The appearance of pain in the left side of the neck cannot be regarded as a specific symptom of a certain disease.
A fairly wide range of problems with the body can be accompanied by neck pain. Therefore, there is no single treatment tactic aimed at eliminating neck pain on the left side. To choose the methods of therapy, it is necessary to find out the origin of the pain.
The left side of the neck hurts: muscle aches and neck injuries
The neck not only connects the head with the body, but also, thanks to the presence of seven vertebrae, provides support and a certain range of head movements. When the neck hurts on the left side, a person, first of all, loses the ability to freely turn his head. In addition to the vertebrae, in the neck area there are many important structures in the form of muscle tissue, arteries and veins, lymph nodes and the thyroid gland, esophagus, as well as the larynx and trachea. Various ailments associated with the defeat of any of these structures may be accompanied by pain in the neck on the left side.
With the appearance of pain in the neck, doctors diagnose cirvicalgia. Similar pain occurs with inadequate pressure on the neck. Muscle tension may be due to improper head position during night rest, which causes muscle strain. As a result, muscle fibers become stiffer, and the neck becomes numb and begins to hurt.
Muscle cramps can occur with prolonged static position of the body with a bent neck. Improper posture, long sitting at a computer or driving result in a redistribution of load on the vertebrae, an overstrain of muscles, which causes pain.
Pain in the muscles of the neck on the left side can be caused by hypothermia. Exposure to drafts, wind on exposed areas of the neck often causes pain.
In the cervical lumbago, the synuvertebral nerve is clamped, which is usually associated with awkward or sudden movements of the head. Lumbago is accompanied by sharp pain in the neck, which intensifies with the slightest movement. At the same time, a person tries to keep his head in a forced position. Muscle tension is manifested by stony tissue density and restriction of movement.
With rapid acceleration followed by sharp braking, which occurs in everyday situations or in road traffic accidents, spine damage in the cervical spine quite often occurs. The neck loses mobility, the pain covers not only the left side, but radiates to the right side, shoulder and arm, back and head. The consequences of the injury are manifested by dizziness, fatigue, sleep problems.
In sports or domestic injuries associated with direct blows to the head or neck, in addition to soft tissue damage, radicular compression of the nerves can be observed, which is accompanied by pinching, numbness or tingling in the left side of the neck.
Any neck injury requires serious treatment, and with damage to the vertebrae and partial immobilization, you will have to wear a special cervical collar.
Neck pain on the left side: degenerative and other diseases
For any diseases of a temporary or chronic nature of organs and structures located directly in the neck, pain can occur directly from its left side.
First of all, the neck on the left side hurts with cervical osteochondrosis or osteoarthritis. Such pathologies are associated with degenerative changes in cartilage, which are accompanied by the formation of bone growths in the form of spurs or spikes. Sagging discs can trigger protrusions or hernias. Such formations in the spine are accompanied during periods of exacerbation by compression of the nerve fibers and the inflammatory process. When the pathology is located on the left side, pain occurs on the left side of the neck, limitation of mobility.
Spinal stenosis resulting from injuries, aging, arthritis causes numbness that spreads downward.
With diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, calcification of ligaments and tendons along the spine is observed. This condition is accompanied by limited mobility, swelling and pain on the left side of the neck.
The left side of the neck hurts and there are problems with turning the head during:
• meningitis;
• subarachnoid hemorrhage;
• brain tumors;
• pharyngeal abscess.
Pain in the left side of the neck shows immune disorders in the form of:
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• ankylosing spondylitis;
• psoriatic arthritis;
• rheumatic polymyalgia;
• jet artist.
A neck pain on the left side may be affected by bone infections: osteomyelitis, tuberculosis.
This symptom is also characteristic of other infectious diseases:
• lymphadenitis;
• acute thyroiditis;
• poliomyelitis;
• tetanus;
• shingles;
• meningitis;
• malaria;
• meningism.
In addition, on the left side of the neck, radiating pains associated with:
• cardiac pathologies;
• diseases of the esophagus;
• lung cancer;
• tumors and abscesses.
Sore left side of the neck: treatment
The causes of neck pain on the left side are so diverse that to independently determine their origin is quite problematic. With static muscle pains in the neck, massages and exercises for the neck help.
If the painful symptoms do not go away in a couple of days, you need to urgently consult a doctor. You will have to undergo a detailed diagnosis to find out what provokes neck pain. Further treatment will directly depend on the type of underlying disease.
If injuries are present, temporary immobilization of the sore neck will be required, which in the initial stages will help limit movement and relieve pain.
Regardless of the origin of the pain, treatment is aimed primarily at eliminating pain. Because pain and inflammation make it difficult to see the real picture of the disease.
As anesthetics at this stage, apply:
• drugs of the non-steroidal group, affecting not only pain, but also inflammatory processes;
• muscle relaxants that help at the level of the nervous system eliminate muscle spasm;
• hormonal drugs that are used for severe pain caused by problems in the spine.
After the elimination of inflammatory acute reactions, restorative therapy is prescribed, which may consist of:
1. Warming compresses, rubbing and lotions, helping to relax muscle fibers.
2. Physiotherapeutic procedures in the form of electrophoresis, laser, magnetic or wave therapy, helping to reduce soreness and restore natural processes.
3. Therapeutic exercises, which helps to develop neck muscles, restore blood flow and stretch the vertebrae.
4. Massage, which allows you to act both on muscle tissue and on the vertebrae. A chiropractor should work with the spine.
5. An ointment containing burning and warming elements. For neck pain, external agents based on non-steroidal drugs also help.
6. Unconventional methods of therapy in the form of acupuncture, apitherapy, moxotherapy, which help restore the functioning of nerve fibers and relieve pain.
However, such a treatment program is used for muscle, nervous or dystrophic pathologies of the cervical elements.
In severe cases, surgical intervention is required. The presence of large hernias, stenosis, large spines and other bone formations are indications for the operation.
When identifying other diseases and radiating pains, treating the neck itself does not make sense. Therapy in such cases is based on the revealed pathology.
In the presence of infectious pathologies, inflammation of the lymph nodes will have to resort to antibiotic treatment. If neck pain is associated with cardiological, oncological or gastrointestinal diseases, narrow specialists will deal with the treatment.
Neck pain on the left side: alternative methods of treatment
It is possible to treat pain in the left side of the neck with the help of folk recipes in the presence of muscle cramps, nerve clamps and inflammatory processes.
1. For pain associated with muscle cramps, heat helps well. To do this, you can wrap your neck in a warm woolen shawl. Thermal procedures can be carried out using heated sand, salt or mustard.
2. Alcohol-based compresses and rubbing will help improve blood flow and relax muscles. To prepare compresses, irritating components in the form of hot pepper or horseradish are also used.
3. You can rub the left side of the sore neck with badger or bear fat, after which it needs to be wrapped. Such grinds help with any inflammatory pathologies.
4. You can cope with inflammatory processes by tying a cabbage leaf to the left side of the neck, where it hurts greatly. It needs to be slightly wrinkled before this. Hold the compress all night or until the leaf dries. You can do several compresses in a row.
5. After receiving injuries, warming up procedures are prohibited. In such situations, the first couple of days is cold. I put ice compresses on the area of damage and on the back of the head.
6. It is possible to carry out self-massage of the neck. For its use of honey or oil. Massage manipulations must be done very carefully so as not to aggravate the situation. It is strictly forbidden to affect the area of the spine.
As a treatment and prevention of neck pain on the left side, the main role is played by motor activity. Regular gymnastics will help stretch the vertebrae in the neck, strengthen muscle tissue, improve tone and blood flow, which together will help prevent relapses.
