How to quickly relax your neck muscles. Complex for correcting a tight neck and shoulder girdle

Shoulder and neck pain are a constant companion in many people’s lives. You get so used to it that sometimes you don’t even notice that something is wrong in your body. Our life itself predisposes us to the appearance of this pain, because we spend most of our time at the computer in an uncomfortable position with tense shoulders and neck. However, pain is not always associated with muscle strain or spinal pathology.

Despite the variety of causes of such pain, discomfort and tension in the muscles of the shoulder girdle are familiar to everyone. Schoolchildren sit in uncomfortable positions during classes, many adults have jobs that require prolonged sitting, and in older people, pain syndrome is usually caused by diseases of the cervical spine and shoulder joints, for example, rheumatoid arthritis.

Causes of shoulder and neck pain

Shoulder and neck pain can be caused by two main types of diseases:

Pathology of the anatomical structures of the area of interest to us.

As we know, here is located cervical region spinal column, blood vessels, nerve plexuses, skeletal muscles, shoulder joint. Any of these organs can be involved in the pathological process with the appearance of a typical clinical picture.

Radiating pain in diseases of internal organs.

In medicine, there are quite a large number of examples where, when the heart or gallbladder is damaged, the neck, shoulder and arm hurt.

Therefore, before starting treatment, you should understand the reasons that caused this pain syndrome. Because some conditions may require emergency hospitalization in a medical or surgical hospital, and sometimes in intensive care.

Let's look at each group of diseases separately.

Pathology of anatomical formations of the neck and shoulders

As described earlier, the so-called collar area is the cervical spine with the spinal cord and girdle bones located inside its canal upper limbs with shoulder joints, covered with several layers of muscles. The main muscle is trapezius muscle. It is the largest, its tufts spread over the entire surface of the collar area.

The paravertebral region contains the cervical nerve plexus and blood vessels. One of the most important arteries carrying blood to the brain is located in the canal formed by the openings of the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae - this is the vertebral artery (right and left).

Muscles

Most often, we see patients whose neck and shoulder muscles hurt after sitting for a long time in an uncomfortable position. These are scientists, artists, programmers, office workers, cashiers and many people who lead an inactive lifestyle and prefer the Internet to an evening walk. Such pain passes quickly after a short warm-up and does not require special treatment.

Intervertebral cartilage

Most often the shoulder and neck hurt due to osteochondrosis. This is a degenerative process that develops in the connective tissue structures of the spine. This process spares neither the young nor the elderly. Against the background of changes in cartilage tissue, displacement of one vertebra relative to another (spondylolisthesis), destruction of intervertebral cartilage with the formation of a hernia or spinal block, proliferation of bone tissue with the formation of spines - osteophytes (spondylosis) and other unpleasant processes accompanied by compression of the nerve roots, inflammation of the surrounding tissues and severe pain.

Shoulder joint

The neck and right shoulder or left shoulder may hurt with arthritis shoulder joint or periarthritis (inflammation of periarticular tissues without involvement of the joint capsule).

When the shoulder joint is inflamed, pain radiates to the shoulder girdle and neck from the affected joint. This happens extremely rarely with rheumatoid arthritis, in which, among other things, intervertebral joints can be involved in the process. The joint swells moderately, the skin over it becomes red and hot, and movement is severely limited.

The shoulder joints are involved in the process of rheumatoid arthritis only in severe cases in the last stages, so such inflammation is difficult to treat, and the person quickly loses the ability to self-care and becomes disabled. You should remember this if you want to self-medicate or not follow medical recommendations at all.

With periarthritis, the brachial nerve plexus is involved in the pathological process and pain radiates to the neck and back of the head. In the subacute course, the pain syndrome is mild, the patient will tell you that his shoulder and neck constantly ache. Movement in the joint will be limited, as with arthritis, but the inflammatory phenomena are less pronounced and respond well to treatment.

Ultrasound examination will help determine the diagnosis of articular pathology. Sometimes arthroscopy is performed, during which it is possible to perform therapeutic procedures, for example, injecting anti-inflammatory drugs into the joint cavity.

Vertebral artery

It is often very difficult to figure out why your shoulders and neck hurt. This happens with vertebral artery syndrome. When the pain syndrome is not severe, headaches are more disturbing, as well as tinnitus, decreased visual acuity and fainting. As a rule, the patient is diagnosed with “Vegetative-vascular dystonia” and treated for a long time, but the condition not only does not change, but progressively worsens, since cerebral circulation is impaired. In this case, MRI allows you to accurately determine the level and cause of the above-described complaints.

Radiating pain in diseases of internal organs

Very often we attribute various pathologies of internal organs to osteochondrosis with pain in the shoulder and neck.

Angina pectoris

In a typical clinical picture, angina pectoris or angina pectoris is manifested by compressive, pressing pain behind the sternum in the heart area and shortness of breath that occurs against the background physical activity, and often resolves with rest. However, sometimes with this pathology only the neck and shoulder on the left hurt and nothing else. Even the pain does not radiate to the arm and the heart does not sting, and the ECG reveals characteristic ischemic changes. Well, if the pain syndrome is relieved by taking a nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue, then this is one hundred percent angina.

Myocardial infarction

We must not forget about such a formidable pathology as myocardial infarction. The classic picture, when a patient suddenly finds it difficult to breathe against the background of complete well-being, and unbearable burning pain appears behind the sternum, unfortunately, does not occur in 100 percent of cases and not even in 90.

Very often the patient complains of a burning sensation in the neck and shoulders, mainly on the left. In this case, the patient is generally uneasy, has difficulty breathing, and has perspiration on his forehead. With extensive damage to the heart muscle, the phenomena of painful shock increase. Therefore, you should remember about all the atypical manifestations of this disease in order to provide adequate assistance in a timely manner.

Biliary colic

The neck and shoulder on the right side hurt greatly with biliary colic, which is a common “companion” of cholelithiasis. This is due to the reaction phrenic nerve for inflammation in the gallbladder, the so-called phrenicus syndrome.

A distinctive feature of such patients is their anamnesis (history of illness) and position on the bed. The pain syndrome develops after an error in the diet (eating fatty, fried, smoked foods), is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and often yellowing of the sclera and skin (obstructive jaundice). This condition very often requires hospital treatment and surgical intervention on a planned basis in the “cold period”. If there is the slightest suspicion of a “catastrophe in the abdomen” (bile peritonitis), then emergency surgery is indicated.

Cancer of the apex of the right lung with Pancoast syndrome

Cancer of this location is a fairly rare pathology. But we cannot help but mention it, because with this disease the shoulder near the neck hurts. A small tumor does not manifest itself in any way, but as it grows it grows into the pleura and surrounding tissues, then the brachial plexus and sympathetic nerve fibers from the level of the first cervical segment to the cervical ganglia are involved in the process.

In addition, the typical trio of symptoms appears: ptosis (drooping of the eyelid), miosis (constriction of the pupil) and enophthalmos (retraction of the eyelid). eyeball). This is Horner's syndrome, often occurring when the cervical sympathetic nerves are affected. The patient notes an increase in general weakness, loss of body weight, and fatigue. Treatment of this tumor is quite labor-intensive and complex and is determined by the stage of the process. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are almost always prescribed.

Neck pain on the left side: causes and consequences

Pain in the neck area on the left side most often occurs due to damage to the nerves, intervertebral joints or cervical organs. It may indicate occipital neuralgia, pinched spinal root, cervical osteochondrosis, lymphadenitis, malignant neoplasms or damage to the thyroid gland.

According to statistics, over the course of a year, cervicalgia appears in more than half of the working population. Occasional pain usually does not pose a serious health risk. They go away after a short rest or application of anesthetic ointment. But sharp, sudden or constant aching pain in the left neck indicates dangerous diseases. Therefore, when it appears, you should seek medical help.

Let's take a closer look at the causes of pain in the left neck and methods of treating it.

Consequence of physical activity

Many men and women complain that their neck muscles on the left side hurt. Unpleasant sensations appear the next day after an active workout, going to the gym or performing heavy physical activity. At the same time, the person is bothered by a feeling of numbness in the shoulders and back of the head, and difficulty moving his arms. Why is this happening?

With active muscle contraction, a large amount of lactic acid is formed in them. The cause of pain is irritation of sensitive nerve endings by this substance. Unpleasant symptoms disappear after a couple of days and do not bother the person until the next overload.

Acute pain in the left neck may be caused by the formation of a herniated disc. In this case, painful sensations arise sharply, immediately at the moment of lifting the weight. The patient himself describes them as a “lumbago in the neck.”

Visceral pain

Mild diffuse pain in the neck on the left side can occur with diseases of the internal organs (heart, esophagus, pharynx, thyroid gland, etc.). The cause of their appearance may be inflammation, spasm, irritation with chemicals or damage by a tumor process.

Characteristic signs of visceral pain:

have an aching character, are constantly present, do not disappear after rest or application of ointment;
irradiate to different parts of the body ( rib cage, shoulders, upper limb, back of the head);
have an uncertain localization, which is why the patient cannot say exactly where it hurts;
do not appear in cases of damage to organs whose parenchyma is devoid of nerve endings (lungs, kidneys, liver);
accompanied by other symptoms (nausea, dizziness, muscle spasms, the appearance of pathological reflexes, etc.).

Pain impulses travel to the central nervous system from the affected organs along the sensory fibers of the visceral system. Because of this, unpleasant sensations may occur in distant areas of the body. They appear in the place where the organ rudiment was located during embryogenesis. For example, with heart pathology, the neck hurts on the left side at the back at the level of the 3rd cervical – 5th thoracic vertebrae.

Somatic pain

Superficial somatic pain on the left side of the neck appears due to scratches, injections, and mild bruises. It is localized exclusively in the skin area. The patient describes it as a point “flash” lasting no more than one second.

When people are injured, they first develop superficial painful sensations, and then they are replaced by deep ones. The latter are characterized by a lack of clear localization. They are diffuse and tend to radiate to other parts of the body.

Sources of deep somatic pain in the left neck:

muscles;
ligaments;
muscle fascia;
bones;
joints;
connective tissue.

Pain in the muscles on the left side of the neck is somatic. It may appear after exercise or as a result of myositis - inflammatory lesion skeletal muscles.

Diseases that are accompanied by cervicalgia

Why does my neck hurt on the left side? Let's figure out what diseases most often cause this unpleasant phenomenon.

Do you have pain on the left side of your neck and you don’t know what to do? It's best to see a doctor immediately. He will examine you and tell you if there is any cause for concern. If necessary, he will prescribe further examination or refer you for consultation to another specialist.

	Description of pain syndrome	Distinctive signs of pathology
Occipital neuralgia	Acute and severe pain in the neck on the left side, which usually appears after hypothermia	Relief after applying numbing ointment or dry heat
	Annoying painful sensations in the cervical region, which intensify after prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position	The presence of trigger points, pressure on which causes increased discomfort
Spondyloarthrosis and spondylosis	Unpleasant symptoms increase with movements in the cervical spine	Detection of characteristic changes in the spinal column using radiography or MRI
Radiculitis	Sharp pain not only in the cervical region, but also in the left shoulder and the entire upper limb	The appearance of sensory, motor and autonomic disorders at the site of innervation of the brachial plexus
CNS damage or peripheral nerves	Painful sensations can be of any nature and location	The clinical picture of the disease depends on which parts of the central nervous system or nerves are damaged
Inflammation of the lymph nodes	Pain in the neck behind the ear on the left, under the lower jaw or on the side (in the place where the inflamed lymph nodes are located)	When palpating under the lower jaw, in the back of the head or behind the sternocleidomastoid muscle, you can feel enlarged painful formations
Acute thyroiditis	Localization - in the front of the neck, has unilateral or bilateral localization	The skin in the thyroid gland area turns red and becomes hot to the touch. When you feel the thyroid gland, the pain increases sharply
Abscesses	Unpleasant pain that gets worse when swallowing	A person with an abscess has increased body temperature, chills and other signs of intoxication
Migraine	The entire left side of the head and neck. The pain is very strong and causes the patient a lot of suffering.	Shortly before the pain occurs, the patient experiences an aura (mild visual, taste, or tactile disturbances)
Otitis	Manifested by sharp pain in the ear, which can radiate to the cervical region	The patient may experience hearing loss, fever, and headaches.
Cardiac ischemia	The pathology is characterized by pain in the heart area, which radiates to the shoulder and upper limb	Usually appears in older people. Painful sensations appear after physical activity or walking long distances
Malignant neoplasms	The left side of the neck hurts constantly, but the pain is mildly aching	The patient develops other symptoms indicating cancer of a particular organ

Occipital neuralgia

The pathology is characterized by paroxysmal pain in the neck and back of the head on the left. It has a sharp shooting character and radiates to the upper limb or interscapular region. With occipital neuralgia, there are no sensory, motor or autonomic disturbances in the area innervated by the affected nerve.

The most common causes of pathology:

hypothermia or exposure to a draft;
severe colds;
injuries;
muscle spasms caused by prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position.

Although a person with neuralgia has severe neck pain on the left side, there is no structural damage to the nerves. This means that the disease is completely cured, leaving no residual effects in the form of paresthesia or muscle wasting. Neuralgic pain in the left neck and back of the head can be relieved with anesthetic ointments and dry heat.

More details

Neuralgia of the occipital nerve should be distinguished from neuritis. The latter is characterized by the appearance of neurological symptoms. A person on the left side has pain in the neck and back of the head, sensitivity is impaired, and muscle weakness occurs.

Myofascial pain syndrome

Many people have neck and shoulder pain on the left side due to overstrain of certain muscle groups. An unpleasant symptom occurs in people with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Muscle tension is a reflex, that is, it develops due to improper functioning of the intervertebral joints.

Myofascial pain syndrome increases due to:

hypothermia;
stress;
incorrect posture;
vigorous physical activity;
prolonged sitting in one position.

Myofascial pain syndromes are characterized by the presence of so-called trigger points on the back. When pressing on them, severe pain occurs. Trigger points can be in an active or hidden (latent) state, which determines the severity of clinical symptoms.

Myofascial syndromes may be psychosomatic in nature or appear due to chronic diseases spine. If they develop, you need to consult a specialist (neurologist, orthopedist, vertebrologist or psychotherapist). The doctor will help determine the cause of pain in the left neck and tell you how to get rid of it.

Spondyloarthrosis

Spondyloarthrosis is a lesion of the facet joints of the spine, which connect the lateral processes of the vertebrae to each other. The cause of the pathology is impaired functioning of the neck muscles and osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

Characteristic signs of spondyloarthrosis:

the appearance of nagging pain in the neck on the left, right or both sides;
increased discomfort when moving, sitting or standing for long periods of time;
irradiation of pain to the upper limb;
feeling of stiffness, limitation of movements in the cervical spine.

Spondyloarthrosis should be distinguished from osteochondrosis. The latter is characterized by gradual destruction of the nuclei of the intervertebral discs. Osteochondrosis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Pain in the left side of the neck occurs already with the development of its complications - spondyloarthrosis, spondylosis, herniated intervertebral discs, radiculitis.

Cervical spondylosis

The disease is a set of pathological changes in the intervertebral joints that form against the background of osteochondrosis. They cause muscle strain, irritation of the nerves, which causes a person to have pain in the neck on the left side and the back of the head. If 5-7 spinal roots are affected, pain can spread to the upper limb.

In the initial stages, cervical spondylosis may be asymptomatic. As the disease progresses, aching pain appears in the neck and shoulder on the left. Many patients are bothered by headaches, dizziness, sensory and motor disorders in the upper limb.

Pathological changes in the spinal column are not always visible on radiographs. X-ray is not very informative in the initial stages of the disease. Therefore for early diagnosis Pathologists use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Typical signs of cervical spondylosis:

change in the distance between the vertebrae;
degeneration, protrusion, herniated intervertebral discs;
calcification of the anterior longitudinal ligament;
pathological changes in the facet joints;
the formation of osteophytes - bone growths on the surfaces of the vertebrae.

Can't figure out why your neck hurts on the back left side? Get an MRI of the cervical spine! The study will help identify any changes in the spinal motion segments.

Inflammation of the nerve roots

The pathology is manifested by a sharp pain in the neck on the left, which spreads to the entire upper limb. Cervicobrachial radiculitis develops suddenly, after lifting something heavy or performing a sudden movement. The reason is the formation of a herniated disc.

Inflammation of the brachial plexus nerves can develop in people with scoliosis, lordosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory diseases of the intervertebral joints. Radiculitis, accompanied by severe pain in the left neck, is also a consequence of hypothermia or acute intoxication.

Typical symptoms of pathology:

severe pain syndrome. The person has pain in the left side of the neck, shoulder and entire upper limb. The pain is acute, shooting in nature, aggravated by coughing, movements of the head, shoulders, and arms;
sensory and movement disorders. The patient may experience disturbances in temperature, tactile, and pain sensitivity. Muscle spasms and hyperreflexia may occur;
forced position. Trying to alleviate his condition, the patient tilts his head to the painful side. He also keeps his arm pressed to his body and bent at the elbow joint.

Don’t know what to do if your neck hurts on the left, or typical signs of radiculitis appear? Go to a neurologist immediately! He will prescribe you medications and physical treatments that will make you feel better. If necessary, the doctor will perform a drug blockade that will help quickly defeat the disease.

Lesions of the central or peripheral nervous systems

Pain on the left side of the neck can be central or neuropathic. The first occurs with diseases of the central nervous system. It can be caused by strokes, multiple sclerosis, malignant or benign neoplasms, compression of the spinal cord due to narrowing of the spinal column, etc.

The cause of neuropathic pain in the left neck is most often polyneuropathy - damage to the peripheral nerves. Its development is provoked by diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, Lyme disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, acute intoxication, herpetic infection or nerve compression by a tumor.

Lymphadenitis

Lymphadenitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the lymph nodes. If you have redness, swelling and pain on the left side of your neck, you should suspect this particular disease. Only a doctor can confirm or refute the diagnosis after a thorough examination.

With cervical lymphadenitis, enlarged and painful lymph nodes behind the sternocleidomastoid muscle can be felt under the skin. Pathology occurs after hypothermia or against the background of colds. Chronic inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes may indicate pulmonary tuberculosis or malignant neoplasms.
Parotid lymphadenitis is characterized by pain in the neck on the left behind the ear. When fingering, lymph nodes are found in this area, the diameter of which reaches 1-2 centimeters. The disease develops with respiratory viral infections, ENT pathology, and inflammation of the parotid salivary gland.
Submandibular lymphadenitis can occur with caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, tonsillitis or sinusitis. A person has pain in the neck on the left side under the jaw, swelling and redness of the skin in this area appears.

Lymphadenitis is rarely an independent disease. It develops against the background of other pathologies. Damage to the lymph nodes can be caused by infections, intoxications, tumor metastases, inflammatory diseases of the skin or cervical organs. Therefore, if you have pain on the left side of your neck or enlarged lymph nodes, you need to go to the doctor.

Acute thyroiditis

The pathology is characterized by diffuse or focal inflammation of the thyroid gland. When inflammatory foci are localized in the left lobe of the thyroid gland, severe swelling, redness and pain appear in the neck on the front left. Acute thyroiditis responds well to treatment. With adequate therapy, the patient's thyroid function is completely restored.

Abscesses

An abscess is an acute or chronic inflammation of tissues, which is accompanied by purulent melting and local accumulation of pus. It can form in subcutaneous tissue, organs, muscles or cellular spaces. Left side The neck may hurt at any location of the abscess:

superficially located abscesses. They develop as a result of infection from the environment. Causes: minor injuries, scratches, folliculitis, boils, carbuncles. A person with a superficial abscess has neck pain on the left side, front or back. A large, dense formation is felt in the affected area;
peritonsillar abscess. The pathology is characterized by purulent inflammation of the tissue located near the tonsils. A patient with a peritonsillar abscess has pain in the neck to the left under the jaw. The disease usually develops against the background of chronic or acute tonsillitis;
abscess of the retropharyngeal space. A person with this disease has a sore throat and neck on the left side. Unpleasant sensations intensify when swallowing, which makes the patient refuse to eat.

A patient with an abscess not only has pain in the left front neck: the body temperature rises, chills, headache and other signs of intoxication appear. With careful palpation, doctors are usually able to detect a positive symptom of fluctuation. It indicates the accumulation of fluid in the tissues.

An abscess must be distinguished from phlegmon, which does not have clear boundaries. It is characterized by diffuse inflammation that spreads to one or more tissue spaces of the neck.

Migraine

Some people experience periodic pain on the left side of their head and neck. The appearance of pain is usually preceded by an aura in the form of tactile, visual, taste or auditory hallucinations, blurred vision, problems with speech and concentration. A similar clinical picture is characteristic of migraine.

With occipital neuralgia, osteochondrosis, spondylosis, myofascial muscle syndromes, the neck on the left hurts and radiates to the head. These types of headaches have nothing to do with migraines. In medicine they are usually called vertebrogenic. Migraine should also not be confused with tension-type headache (TTH). The latter occurs due to constant stress or prolonged overstrain of the neck muscles and shoulder girdle. TTH is characterized by diffuse bilateral headaches radiating to the neck and back of the head.

Otitis

If a person has pain in the ear and neck on the left side, most likely he has otitis media. The disease is characterized by inflammation of the outer, middle or inner ear. The pathology is manifested by fever, chills, general weakness, and hearing loss. Often otitis media is accompanied by lymphadenitis.

Cardiac ischemia

In people with an attack of angina, pain most often occurs not only in the chest, but also in the neck and arm on the left side. Unpleasant symptoms occur after vigorous physical activity, long walking, or climbing stairs. The pain goes away completely after resting or taking a Nitroglycerin tablet.

Treatment of joints Read more >>

In rare cases, the vein on the left side of the neck may hurt. This condition is not associated with heart disease. The most common cause of this is phlebectasia - pathological expansion of the jugular vein.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Left neck pain can occur in people who have suffered from the disease for more than ten years. First, the interphalangeal joints of the hand become inflamed, painful sensations appear, and a feeling of stiffness in the hands appears. The spine is affected much later.

Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the intervertebral joints, causing them to stop functioning normally. The patient has numbness and pain on the left side of the neck. Unpleasant sensations occur in the morning and persist for several hours or even the whole day.

Tumors or their metastases

Malignant neoplasms of the pharynx, esophagus or other organs of the neck can cause constant aching pain. Pancoast cancer, a malignant tumor in the apex of the left lung, can also cause discomfort.

If you have pain on the left side of your neck, go to the doctor without delay. Such pain is dangerous because it can indicate serious illness. The sooner you see a doctor, the higher your chances of staying healthy.

Treatment for left neck pain

Before you take any action, you need to find out why your left neck hurts. Treatment is carried out taking into account the cause of pain. The doctor selects the treatment regimen individually. For various diseases, medications, physiotherapy and medical procedures are used.

Don’t know how to treat pain in the left neck caused by hypothermia or prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position? Apply an NSAID-based ointment (Diclofenac, Bystrumgel) to the skin. It will help relieve pain and quickly make you feel better.

The most common cause of neck and back pain is chronically tight muscles, and this chronic tension is usually the result of misaligned vertebrae impinging on nerves.

When a muscle remains tight, several events occur that lead to chronic pain. Firstly, the muscles begin to work much harder than normal. You noticed this when you clenched your previously relaxed hand into a fist. All this extra effort leads to leaching of beneficial chemicals from the muscles.

If you hold your fist tightly clenched for a while, you will find that it becomes bloodless. The point is that when muscle tension blood is squeezed out of the arteries and capillaries of the muscle area. Thus, we come to the pattern of formation of these pains: tense muscles are associated with the formation of waste products, and the blood flow is insufficient to remove them.

The accumulation of waste begins to irritate the muscles and this also causes pain. When the brain receives pain signals, it increases muscle tension in the area, which further reduces blood flow and increases pain. If this situation continues, this part of the body will begin to hurt constantly.

Sometimes we lead ourselves to the formation of such constricted zones in our body, but as long as this is not too pronounced, discomfort does not arise. And then stress appears, which creates additional muscle tension, which itself causes pain. As soon as you relax a little, this pain stops, but this part of the body remains tense and tight, so with each subsequent stress, new pain will come from here.

Exercises for the neck and back help relieve such pain by relaxing the muscles, increasing blood flow by flushing out toxins from muscle tissue and straightening displaced vertebrae.

The neck pain relief exercises below are designed to relieve stress in the neck and shoulder area, which are the areas most vulnerable to poor posture. If you suffer from headaches, neck and shoulder pain and tension, please check Special attention on those simple exercises, taking no more than 10 minutes.

For achievement best results do them twice a day, morning and evening. If you don’t have enough time for two times, it’s better to do them in the morning after a warm shower. You can also do the part of these exercises called self-massage throughout the day.

When the pain stops, make yourself two or three exercises from this program every day so that it cannot return.

RELIEF OF NECK PAIN
(approximate exercise duration 10 minutes)

SHRUG

Many people instinctively shrug their shoulders to relieve tension in this area. The following exercise should be performed slowly, accompanied by correct breathing.

Take a natural pose.
Take a slow, deep breath into your belly as you begin to lift your shoulders.
Continue inhaling as your shoulders rise to their maximum height, and then draw them back.
When your shoulders are in their most posterior position, begin exhaling.
Slowly exhaling all the air from your lungs, lower your shoulders, and then bring them forward and up again.
From the beginning of a new inhalation, repeat the movements of your shoulders up and back, and then exhale, lowering them down and bringing them forward.
These movements must be emphasized, but without pain.
Take your time, the slower you do the exercise, the better. Perform each exercise 4 times.

Now it’s time to warm up your neck and shoulders, and for this you need to intensify the stretching movements.

Touch your fingertips to your shoulders and, starting to inhale, slowly raise your elbows up and back. The exhalation begins when the elbows have already made a wide arc, and you begin to lower them and move them back forward.
Continue to exhale, now raising your elbows up and forward so that they meet in front of your chest.
Attention: the exhalation should be completed when the elbows meet in front of the chest. Spreading your elbows and raising them up and back, begin to inhale. Repeat this cycle 4 times.

EXERCISE "READING"

Hold your hands open in front of you at shoulder height, as if you were holding a book and reading it.
Taking a deep breath, raise your hands, constantly following your palms with your eyes so that your head leans back. Do not bend your back back. You will feel a noticeable stretch under your arms and across your chest.
Keeping your arms raised to fullness, stay in this pose and hold your breath for two counts.
As you exhale completely, slowly lower your head with your chin onto your chest so that by the end of the exhalation your head hangs completely unsupported.
Begin the next inhalation and, holding your arms so that your shoulder and forearm are at right angles, move your elbows back as far as possible to fully expand and expand your chest. Hold your breath for two counts.
Now exhale and imagine that you are jumping into the water from a diving board, extending both arms as far forward as possible and still keeping your chin on your chest. Hold your breath for two counts.
Start inhaling, returning to the starting position (reading position).
When finishing the exercise, exhale and lower your chin to your chest again. Count to two.

Do this exercise 4 times in a row. When starting the second repetition, raise your head to the starting position and begin inhaling while raising your arms. published

They say that the British came up with a saying that compares tedious, hard, exhausting work with pain in the neck muscles. You can't deny them the precision of the wording! Each of us has at least once experienced pain and discomfort from tension in the muscles of the neck and collar area - an extremely unpleasant sensation.

Why do muscles tense?

The first and main reason for neck muscle tension is prolonged sitting at a desk in an almost motionless position: hands on the keyboard, eyes intensely fixed on the monitor screen. Remember how your traditional morning begins. With exercise and an invigorating shower? No, most likely, from a cup of coffee drunk while sitting in front of the monitor where you are viewing the morning news. How often do you stretch yourself during the working day? Do you allow yourself a walk in the fresh air in the park during your lunch break? Do you let your muscles relax in the evening in the pool or dance class?

I believe the answer to all questions will be negative. Because you sat at work all day without raising your head, distracted only by phone calls and calls to your superiors. And in the evening, at best, they allowed themselves to sit with a friend in a cafe. And upon returning home, we felt like the area of the neck and collar area seemed to be swollen from fatigue, it was annoying with a slight burning and tingling sensation, and sometimes it hurt so much that the head itself was pressed into the shoulders. Of course, your neck supported your head in the same tense position all day long.

However, psychologists have an interesting opinion regarding the head pulled into the shoulders: in a stressful situation, a person instinctively tenses the muscles of the neck and collar area, as if trying to “hide” from the negative. Even when the stress is left behind, the muscles do not immediately relax. And the more often the stress, the more firmly the neck muscles remember their tense state and the slower they come out of it, creating pain in the collar area.

Another reason for tension in the neck muscles and pain in the collar area is your internal psychological state. The fact is that when you experience depression, fatigue, overwork, a state of lack of will and decadence, your head involuntarily falls down and pulls the neck muscles with it. The muscles resist the tension, tense to support the head, and this tension covers the entire top part torso, creating pain. Neurologists also say that the accumulation of tension in the neck muscles is facilitated by blocked, suppressed emotions - restrained anger, the inability for some reason to express what has accumulated in the soul or even cry to your heart's content.

The neck is the bridge between body and mind

Such a philosophical definition of the neck can be found among specialists in Eastern relaxation practices, and here’s why they think so. Of the six sense organs, four are located in the head, and therefore it determines the direction of body movement. In this case, it is the neck that makes it possible to realize movement by turning the head.

In the cervical-collar area there is a very important, from the point of view Chinese medicine, an energy and reflexogenic zone responsible for brain activity and hand movement.

The human head weighs on average 4-8 kg and is supported only by seven small cervical vertebrae, which are cushioned by intervertebral cartilage. But to help the vertebrae, nature gave a person a complex of 32 cervical muscles that hold the head in vertical position, actively promote its movement and perform protective functions. And there is something to protect! The neck area contains 4 main arteries and 8 largest nerves, not to mention the spinal canal. They supply blood to the head, organs of the thoracic part of the body and upper limbs, conduct different kinds irritations, controlling nervous activity.

If the muscles of the neck and collar area are overstrained, this affects the functioning of blood vessels or nerve endings, and the blood supply to muscle tissue, impairs metabolism and oxygen supply to the brain. As a result, you feel pain in the muscles of the neck and collar area, as well as severe headaches and stiffness in the shoulder girdle. Prolonged tension of the neck muscles can provoke the early formation of wrinkles on the forehead, jowls, swelling on the face, nasolabial folds, the development of migraines, blurred vision, swelling, salt deposits, pinching of the spinal nerves, as a result of which radiculitis develops and disruption of the organs under their control and other troubles.

How to help with neck pain?

There are several simple techniques that will relieve muscle tension in the neck and collar area, relieving you of pain and discomfort.

Relax . Sit comfortably or lie down in a calm, quiet room where you will not be disturbed. Close your eyes and try to mentally relax each muscle in turn, moving from your head to your feet. Then slowly and deeply inhale and exhale all the air, drawing in your stomach. Repeat several times.

Take a rest . Nothing relaxes your neck muscles more than being able to lie down comfortably and take a nap.

Apply cold water to the neck and collar area compress (from crushed ice wrapped in a handkerchief), and after 15 minutes, warm your neck with a towel soaked in hot water. This will activate the blood supply to the muscles and relieve pain.

If the pain is very severe, do not be afraid to take painkiller . The body is unlikely to suffer much from one tablet, but you will relieve nervous tension from pain.

Make yourself easy massage to relieve muscle tension: press your palms tightly to the back of your neck and stroke it, then rub in a circular motion, lightly tap with your fingertips. Then grab the neck muscles with your fingers and knead them with pinch movements. Do the same with the muscles of the collar zone. Finish the massage with the same stroking as you started.

Don’t forget about preventive measures that will help the neck muscles not strain and this will significantly reduce pain in the collar area, and maybe even get rid of them:

Watch your posture, get rid of excess weight, train abdominal muscles- this will reduce the load on the spine and strengthen the muscles that hold the head upright, preventing it from tilting forward.
While working, do not lean low over the table, create a comfortable position for yourself. workplace, take a break every hour to move around and change your body position.
To prevent neck muscles from straining, give them rest often; during long periods of work at a desk, sit comfortably so that your neck does not swell from a static position; take breaks to move around.
Even in a work environment, you can allow yourself a simple exercise to strengthen your neck muscles: sitting at your desk, “turn” your shoulders, imagine that your spine is a perfectly straight column, straighten your neck, stretch the top of your head up, cover it tightly with your hand and, lowering your eyes down, slightly press your hand to your head. Feel how your scalp and neck muscles stretch. Relax completely and then repeat the exercise 10 times. It will relieve some compression and strengthen the neck muscles.
Get rid of the habit of pressing the telephone receiver with your ear to your shoulder or combing your hair with your head thrown back strongly - there is no need to stretch your neck muscles unless absolutely necessary;
Neck pain can be caused by an uneven mattress, a pillow that is too large, or an uncomfortable sleeping position (such as sleeping on your stomach). Only when sleeping on a hard mattress and a low pillow do the muscles fully relax.
Learn to relieve the stress accumulated during the day with an evening walk in the fresh air, a warm shower, a cup of tea with mint and honey, and, finally, a good, healthy sleep.

The topic of today's article is shoulders. Together with their necks, they bear the burdens of our lives. All stress weighs heavily on them. Chronic tension in the shoulders not only causes pain in the neck-collar area, but also causes headaches. How to relax your shoulders? Here are a few simple tips and shoulder relaxation exercises.

Get into the habit of regularly taking time away from your computer work to give your shoulders some rest and relief. Do exercises to relax your shoulders and neck, for example, with regularity of one and a half to two hours. Your well-being will immediately improve, and gradually the health of the upper spine will improve. So how do you relax your shoulders?

Get rid of slouching

This sequence of simple exercises to relieve tension in the shoulder muscles will help relax the shoulders, relieve pain and tension in the shoulders, stretch pectoral muscles, improve posture and even increase the volume of air inhaled. You will definitely feel a surge of energy. Moreover, your head will become clearer. The exercise can be done standing, sitting on the floor on your knees, and even sitting on a chair. It may also be more convenient for you to get someone else's help.

To get rid of tension in your shoulder muscles, start with a warm-up. Slowly roll your shoulders. Do 3-6 rotations forward and backward.

Then stand with your hands behind your back, take the belt so that the distance between your hands is comfortable for your shoulders and elbows. Stand up straight. Drop your shoulders back and down. Straighten your elbows and raise your arms, moving them away from your back. Hold for 2-3 breathing cycles. The muscles need time to relax their shoulders.

A yoga instructor or exercise therapy methodologist will do you a great service by helping you turn your shoulders (see photo).

Holding the belt, gently pull your shoulders back and down. Notice the tension that occurs in your shoulders, arm muscles, and upper back. Do not raise your arms at this moment, just pull them down and hold, overcoming muscle resistance, for 10-12 seconds. Then relax. Inhale deeply and as you exhale, pull your shoulders back and down again. After relaxing your shoulders, arms and back, repeat this exercise a third time.

Then, holding the belt, raise both arms up. Try moving them further and higher, back away from your back. Stretch your chest forward and up. Breathe deeply and observe how high your chest rises as you inhale, and how wide your ribs spread. Squeeze your glutes and pull your tailbone forward and up, straightening your lower back. Maintain tension for 2-3 breathing cycles.

Lower your arms and release the belt. Stand with your eyes closed. Notice the feeling of lightness in your arms and back. Repeat this exercise three times to relieve shoulder tension.

In this exercise, in addition to relaxing the shoulders, soft dynamic twists improve nutrition of the intervertebral discs.

Starting position: standing straight in Mountain pose. Knees slightly bent, buttocks tucked, tailbone tucked forward and up to straighten your lower back. The arms hang down, heavy and relaxed, like whips. Turn your body now to the right, now to the left so that your arms dangle relaxed, do not control their movement, trying to relax your shoulders as much as possible. Continue for 1 minute.

Stop, relax, observe the sensations of relaxation in your hands. Then clench your palms into soft fists and repeat the exercise. Relaxedly dangling hands with fists, hitting the hips, resemble rattles... 🙂 Continue for another 1 minute, work diligently to relax your shoulders and arms.

Preparing your arms for Garudasana - Eagle Pose - is an excellent exercise for relaxing the shoulders back and front. In addition, it will serve as an excellent warm-up before long-distance swimming or before playing tennis, golf, etc.

1. Try to withdraw right hand from the body. In this case, the right hand tries to overcome the resistance of the left, but the left does not allow it to escape. Maintain even tension in the muscles of your right arm for 2-3 breathing cycles.

2. Relax. Take a deep breath and exhale completely.

3. Raise your right hand even closer to your throat and slowly extend it further to the left. Hold the new position for 3-5 breathing cycles. Notice how much further your arm can now stretch. For convenience, you can put left hand on the hand on the back of the neck.

Slowly lower your right arm, relaxing it.

Then repeat this shoulder relaxation exercise on the opposite arm.

Shoulder Relaxation in Garudasana

As you inhale, extend your arms to the sides. As you exhale, grab your opposite shoulders with your palms, crosswise so that your left elbow is higher than your right. Hugging yourself, hold for 2-3 breathing cycles. Smile! 🙂

Now relax your arms, leaving your elbows crossed. Bring the backs of your forearms together. If you have flexible arms, clasp your palms together. Slowly raise your clasped hands up, then lower down.

Extend your arms out to the sides again as you inhale. As you exhale, hug yourself by the shoulders, but now your right elbow is higher than your left. And repeat the previous exercise to relax your shoulders. Garudasana for the arms increases the flexibility of the joints of the shoulders, elbows and wrists.

The text uses materials from Lilias Folan.

How to relieve spasms of the neck muscles is a question that worries patients of “sedentary” professions, leading sedentary lifestyle life. In such conditions, muscles become weaker and at the same time experience heavy loads. As a result, when a sudden change in position occurs or tension increases, the neck muscles cannot cope. A spasm occurs that affects the nerves and blood vessels. Neck muscle spasms occur quite often because the neck is the most mobile area of the spine.

The disease manifests itself as pain in the occipital and cervical region. Pain from the neck muscles can go to the shoulder girdle and arms. Sometimes the neck and arms become numb, and weakness is felt. To cope with symptoms, you need to relieve stress. Self-massage, painkillers, compresses, and just rest will help with this.

The following risk factors may lead to muscle spasms in the neck:

Mechanical damage;
Sedentary lifestyle, “sedentary” professions”;
Stressful mental states;
Nerve clamps after sudden movements;
Avitaminosis;
Hypothermia and drafts;
Calcium deficiency.

The neck muscles suddenly tighten, distorting nerve tissue and blood vessels. As a result, pain symptoms appear with spasm of the neck muscles.

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Neuroses

Spasms in the neck against a background of mental stress manifest themselves as unconscious muscle contractions, causing sharp pain. This tension can be chronic or temporary. It appears very suddenly. Sometimes - as a result of sudden movements. They create unusually strong pressure for the cervical spine. As a result, blood circulation is disrupted, and the neck muscles begin to contract and ache.

To cope with spasms in case of neurosis, you need to completely relax. Eliminate the source of stress. You can try meditation techniques. Create comfortable conditions for yourself, take your mind off all problems.

Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis occurs very often because a huge part of the world's population now leads a sedentary lifestyle. People sit a lot at the computer, incorrectly distributing the load on the neck and the muscles that support it. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are pain, stiffness of movement, numbness. There are “goosebumps” running down your neck and a slight tingling sensation in the back of your head. If the inferior oblique muscle of the neck is spasmed, the pain syndrome can pulsate strongly. The nutrition of the brain can often deteriorate, and in such cases, patients experience pain and dizziness, darkness before the eyes, and a pre-fainting state.

To relieve spasms in osteochondrosis, you need to improve blood circulation. Massage and simple exercises will help physical therapy. Unfortunately, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will not help much here. Better to use vascular drugs- Cinnarizine, Trental.

Spasm of deep neck muscles

If the spasm occurs deep in the muscles, compression of the cervical artery may become a complication. As a result, the brain will no longer receive enough oxygen. Exercising in the morning will help here, cold and hot shower, light self-massage. To soothe tense muscles, menthol gels are used.

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Spasms of the cervical and shoulder girdle

If the cervical and shoulder muscles, the pain syndrome can be either aching or shooting. Such tension can become a symptom of mechanical sprains and excessive loads. Here it is better to forget about therapeutic exercises and provide yourself with peace. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Diclofenac, Ibuprofen) will help. If possible, it is better to visit the clinic and get NSAID injections. When used externally, such drugs have the least impact.

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Trapezius spasms

If the trapezius is spasmed, the metabolic processes of the head, neck and facial muscles are disrupted. Prolonged spasms of the trapezius can lead to cervical osteochondrosis. The muscles of the shoulder girdle will become rough, and if you try to stretch them, pain will occur. Symptoms can be relieved by taking a hot bath or attending massage sessions. Or folk rubbings will also help.

Spasm of the muscles of the head and neck

If you suddenly turn your head or lift something heavy and overexert yourself, a spasm may appear. At such moments, your head may immediately begin to hurt. Sometimes headaches only appear after a couple of days. When the neck muscles contract, the pain radiates to other parts of the body, depending on the area of innervation of the affected nerves. This can literally lead to the inability to turn your head.

A possible complication in advanced cases is. Spasms begin to constrain the muscles of the throat, and the cervical spine becomes distorted. If the problem is not treated, the process can lead to a herniated disc in the neck. Myositis can occur due to hypothermia or draft.

Spasm of the neck and facial muscles

Convulsive contractions of the facial and neck muscles are tonic and clonic. Tonic is a common muscle spasm. It will appear due to excess voltage and low temperature. Clonic seizures are unconscious muscle twitches that can occur due to brain injury, epilepsy, or infections.

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Treatment

To relieve spasm of the neck muscles, treatment should be carried out taking into account the cause of such manifestations. If the problem is not a neurological disease, excess tension in muscle tissue can be removed by simply rotating your head alternately in different directions. Physiotherapeutic procedures are good for relieving muscle tension. Electrophoresis, magnetic fields, laser, low-frequency current treatment.

Massage procedures (including self-massage), acupuncture and the services of a good chiropractor will effectively relieve tension.