It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Don’t take your stiff neck lightly!

Have you ever had such an experience?

I woke up and suddenly my neck hurts when I move.

Even half of your shoulder hurts?

"You have a stiff neck. Just bear with it for a day."

You might not care

Stiff neck seems normal

It is an early stage of cervical spondylosis

Orthopedic surgeon tips

Four types of severe stiff neck conditions

Don't delay, you have to go to the hospital

01Why do we get stiff neck?

Many patients will tell the doctor that they suddenly feel neck pain after getting up in the morning, and they put on some plaster, but the symptoms become more and more severe after a few days, and they even have to use their hands to support themselves when getting up or turning over, otherwise the pain will become worse. "My neck was fine before, what happened?"

Image source: Gaoding Design

Most of the patients who have this condition have "stiff neck". Stiff neck is an acute disease caused by spasm of the neck and shoulder muscles (mainly trapezius, sternocleidomastoid and levator scapulae), sudden increase in muscle tension, or disorder of the cervical facet joints, which causes neck and shoulder pain and restricted movement. This disease is relatively common and can occur at any age. The course of the disease varies from a few days to a few weeks.

What causes stiff neck? In fact, stiff neck belongs to the early stage of cervical spondylosis - cervical spondylosis.

Common causes include: poor sleeping posture, excessive deflection of the head and neck, and an uncomfortable pillow (too high, too low, too hard) that causes static injuries in which the neck muscles are in a state of tension for a long time;

Long-term lack of exercise and bending over a desk cause cervical instability, leading to small joint disorders;

The invasion of wind and cold in the neck and shoulders can lead to stagnation of qi and blood in the neck and back muscles, and obstruction of the meridians. All of the above factors can induce stiff neck.

02These four types of patients should seek medical treatment as soon as possible

Stiff neck is an early manifestation of cervical spondylosis, mainly characterized by local pain in the neck and shoulders and limited movement. Conservative treatment can achieve good results. The biggest pain of "stiff neck" is pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders.

In terms of coping, first of all, patients should reduce their activities, rest in bed, or wear a neck brace to limit neck movement.

Secondly, use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics and muscle relaxants. At the same time, topical creams, plasters, hot compresses, etc. can also be used as auxiliary treatments.

Image source: Gaoding Design

In addition, regular massage, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, etc. can also help quickly relieve symptoms and shorten the course of the disease. It should be noted here that violent and inappropriate treatment methods may aggravate the condition and even cause irreversible consequences.

As mentioned above, although stiff neck is common, it should not be taken lightly. In particular, the following four types of patients need to pay special attention:

Older patients who often suffer from recurrent stiff neck;

Patients with radiating pain (like electric shock) in the upper limbs and numbness in the fingers;

Patients with weakness in both hands and unsteady walking (walking as if walking on cotton);

Patients with fever, night sweats, rapid weight loss in a short period of time, and night pain that significantly affects sleep.

These patients are advised to visit an orthopedic spine specialist clinic to further rule out the possibility of severe cervical spondylosis, cervical infection or tumor to avoid delaying the treatment of the disease.

03To prevent stiff neck, do these few movements

To prevent stiff neck, you also need to start from work and life, and always pay attention to protecting the cervical spine.

Image source: Gaoding Design

First, avoid bending over the desk for a long time while working. You can adjust the height and angle of the computer screen appropriately, shorten the time of using the mobile phone appropriately, change the working posture intermittently, move the neck and shoulders, and relieve muscle spasms.

Second, avoid lying in bed for a long time looking at your phone, so that the neck and shoulder muscles can be completely relaxed during rest.

Third, choose a suitable pillow, the height should be from the outer edge of the shoulder to the edge of the ear, and the hardness should be appropriate. I personally recommend buckwheat pillows, which are cheap and easy to buy, and can also be adjusted according to your comfort needs (if it is too short, fold it up and raise it, if it is too high, press it down and lower it), to ensure a good sleep.

Fourth, pay attention to strengthening the neck and shoulder muscle training. First of all, regular swimming exercises are recommended. Activities such as flying swallows and plank support are also acceptable. In addition, head and neck resistance exercises can be performed at work. Cross your hands behind your head, stretch your head back, and push your hands forward to resist. Any form of exercise is prohibited when you feel pain.