Dorothy FarrarStiff neck
Many people know the feeling when they wake up in the morning, the head feels like it is in a screw clamp and can hardly be moved and only with pain. The head can hardly be turned. Every movement causes pain. A stiff neck is a painful but harmless issue in most cases.
What is a stiff neck?
A stiff neck is a restricted movement of the shoulder, neck and neck area. While a stiff neck usually only affects the rear area, a stiff neck also causes pain in the lateral neck muscles. The entire area is tense and can only be moved with pain.
Our muscles are sensitive to constant stress. Before a stiff neck occurs, there has usually been a prolonged overload due to poor posture that has not been given enough attention.
causes
The main cause of a stiff neck is muscular tension in the neck area, often also in the shoulders. Sometimes a wrong, careless movement is enough and the head can only be moved with pain.Another cause is degenerative signs of wear and tear in the cervical spine, diseases such as arthrosis or herniated discs in the cervical spine.
Rarer causes are the stiff neck in meningitis (meningitis), which can lead to other symptoms such as nausea , vomiting , circulatory problems and fever, or the stiff neck in whiplash, e.g. B. as a result of an accident.
In addition to the organic causes, mental stress can also promote a stiff neck. who e.g. People who suffer from stress, burnout or depression, for example, are more prone to a stiff neck because psychological problems can also lead to muscle tension.
Diseases
When to the doctor?
A stiff neck restricts normal range of motion. As soon as everyday and necessary turning movements or lowering the head can no longer be carried out, a doctor must be consulted. There is an increased risk of accidents due to the symptoms, so that a doctor’s visit is necessary. If there is pain in the muscles in the neck, throat or shoulder, a doctor should be consulted and further examinations initiated.
If the stiff neck occurs after an accident, it is usually due to whiplash. A doctor must be consulted to assess possible injuries and treat the throat. In the case of chronic diseases such as arthrosis, the affected person suffers from pain in the bones in addition to the stiff neck . A doctor’s visit is necessary because the diseases must be treated medically due to their progressive course.
If there are other complaints along the spine, there are often problems with the intervertebral discs or vertebral diseases. A doctor must be consulted because the person concerned needs medical treatment. If the person concerned also suffers from problems in the mouth and throat, a doctor must be consulted. In some cases, the sufferer can take steps to provide relief without a doctor. Warm baths, swimming, massages or light stretching exercises in the shoulders and arms help to loosen the stiffening of the neck independently.
diagnosis and course
If you can only move your head to a limited extent with severe pain due to a stiff neck, you should first go to your family doctor and describe your symptoms. The doctor will check the function of the head and cervical spine, testing for tenderness and palpating the neck and neck muscles. If it is a harmless stiff neck, he will feel the tension in the muscles as soon as he touches it and will prescribe heat, massage and, if necessary, painkillers.
If damage to the cervical spine is considered to be the cause, the family doctor will refer the patient to an orthopedist, who will take an X-ray of the affected area, rule out a suspicion of a tumor and check where the cause of the symptoms lies. Especially if the stiff neck is also associated with pain that radiates into the shoulders and arms, perhaps combined with numbness, caution is advised, as this can be the onset of paralysis caused by a herniated disc.
If a degenerative disease such as a herniated disc or osteoarthritis can be ruled out with certainty, a stiff neck will quickly improve if the right measures are taken to relieve the symptoms. They usually get better within a week.
complications
In most cases, a stiff neck is a harmless strain in the neck and throat muscles. The range of motion is very limited, so every movement of the head causes pain. However, these symptoms usually go away on their own. However, there may be complications.
A pinched nerve , for example, can be responsible for a stiff neck. It can also cause complications in other parts of the body. The nerve tracts traverse the entire body, even causing tension in the lower back. In most cases, the pain lasts for several days, so that the range of motion is very limited.
If meningitis is responsible for a stiff neck, there are many side effects associated with it. It can lead to nausea, a high temperature or chills. If these individual complications are not treated medically, there is a risk of a significant deterioration. Of course, a doctor should be consulted immediately with meningitis. This is the only way to ensure fast and effective treatment that ensures a full recovery.
treatment and therapy
Treatment for a stiff neck always depends on the cause. Heat applications, e.g. B. with a heat pad, a warming ointment, massage of the tense areas or tablets if the pain is more severe.
The symptoms then usually disappear within a few days. If the cause lies in muscular tension, immobilization should not be carried out under any circumstances, because immobilization would make the tension worse rather than better.If the symptoms are more stubborn and have not subsided after a few days, acupuncture or injecting the painful areas with a local anesthetic can help. In the case of vertebral blockages, gentle chirotherapy can be helpful to counteract the vertebral blockages on which the tension is based and to relieve and loosen the muscles.
In most cases, an operation can be avoided, only in the case of severe restrictions due to a herniated disc it cannot be avoided. If the stiff neck occurs more often due to tension, the doctor will prescribe massages, gymnastics and regular exercise.
Only drug therapy can help with meningitis . Antibiotics are prescribed for bacterial meningitis . A whiplash injury is now more likely to be treated with physiotherapy exercises. Immobilization with a neck tie has not proven itself because the neck muscles are weakened by the immobilization.
prevention
Since a stiff neck usually occurs as a result of muscular tension or drafts, you can prevent it by permanently avoiding one-sided movements or by doing sports to compensate. You can try to avoid drafts. Regular and relaxation exercises help against one-sided movements. You should take regular breaks during long car journeys or long periods of computer work. Regular walks, swimming and cycling offer good opportunities to balance and relax the muscles.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.