Pain in the neck and occiput: how to treat and what is the reason?

At the modern pace of life, an ordinary person has to solve several problems simultaneously. His brain is exposed to many hours of stress, emotional pressure is rising, of course, there is pain in the neck and occiput.

This kind of pain syndrome is one of the most common phenomena for middle-aged and older people, as well as those who, due to a number of reasons, lead an inactive way of life. Sometimes the pain in the neck and head arises suddenly, sometimes it grows gradually. Such feelings are often not taken seriously by a patient - a person takes an anesthetic and continues to work.

Frequent headaches in the nape of people of intellectual work can even cause some "respect" and sympathy of others. This indicates their special zeal and diligence. However, sooner or later the pain in the neck and head will lower the level of the person's comfort in life, so that he will make a serious decision to get rid of it.

Myogelosis

The most trivial cause of myoglosis is the compaction and spasm of the muscular tissues of the cervical region. The patient feels pain in the back of the head and dizziness. Shoulder movements are difficult and constrained. There is a sharp pain in the neck and occiput during exercise. Muscles are affected by spasm, the head turns with difficulty. Pain in the back of the head and dizziness do not provide an opportunity to adequately navigate in space. A person needs urgent help.

Myogelosis can be caused by a number of reasons, among which:

• draft;
• Prolonged or intense stress;
• Violation of posture;
• Long stay in uncomfortable position.

Stress

Pain in the neck can also cause mental stress, provoked by constant stress: chronic and acute. Men over the age of 30 and women are particularly vulnerable to this type of risk.

Mental or physical overexertion, fatigue

While enthusiastically working at a computer or while driving a car, a person often pays attention to the position in which he is, only when there is pain in the neck or in the head. It is necessary to follow this.

Injuries, chronic diseases

Stretching, trauma, subluxation of the intervertebral joints, spondylitis and osteochondrosis also cause pain in the neck and occiput. These diseases affect the cervical spine and cause severe discomfort.

Arterial hypertension

Headache in the occipital part, especially in the first hours after sleep, may indicate developing arterial hypertension. Attacks of dizziness, weakness can accompany and the resulting pain in the nape of the right or left. Sometimes patients describe this symptom as a "squeezing hoop" on the head.

Cervical spondylosis

When the lateral processes of the vertebrae (osteophytes) grow and deform, cervical spondylosis develops. In this case, the ligament tissues degenerate into bone tissue. Spondylosis is a disease of inactive people. In many cases, older people suffer from this ailment.

In cervical spondylosis, the mobility of the neck decreases, the head turns with difficulty, and there is a palpable pain in the neck and occiput. The pain that occurs in the upper humeral girdle and occiput may radiate to the entire back of the head, ears, eyes. The quality of sleep deteriorates significantly: the patient wakes up due to tension and pain in the neck.

When pressure is applied to the back of the intervertebral joint, the pain becomes worse. Cervical spondylosis is clearly manifested when the patient rolls back the head.

Neuralgia of the occipital nerve

Even simple head movement, coughing, sneezing cause sharp "lumbago". Pain in the nape radiates to the back, lower jaw, ears and into the cervical spine. To ease the pain, the patient tries to keep his head in one position.

The causes of neuralgia of the occipital nerve can serve as hypothermia and cold, and osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, other ailments of the spine.

Even when the sharp pain at the turn of the neck releases, remains pressing in the nape, and in the muscles appears spasm.

Vertebrobasilar syndrome

As a consequence of cervical osteochondrosis, vertebrobasilar syndrome is considered. The patient has a noise in the ears, there is dizziness, the view is "covered". In this case, the coordination of movements is clearly violated, the facial skin turns pale, there is a pressing pain in the nape, nausea, vomiting, and hiccups are observed. As a result of tilting, turning the head, the person loses balance, immobilizes, faints.

Cervical migraine

Characterized by intense pain in the temples, the back of the head, giving off into the superciliary arches. There is a feeling of resi in the eyes, they are as if covered with sand. Vision is clouded, the hearing is broken, there is noise in the ears, there is dizziness.

Cervical migraine, in contrast to the classical hemicrania, has a momentous moment (marker). If you press a finger with a line connecting the spinous and mastoid processes of the first cervical vertebra, pain immediately arises and intensifies. So, the pain with a slight compression of the cervical aorta indicates the presence of a cervical migraine. With true hemicrania, first, after feeling weak, there is pain in the occiput on the right.

Pain of tension

With prolonged reading, writing, if the neck and head are in the wrong position, there is a muscle tension, there is pain in the nape. This kind of ailment is called a tension headache. It also arises if you hold your head still for a long time while watching TV, at work on the computer, while playing sports. In these cases, the pain can be caused by the intensity of the muscles responsible for turning the neck, deep extensors.

Symptoms: pressure, increasing pain in the nape and in the frontal part of the head.

Excitement, fatigue

Often there are headaches due to anxiety, concentration at work, overwork. There is a feeling that the skull squeezes an invisible hoop. The pain is not acute, but constant. The muscles of the temples, forehead, neck and occiput are strained and compacted. When pressed, they respond with pain.

Doctors explain this by the fact that long-term concentration on one particular action is an emotional and physical stimulus for prolonged muscle contraction.

Often this kind of pain is accompanied by noise in the ears and dizziness without nausea.

Features of pain

Usually, the patient is not able to pinpoint the localization of the perceived pain. Especially if it radiates to other parts of the body. With pain in the neck and in the head, it is difficult to distinguish the root cause of their occurrence. Even the usual touch to the back of the neck cause discomfort and pain in the entire upper neck, let alone the head turns or slopes.

Self-diagnosis?

The human body is rather complicated. The various organs in it are interrelated, and the painful sensations in one of them often directly depend on the state of the other. Not always even a specialist can conduct a proper diagnosis to himself. At least he will be reasonable enough to ask for advice from a colleague.

Especially not worth the risk and an ordinary person. After all, there are often cases when, trying to remove the pain syndrome, people allowed the disease itself to become stronger or mutate. And if the reason lies in the spine, it's stupid to drink tablets and tinctures from pressure!

It is better to conduct a comprehensive examination at a number of specialists: a traumatologist, a neurologist, a cardiologist, a physician and a massage therapist.

To put an accurate diagnosis, to determine the causes of pain syndromes, in modern medicine are used: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, other methods. Only after receiving the results of the necessary examination, the doctor can diagnose the causes of pain and prescribe treatment.

Remember, if the pain in the back of the neck, neck respond in other parts of the body - ask for an accurate diagnosis to specialists.

First aid

When there is a severe headache in the nape of the neck, first of all you need to maximize the health of the environment in which the patient is. To do this, it is necessary to ventilate the room, make sure that there are no external stimuli: bright light, loud and piercing music, sounds.

Then do a light massage of the shoulder girdle, neck, occiput. At the same time, try not to put pressure on the spine. After this, it is recommended to lie down and try to completely relax. Stressful situations and problems that have already been during the day have passed. If you worry about the upcoming - they will not become any easier from this. So throw them out of your head.

Even before visiting the doctor, you can take the drug "Ibuprofen", which reduces the intensity of pain. In fatty fish varieties, Omega-3-acids are present, which can prevent inflammation.

As a first aid for pain in the back of the neck, you can do an exercise to stretch and relax the muscles of the neck. We sit down exactly on a chair, do not lean on his back. We wrap our arms around the head in such a way that the thumbs are on the cheekbones and the rest on the back of the head. Now, holding your head in this position with your hands, tilt it back. Hands do not give the head back. Hold this position for 6-7 seconds, relax and lean back. Do a few repetitions of this exercise.

Often this is enough to make the headache subsided.

If the pain does not stop for a long time, you need to establish the reasons for their occurrence. As a temporary measure, a tablet or traditional medicine may work. With unceasing pain in the nape, you do not need to self-medicate! Contact your doctor.

Healing measures

When the diagnosis is established accurately, the treating physician determines the treatment course, taking into account the individual characteristics of the course of the disease. Treatment, first of all, is aimed at eliminating the causes of the disease.

For treatment, drugs of three groups are used.

1. Anesthetics.
2. Anti-inflammatory.
3. Muscle relaxants.

In most cases, quite conservative methods of treatment are used: medicamentous, physiotherapeutic. With defects and injuries - manual therapy. Swimming and special sets of physical exercises are always useful, but in some cases simply necessary.

The electrophoresis gives remarkable results: to the stagnant muscles there is a blood current, the quantity of lactic acids causing a burning sensation decreases. With a tendency to headaches for their prevention and elimination it is recommended to do a regular warming massage of the upper back and neck.

Therapeutic exercise is indicated for osteochondrosis. When prescribing exercises exercise is usually prescribed vitamin complex. To improve blood flow, warming ointments are applicable .

Only as an extreme, forced measure, surgical intervention is used. This occurs when the pain in the neck and occiput becomes frequent, pronounced strongly, last long, the person is limited in movement, when the consequence of the disease is a general deterioration in human health. But, again, this measure is applicable only if there is or a real threat of serious complications.

If the causes of pain in the nape and temples are stress, you should identify them and try to reduce their impact.

Prevention of pain in the neck and in the neck

It is important to understand simple things: a healthy lifestyle without bad habits, regular exercise, a special diet and adequate rest is the key to preventing and eliminating headaches. Do not forget about the orthopedic pillow.