Pain in the neck and occipital part of the head. Causes and their treatment

12 April 2021

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Neck pain is a very common problem. After all, according to medical statistics, more than 70% of people experience this periodically or regularly. Nevertheless, there are many reasons that can provoke pain of varying intensity in the neck. Most of them lie in diseases of the cervical spine. At the same time, the characteristics of pain, its localization, and the nature of other existing symptoms are important diagnostic signs that help to correctly determine what triggered them and prescribe treatment appropriate to the situation. It is very important to identify the disease causing pain in the neck as early as possible and take measures to eliminate it, since they can cause severe complications, including disability.

Why does this happen?

In order to understand this, it is necessary to study the anatomy of the spine in detail. Each cervical vertebra is surrounded by arteries, veins and capillaries. Changes in the shape of this section (curvature) create pressure on the walls of blood vessels, compression of the vessels occurs, and this entails an unexpected increase and change in pressure inside the skull (ICP). The combination of these factors causes loss of orientation and pain in the spine. What else causes neck pain and dizziness? The reasons may be:

• dysfunction of part of the spine caused by disruption of blood flow due to circular movements of the head;
• systemic vascular problems associated with chronic consumption of alcohol and drugs, as well as problems with removing substances from the body;
• cervical osteochondrosis (degenerative form or form of dystrophic disorder);
• decreased functionality of the brain and some vertebrae due to injuries;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Increased sensitivity to the weather, redness and swelling of the eyes, nosebleeds - all this can also be a consequence of constriction of blood vessels and problems in the spine. In addition, myositis forms, which can progress to a permanent (chronic) stage.

The presented type of compression appears due to the deviation of some functions of the vertebral sections. If left untreated, it will become uniform, resulting in a decrease in the rate of oxygen reaching the brain. Such interruptions in brain function will manifest themselves in an apathetic mood, neck pain, dizziness, weakness, deterioration in rest patterns, and partial speech disorder. All this occurs due to a decrease in the functional abilities of the head brain.

Causes of burning in the back of the head

Common causes of a burning sensation in the back of the head lie in the degeneration of the cartilaginous intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. Osteochondrosis with a long course without appropriate treatment leads to the following:

• the intervertebral disc becomes thinner and loses its shock-absorbing ability;
• the radicular nerve is pinched and subjected to mechanical compression;
• the process of inflammation begins, spreading along the branches of the occipital nerve;
• increased skin sensitivity in the scalp area;
• hyperesthesia turns into a feeling of burning and pain.

The most common complication of this pathological condition is trigeminal and facial neuralgia. These diseases lead to the constant presence of severe pain attacks, which sometimes reach such intensity that the patient begins to think about suicide. It all starts with a burning sensation in the back of the head and upper neck.

Other causes of burning in the back of the head are no less dangerous to human health. This may be a deformation of the uncovertebral and facet joints, causing the neck to lose its flexibility and mobility. In this case, the ligaments, tendons and muscles surrounding the vertebrae become inflamed.

It is best to look for the reasons why the back of the head burns with the help of an experienced specialist, since already during the initial examination the doctor will be able to see characteristic changes. When palpating the spinous processes, deformations and displacements can be detected. Bone growths on the first and second vertebrae lead to disruption of the position and patency of the cerebral blood vessels. Vertebral artery syndrome may develop.

With this pathology, the reasons that the back of the head burns lie in changes in hemodynamics and blood supply to the posterior parts of the brain:

1. when the cerebral blood vessels narrow, the posterior structures of the brain experience an acute deficiency of oxygen and glucose;
2. a reflex narrowing of small blood vessels begins;
3. secondary trophic damage to small nerve endings occurs;
4. when the narrowing of cerebral blood vessels is eliminated (for example, when the position of the head is changed), active blood flow begins to the posterior structures of the brain;
5. this provokes the occurrence of an acute burning sensation in the back of the head.

If the back of the head burns, the causes should be sought in the pathology of the cervical spine, cerebral blood vessels or innervation of the scalp. It is also important to exclude arterial hypertension, dislocation of the brain stem, traumatic effects and clinical manifestations of acute cerebrovascular accident.

How does the disease manifest itself?

Basically, patients with osteochondrosis experience similar symptoms. Also, strong physical stress, a sedentary lifestyle, hypothermia (or hypothermia) and injuries are responsible for the deterioration of sound and light-sensitive analyzers, changes in the perception of nerve receptors in the upper limbs, sweating, vomiting and lethargy.

Myogelosis, migraine, severe tension in the neck muscles, disruption of the nerve in the occipital part of the head and spondylosis are the causes of discomfort in the neck and dizziness.

Symptoms of myogelosis: pain in the back of the head, constrained movements of the shoulder girdle of the upper extremities, swelling of various kinds of muscles.

Symptoms of spondylosis: pain caused by physical activity or occurring spontaneously, the presence of tingling in the shoulder that radiates to the ears or eyes, and discomfort is likely to occur when turning the head.

Painful sensations similar to a migraine radiate to the area of ​​the skull and temples. Impaired perception, visual assessment, and assessment of the perception of auditory information are also symptoms of this type of pathology. Overexertion caused by vigorous physical activity manifests itself as pain in the spine and skull. Such symptoms appear due to a sedentary lifestyle. The pathology can be described as gradually increasing pain on the side of the forehead or back of the head.

Don’t forget about neuralgia, sometimes this causes tingling in the neck and back of the head, stabbing pain that radiates to the back or ears when moving the head. In addition, cervical lumbago appears, sharply radiating to the head, which are also pathologies. Such pathologies manifest themselves when the receptor systems located in the spinal nerve are compressed.

Treatment of severe neck pain

Treatment tactics are determined based on the diagnosis and the degree of detected pathological changes. In most cases, they begin with conservative therapy, which is always comprehensive. When diagnosing spinal pathologies in such situations, the following are indicated:

• Drug therapy, including the use of drugs from such groups as NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, corticosteroids, muscle relaxants, B vitamins.
• Physiotherapy, prescribed after the acute inflammatory process has subsided and consists of undergoing 10-15 procedures of phonophoresis, UHF, magnetic therapy, ultrasound therapy, etc.
• Manual therapy, as a method of manual influence, allows you to activate tissue nutrition, eliminate muscle spasm and correct the position of the vertebrae, bringing it closer to normal and eliminating pressure on the spinal roots.
• Exercise therapy, which consists of daily systematic performance of an individually developed set of exercises that strengthens the neck muscles, activates blood flow and consolidates the results of the treatment.

If the patient is additionally diagnosed with diseases of other organs, their treatment is indicated under the supervision of specialized specialists.

It is imperative to make adjustments to your own lifestyle in order to reduce the load on the vertebrae and intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. To do this, you should regularly take breaks when doing work that requires sitting, take measures to lose weight and change your diet, eliminating harmful foods and increasing the amount of healthy ones.

In cases of severe pain that prevents the patient from leading a normal lifestyle, blockades can be performed to relieve them. They involve injections of anesthetics and corticosteroids at specific points along the spine. This allows you to quickly eliminate pain and reduce the intensity of the inflammatory process. But the effect of blockades is temporary and is a means for emergency pain relief.

However, conservative therapy is not always effective enough, especially in the presence of intervertebral hernias measuring 5 mm or more, spondylosis and vertebral compression fractures. Therefore, if it does not produce results after several months and the patient continues to suffer from severe, sharp pain in the neck, he is advised to consult a spinal surgeon to consider the need for surgical intervention.

Diagnostic procedures

Diagnosis of neck pain is carried out by a qualified doctor. He questions the patient about his lifestyle. Next, examinations are carried out using tools such as:

1. X-ray. Examination of the spine using x-rays, which are projected onto special paper (radiography);
2. Tomography (computer). A method in which an area of ​​the body is scanned and displayed on a specialized machine as a three-dimensional image;
3. Tomography (magnetic resonance). Unlike computer imaging, magnetic resonance imaging creates an image of the source of pain in several projections using a strong magnet, and after projecting the image onto a computer, a final diagnosis is made.

Do not try to diagnose yourself; only a specially trained doctor can do this. In this case, the diagnosis will be quickly made, and the prescribed treatment will not be long in coming.

How a patient is examined

The specifics of symptoms can clarify a lot, but this is not enough to make a diagnosis. If a problem arises, you should go to a therapist, who will conduct an initial examination and refer you to a specialized specialist. Depending on the causes of the disease, the condition can be treated by a therapist, neurologist, ophthalmologist, ENT specialist, psychologist or psychotherapist, or orthopedist.

Read also: Causes of headaches in the eyes and forehead

The list of diagnostic studies is selected individually. It is mandatory for the patient to donate blood and urine for general and biochemical tests. His blood pressure and temperature are measured and his fundus is examined. The most effective methods for diagnosing headaches are MRI, CT, EEG, ultrasound of the vessels of the brain and neck. If hypertension is suspected, blood pressure monitoring is indicated. In some cases, they resort to performing a lumbar puncture.

How to deal with such a disease

So, your neck hurts and you feel dizzy, what should you do? It is better to take this problem more seriously and, if such pathologies arise, immediately go to see a neurologist or therapist. Proper treatment of the spine (with relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs) will have a beneficial effect on the body and eliminate factors that increase pain.

Doctors usually prescribe drugs such as paracetamol along with acetylsalicylic acid. Paracetamol does not cause irritation, but is harmful to the liver, and acetylsalicylic acid accelerates blood flow, but is harmful to the stomach; if you take them more than the amount recommended by your doctor, undesirable consequences may appear. Usually, pain between the shoulder blades is added to the symptoms of dizziness, in which case anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, but you should not take them too often, as this leads to the formation of ulcers, gastritis and internal bleeding.

In addition to medications, reflexology (massage or manual therapy) can also help. In this case, you should consult a doctor, he will give you advice on choosing a treatment method.

Different types of pain require an individual approach, for example, for dizziness, discomfort in the neck and vomiting, the following are best suited:

• acupuncture;
• pharmacopuncture;
• vacuum therapy.

If the pain has stopped, it is necessary to engage in physical activity and physical therapy (helps relieve pain in osteochondrosis), massage therapists and physiotherapists also help eliminate pain. In this way, the emergence of new pathologies can be avoided.

Discomfort can be eliminated by constant visits to a massage therapist and physiotherapist. Thanks to electrophoresis, you can improve blood flow to the muscles, and a warming massage will help you relax.

How to avoid it

Prevention is the best way to combat diseases, so doctors advise following a few simple rules:

1. When bending your body, avoid sudden movements;
2. Maintain correct posture;
3. Do exercises to strengthen your back;
4. Change your position every half hour (if your job requires you to sit in a chair all day);
5. Avoid physical overexertion;
6. Do not lift weights exceeding ten kilograms;
7. If you lift weights (more than 10 kilograms), you must use a special corset to support your back;
8. Do not create drafts indoors;
9. Stick to proper nutrition;
10. Temper the body.

A healthy lifestyle is the best prevention of all diseases. Don't sit at the computer for long periods of time, but if necessary, choose a chair with a special backrest. This is necessary for proper distribution of the load on the spine. Rest is an integral part of any healthy lifestyle. Sleep should last at least six to eight hours, you need to sleep on an orthopedic pillow and mattress specifically designed for proper sleep and manufactured by a certified seller

To prevent pain in the back of the head, do not eat large quantities of fatty, smoked and salty foods. Your diet should include vitamins and special supplements. It is also mandatory to undergo annual examinations with a general practitioner or a qualified specialist. This is the best option if you have neck pain and dizziness.