Axial pain Neck pain can have many triggers

Pain in the neck is a common problem
Neck pain is a common phenomenon that affects almost everyone at least once during their lifetime. The symptoms can have many triggers, but serious damage is rare. Instead, it is in most cases relatively harmless tension or muscle cramps. To a certain extent, those affected can often help themselves. The symptoms last longer or occur in parallel symptoms such. Paralysis or numbness, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
Almost every third person is affected once a year
It pulls, burns or presses the neck and you can not move properly: Almost everyone knows the feeling of unpleasant neck pain and has ever experienced the associated impairments in everyday life. According to information from the website www.gesundheitsinformation.de almost every third person is affected once a year, women more often than men. Doctors have different forms of neck pain: If they occur locally limited, is spoken of "axial" pain, they emit along nerve tracts, for example, in the back of the head or in the arm, it is "radicular pain".

Neck pain can have various causes. Picture: Kzenon - fotolia

Often there are tensions or cramps of the muscles
For the complaints come many triggers into consideration and it is often difficult to make a clear cause at all. Usually, however, there is no cause for concern, as it is often comparatively harmless tensions or cramps of the muscles. These can arise, for example, after a long sitting in front of the computer or by unfavorable lying in the sleep, as well as drafts or sports such as road cycling or breaststroke can lead to muscular problems.

Possible causes: herniated disc and whiplash
In older people, degenerative changes ("signs of wear") play an important role, which can lead to pain, restricted mobility or paralysis. Further possible causes are changes to the intervertebral discs or a herniated disc; Accidental injuries may be responsible for the pain in the neck. Here, above all, a so-called "whiplash injury" comes into consideration, which is e.g. A rear-end collision can result if the impact causes a sudden impact on the cervical spine (cervical spine).

In very rare cases, neck pain may also be due to serious causes such as Indicate inflammation, osteoporosis, rheumatic diseases or a tumor. Accordingly, for other symptoms, e.g. Paralyzes, unexplained weight loss, fever, chills or loss of control during urination or defecation immediately a doctor to be consulted, recommends the patient information portal of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. The same applies if a constant tingling sensation is felt or the hands or legs often fall asleep and / or balance problems occur.

Chronic pain can indicate stress
According to the patient information portal in the case of nonspecific complaints, in addition to analgesics, e.g. Stretching and strengthening exercises, massages and cold and heat applications used. On the other hand, surgery is only possible if a clear cause (such as escaped disc tissue) can be alleviated. However, as cervical interventions involve risks, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of surgery.

If the symptoms persist for more than three months, doctors speak of "chronic" neck pain, although mental stress and stress often play an important role as well. In this case, according to the experts, an accompanying pain treatment may be useful, in which the combination of various methods is used to alleviate the symptoms. Here come, for example Exercise therapy, acupuncture and nerve stimulation are used, as well as a pain management therapy can help to learn how to deal with long-lasting severe pain and thus achieve more quality of life again. (No)