It happens that a person returns home and realizes whether at work, in training, he pulled his neck. What to do in such a situation, the traumatologist will tell you. Medical statistics show that it is with injuries of the muscular system of the neck that people turn most often. Some come with sprains, others come because they broke their necks.
Relevance of the issue
Very often the layman tries to figure out what to do when he gets injured. Strongly pulling the neck, thus the person becomes a victim of perhaps the most typical injury. They say about stretching if muscle fibers or ligamentous elements are damaged during inaccurate movements. It is impossible not to notice the injury - it indicates itself with severe pain.
The current international ICD classifier includes a group of codes S10-S19, and point 16 is reserved for injuries localized in the neck. To alleviate the patient's condition, the doctor will prescribe a course of warming procedures and prescribe an anti-inflammatory composition for topical use. Usually the doctor, telling ifthe patient pulled the muscles of the neck, what to do, recommends going through a therapeutic massage program. If the case is severe, they may be advised to use a special orthopedic construction - a collar.
What provokes?
If you know where a sprain comes from and are careful enough, you may never have to go to the doctor to find out what to do if you've pulled your neck. This part of the human body is especially weak, physical activity is more aggressive for it than for other parts. From year to year, traumatologists face thousands of cervical fractures, muscle tears in this area. Provoke the phenomenon of household injuries, inaccurate movement, accident. You can injure your neck if you sleep in an uncomfortable position.
The doctor will explain to the patient if he has pulled his neck what to do at home if the condition includes sprain and injury to muscle and ligament structures. In this case, the spinal column must be intact. If the injury has affected the spine, a completely different course of treatment is prescribed, the case requires a more responsible and thorough approach, possibly with the hospitalization of the victim.
Should I be worried?
It seems to others that you shouldn't bother the doctor if you've pulled your neck. What to do, it seems, friends and acquaintances can advise, and in general the problem is not so big, you can endure temporary discomfort. But don't underestimate its dangers. Of course, mostly severe consequences orcomplications do not occur, in approximately 70% of cases no specific treatment is prescribed, but sometimes the patient has to be urgently hospitalized.
If the muscular, ligamentous elements are stretched, a weak pain syndrome or a moderate level of severity indicates a pathology. Damaged areas may swell slightly. When the fibers break, a person has a fever, the neck and head hurt a lot, sensations radiate to the ears and eyes.
Special case: child injured
Sometimes parents cannot understand why the baby complains of soreness. Symptoms may lead to suspicion that the child has pulled the muscles of the neck. What to do, tell the pediatrician. The doctor will examine the patient in order to assess the severity of the case. The manifestations are generally the same as in adults, but the symptoms are blurred, and the pain is dulled.
If you compare a child and an adult with the same injuries, the former will probably have less pain. At the same time, a certain discomfort still worries, even if it is weak, but the pain is necessarily fixed. On average, children are much less likely to form an inflammatory focus and swelling. If there is one, the temperature rises locally, the skin becomes hot, the integument turns red.
First measures
If an adult or a child has pulled his neck, the traumatologist will tell you what to do: the doctor has considerable experience working with such cases, so he can quickly orient himself and assess the severity of the situation and the optimal method of correction. As is known from practice, the sooner first aid is provided, the faster the sprain can be cured. Start with a lessoncomfortable lying position. You should try to keep your head completely still. If there is a person nearby who can help, it is necessary that he help to take a comfortable position.
The next step is to look for ice or any frozen product. If one cannot be found, the coldest water is drawn into the container and applied to the site of pain localization. Keep the area cold for at least an hour by regularly changing bottled water or ice.
Pharmacology: will it help?
As a rule, the layman, thinking what to do if he pulled his neck, begins to doubt: is it worth using analgesics? Some kind of painkiller can be found in almost any home medicine cabinet, but for some pathologies, analgesics are prohibited, and not everyone knows how things are in case of sprain. As a rule, there are no restrictions: you can use some kind of composition that reduces soreness and discomfort. Doctors recommend resorting to paracetamol or Ketanov. You can take Analgin.
Determining for yourself, having been injured, what to do if you have pulled your neck, it is worth analyzing your home first aid kit for the presence of non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. It is these that are most effective in this case, they allow you to quickly alleviate the condition. Taking the medicine will help bring down the temperature, stop the activity of the inflammatory focus and ease the pain. True, the remedy is used one-time: such medicines are not intended for prolonged systematic use.
Helpto yourself: what next?
Among the pronounced manifestations of injury - it hurts to turn your head. Stretching their neck, what to do, many begin to think right away - the sensations are unpleasant enough to want to get rid of them as soon as possible. After providing first aid to yourself or a nearby injured person, you must make an appointment with a specialist. The traumatologist will help. True, as is known from practice, many prefer to manage on their own, they do not go to the doctor, unless there is extremely severe pain.
To improve the condition, it is wise to use medicines designed against muscle strain. In the pharmacy there are many medicinal ointments that are effective in such a situation. It is necessary to apply the drug, following the instructions, carefully observing the frequency of use and dosage. Incorrect use of the drug may cause allergies or side effects. When stretching the neck muscles, the medicine is applied to the back of the neck, without affecting the front.
Rest and analgesics
If the pulled neck muscles respond with pain, it is worth taking an analgesic to improve the condition. The use of simple painkillers is recommended, with paracetamol considered the safest option. If the pain is very strong, you should choose "Ketanov". This drug is used only as directed by a doctor.
In order for the neck to pass faster, the organ must be at rest. You can purchase a special collar in the orthopedic department of the pharmacy to support the head. Using this system, they minimize the physical load on diseased muscle tissues,making recovery quicker.
Long, short
Of course, having been injured, a person immediately thinks about how long he will have to suffer from pain. This is reasonable - because of pain, the ability to function in society is impaired, working capacity is reduced, those who study have the ability to perceive new material. Doctors believe that the duration of treatment and the time required for a complete recovery vary greatly from case to case. It depends on the nature and severity of the injury, the chosen therapy and the characteristics of the body, the level of immunity, the patient's diet.
On average, the neck hurts a lot for no more than three days, after which a couple of days are bothered by medium pain. The pain syndrome of a moderate level is felt for about a week, it is activated when trying to move the head. If during this period the sensations have not passed, it is urgent to get to the doctor. As a rule, a traumatologist will help, but you can first make an appointment with a therapist. In some cases, the patient will be transferred to a surgeon.
Severe case: how to recognize?
Although neck sprains are usually fairly safe, there is no need for serious therapeutic measures, even without the help of a qualified specialist (although this is undesirable), there may be a situation in which you should not hesitate to contact a traumatologist.
Increased risks are indicated by a fever that lasts for one and a half to two days, a feverish state of the patient. If the pain does not get weaker, this is a reason to worry. If painfulthe syndrome intensifies, this can be considered an obvious incentive to urgently visit a doctor. If severe pain does not go away after three or even four days, you should come to the clinic.
Severe swelling of the tissues, redness of the skin testifies to the severity of the case. The need to make an appointment is indicated by deterioration in vision, the ability to hear, and cognitive impairment. If the soreness leads to the fact that the jaw is cramping, because of this, the person cannot eat or drink, do not delay visiting the clinic - the person probably needs specialized help, possibly hospitalization.
How to warn?
In order not to have to figure out how to treat an injury, you should be as careful as possible in everyday life so as not to get it. Of course, absolute protection of the cervical muscles cannot be guaranteed, but certain measures are known to protect this part of the body. They apply to both adults and minors. Doctors recommend wearing a scarf in cold weather, avoiding sleeping under a stream of chilled air, and excluding any other hypothermia. In addition, you should control your physical activity so as not to make too sudden neck movements.
If a workout is planned, it is supposed to carry weights, or a person is forced to face other loads, first you need to responsibly stretch the muscle tissue. If it was decided to do martial arts, before training you need to buy all the necessary ammunition to protect the body. Anotheran important point is the timely and adequate treatment of pathologies, especially covering the back, spinal column. They can cause spasm, resulting in muscle strain.
