symptoms and signs. Pillows for patients with cervical spondylosis must be appropriate. Can not be too high or too low, should be sleeping on a pillow without twisting the neck as the principle, so that the cervical spine maintains a normal physiological state, to prevent causing or accelerating cervical degeneration.

Generally, the height of the pillow is preferably the diameter of the pillow, the diameter of the pillow is suitable, and the pillow at the back of the head is suitable. For different conditions of cervical spondylosis, adjust the height of the pillow appropriately. For cervical disc herniation or prolapse, or osteophyte at the posterior edge of the vertebral body, which directly compresses the spinal cord and has motor dysfunction, the pillow can be lowered to reduce the compression of the pressure in front of the spinal canal. For hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum, introversion, and compression behind the spinal cord, the pillow can be appropriately higher to reduce the pressure on the spinal cord. For patients with congenital and acquired cervical spinal canal stenosis accompanied by osteogenesis at the posterior margin of the vertebral body, cervical tuberculosis, cervical tumors, and ankylosing spondylitis, the pillow should still be at a normal height.

(2) Pillow: commonly used are wheat skin, pudding, kapok, rice husk, duck down, chicken feather, goose feather, slow rebound sponge pillow and so on. The first seven kinds of fillings are homogeneous and have good air permeability, but the velvet is easy to agglomerate; the price of kapok and duck down is higher; the rice husk is mainly produced in the south, with high hardness and wide production area, and the height of the pillow can be adjusted at will. What kind of pillow filler to use should be selected according to personal habits, economic conditions and under the guidance of a doctor.

(3) the shape of the pillow: the B shape with the middle low and the two ends high is the best. The advantage is that the physiological curvature of the cervical spine is maintained with the middle low part, and the high part at both ends can be fixed and brake the head and neck.

Neck pain treatment

Neck pain medication

Western medicine can play a complementary symptomatic role in the treatment of this disease. Analgesics, sedatives, and vitamins (such as B1 and B12) can be selected. Hospital medications can be used: vasodilators and Chinese herbal medicine. Effect. Traditional Chinese medicine can treat the disease. But pay attention to the side effects of oral Chinese medicine. Oral Chinese medicine has great damage to liver, kidney and gastrointestinal.

Neck pain massage treatment

Put your left or right hand, your forefinger and ring finger together, look for tender points in the neck pain (mostly in the sternocleidomastoid muscle, trapezius, etc.), and press and knead for about 5 minutes from light to heavy. Can be alternated with left and right hands.

Use a small fish to hit the shoulder and neck from top to bottom and from bottom to top for about two minutes.

Use your thumb and index finger to pinch left and right Fengchi and Shoulder wells for 1-2 minutes.

Use your thumb or forefinger to press down on the pillow point (between the second and third metacarpals of the back of your hand, 5 points behind the metacarpophalangeal joint), and then continue for 2-3 minutes when you feel sore.

Finally, perform activities such as head and neck flexion, back tilt, left-right lateral deviation, and rotation. This action should be performed slowly. Do not use excessive force.

Neck pain diet treatment

Because neck pain is caused by cervical vertebral body hyperplasia, osteoporosis, etc., patients with cervical spondylosis should be based on a diet rich in calcium, protein, vitamin B family, vitamin C and vitamin E. Among them, calcium is the main component of bone, with milk, fish, pig tail bone, soy and black beans being the most abundant. Protein is also an indispensable nutrient for the formation of ligaments, bones, and muscles. Vitamins B and E can alleviate pain. Relieve fatigue. In addition, if cervical spondylosis is a damp-heat block meridian, you should eat more kudzu root, bitter gourd, loofah and other fruits and vegetables that clear the muscles and clear the collaterals; if it is a cold- damp block meridian, you should eat more lamb and other food that is warm and cold ; For those with blood deficiency and qi stagnation, they should eat more roosters, carps, black beans and other foods.

Neck pain traction treatment

"Traction" has been one of the first choices for treating neck pain in the past, but in recent years, it has been found that after using "traction" in many patients with cervical spondylosis, especially those who have used "traction" for a long time, not only does cervical spondylosis not decrease, Instead it gets worse.

The expected effects of using "traction" are: 1. Increase the intervertebral space. 2. Relax the back of the neck muscles. 3. Release nerve root compression. But the actual clinical application found that these effects were not obvious.

Neck pain external treatment of Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine regards neck, shoulder, and arm pain as symptoms of paralysis. In etiology, it is generally considered to be caused by trauma, wind and dampness, insufficiency of qi and blood, and dysfunction of meridians. Dizziness, dizziness, and tinnitus are related to sputum. Turbidity, liver wind, and damage. Traditional Chinese medicine not only focuses on cervical spondylosis, such as the neck, shoulders, back, arms, etc., but also organically connects the internal organs such as the internal organs, meridians, qi and blood, and performs syndrome differentiation and treatment; Muscle and joint functions are organically combined, focusing on the mutual influence and mutual promotion of the two. Cervical spondylosis is divided into wind cold dampness, meridian obstruction, liver and kidney deficiency, qi and blood weakness, phlegm dampness, and trauma. . At present, the more common treatment method is external application of Anshi Shutong cream.

Neck pain precautions

1. Don't fall down while sleeping. Pillows should not be too high, too stiff or too flat.

2. Avoid and reduce acute injuries, such as avoiding lifting heavy objects and not emergency braking.

3. Protect from cold and humidity, avoid midnight, take a bath in the early morning or be blown by wind chill. Wind chill shrinks local blood vessels, reduces blood flow, hinders tissue metabolism and waste removal, and dampness prevents skin evaporation.

4. Actively treat local infections and other diseases.

5. Correct the bad posture and reduce the strain. Every 1-2 hours of bowing or raising your head, you need to do neck movements to reduce muscle tension. To prevent the occurrence of cervical spondylosis, the most important thing is to improve the sitting position, and you can also do the shoulder and neck exercises intermittently when you work hard.

6. Adjust living and working habits, work for 1 hour at each desk, get up for 5 minutes, or massage and relax by yourself, to avoid neck muscles in tension due to long-term fixed posture, causing strain.

Neck pain maintenance

To prevent neck pain, you should pay enough attention to it from a young age, maintain good living habits, and choose appropriate work and study postures, especially young white-collar workers, car owners, and long-term copywriters. Move as much as possible and walk more. Walk, climb stairs, stand up for a long time after doing desk work, exercise limbs, cervical spine, adhere to good health function exercise.