Neck stiffness. Possible causes

Neck stiffness (increased muscle tone in the back of the head) is a symptom that medical professionals check for in a person, mainly when a neurological problem is suspected. The result is considered positive if the person cannot reach his chin to the sternum.

How is this symptom diagnosed?

Neck stiffness should be assessed by the physician with the patient lying down. The patient puts his head, with an effort of will, completely relaxing the muscles of the neck, on the palm of a specialist. The examiner must forcefully bring the patient's head to the sternum. A positive symptom is when, even with a little effort (but without the help of the patient himself), a gap of different sizes remains between the sternum and chin. The distance between these bones is recorded in centimeters (the entry looks like “Rigidity of the muscles of the back of the head +2 (or other number) centimeters”).

What does positive neck stiffness mean?

This symptom is positive when the membranes of the brain or spinal cord are irritated. This may be with meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage (a type of stroke).

Comparative characteristics

With both of these pathologies, stiff neck will be called true positive. Age is not an important criterion, since this type of stroke can also occur in young children. These two diseases are clinically very similar, differing only in the results of lumbar puncture. Meningitis usually develops gradually, often after a cold or other infectious disease. Convulsions and loss of consciousness do not appear immediately, but if the headache is not treated for a long time. Subarachnoid hemorrhage, on the contrary, usually develops abruptly, more often in older people suffering from high blood pressure. The doctor during the examination states the rigidity of the muscles of all, and the occipital, in particular.

Stiff neck muscles in non-life-threatening conditions

May occur with:

a) diseases of the peripheral nervous system (cervical sciatica): in addition to rigidity, the predominant symptom will be pain in the back of the head, aggravated by head movements;

b) osteochondrosis of the cervical region: headache occurs periodically, is relieved by analgesics, there is no nausea, vomiting, fever; when pressing on the bones of the cervical region, the pain intensifies;

c) torticollis: a condition often congenital or arising in infancy with improper care of the child. In this case, the child turns his head to one side all the time. He has a normal temperature and no neurological symptoms;

d) parkinsonism: in addition to the rigidity of the muscles of the occiput, there is a general rigidity of the muscles, characteristic gait, movements, speech of a person.

False positive neck stiffness

Seen with meningism. This is a syndrome that means the following: against the background of high fever and other signs of a cold, the child may complain of a headache caused by this. Rigidity of the neck muscles is determined. A decrease in temperature and a decrease in intoxication leads to the disappearance of rigidity.

Increased tone, stiffness of muscles that impede their mobility is called rigidity. In most cases, the least serious form of this syndrome occurs due to excessive or unaccustomed physical activity. Severe muscle fatigue occurs, associated with the accumulation of lactic acid and other end products of metabolism in the tissues.

However, this phenomenon can also occur as a result of various disorders of the nervous system (central and peripheral), extrapyramidal disorders. In particular, it is one of the main signs of parkinsonism. It should be noted that muscle rigidity must be treated in order to avoid possible paralysis of the muscular system of the whole body. To do this, you need to contact a neurologist.

What causes, how does muscle rigidity manifest itself, symptoms, treatment of limbs with this phenomenon, how is it carried out? Let's talk about it:

How does muscle rigidity manifest itself, what symptoms indicate it?

Usually it all starts with mild discomfort, slight stiffness of the muscles of the back and head area. With the development of the syndrome, tension becomes stronger and spreads to the muscles of the legs and arms, painful spasms appear. Even in a state of passive rest, there is a feeling of a viscous, waxy resistance in the limbs.

In a stressful situation, strong emotional stress, a state of neurosis, with active movement, there is an exacerbation of muscle tension. A person tries to make as few movements as possible. Such attacks can last quite a long time - up to several days. Patients complain of sleep disturbances, periodic awakenings during a night's rest.

With stiffness of the neck muscles (cervical sciatica), patients note the appearance of severe pain in the back of the head. When moving the neck, turning the head, the pain becomes especially strong, acquires a pulsating character.

As we said at the very beginning, muscle stiffness of the limbs is a symptom. In this case, hypertonicity, stiffness is observed in all muscle groups, especially the limbs, namely the so-called flexor muscles.

Patients change their gait, often there is a curvature of the spine in the lumbar region - lumbar lordosis. Gradually, a characteristic posture is formed when the head and back lean forward, arms are bent at the elbows, tightly pressed to the body. The patient's legs are also slightly bent at the hips and knees.

How to overcome muscle rigidity, what treatment of limbs is effective?

Muscle rigidity is not an independent disease. This syndrome always has an underlying cause, which is identified during a medical examination of the patient. Further treatment depends on the diagnosed disease, the severity of the patient's condition.

In particular, in case of damage, disruption of the central nervous system, poisoning with poisons, catalepsy, as well as parkinsonism, the necessary treatment of these pathologies is carried out. Therapy is always individual, depending on the immediate disease, its severity, the general condition of the patient, etc.

To alleviate the condition, reduce symptoms, in fact, rigidity, the patient is recommended to reduce the load on the affected area of the body, it is best to keep it still. When the muscles of the limbs are affected, complete rest is shown, refusal of any loads until the condition is relieved, a ban on carrying heavy loads. However, in order to avoid the appearance of adhesions, the affected limb muscle should be delicately developed and massaged.

Mild forms of limb rigidity that occur against the background of physical overload are successfully treated with the help of physiotherapy - professional massage, warming up, certain exercises aimed at the affected muscle. Usually, after a course of procedures, muscle stiffness disappears.

In more severe forms of the syndrome, additional treatment is carried out using short-wave diathermy, hydrotherapy, hot wraps, and wax baths.

With severe pain, injections of an anesthetic drug are prescribed. In the case of an inflammatory etiology of the syndrome, steroid-free anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxant drugs, etc. are used. The patient is recommended to take.

According to the indications, antiepileptic drugs are prescribed. Therapeutic measures include plasmapheresis procedures, manual therapy, reflexology. Locally use the necessary ointments, gels.

Folk remedies for muscle stiffness

To supplement the basic treatment of muscle stiffness, on the advice of the attending physician, herbal medicine can be used. Here are recipes for folk remedies that will help eliminate muscle spasm, relieve pain:

To eliminate spasm, relieve pain, prepare oil from bay leaves. To do this, chop them (you will need 3 tablespoons in total), transfer them to a half-liter jar. Add a glass of slightly warmed sunflower oil. Close the lid, put it on the shelf of the kitchen cabinet, where you leave it for 10 days. Rub this remedy daily into the affected area, gently massaging. Treatment for at least 2 weeks.

Muscular myalgia will disappear if ointment is rubbed into the affected area for at least two weeks. To make this healing ointment, you need to pour a crushed dry leaf (3 tablespoons) into 200 ml of oil and let it brew for ten days.

Use for muscle pain. Pour 1 tsp into the dishes. dried flowers, add 2 tsp. leaves. Stir, pour a full glass of boiling water. Close the lid, warm well with a thick towel. Leave until it cools down on its own.
Take, after straining, sip 5-6 times a day.

If you or your relatives have symptoms of increased muscle tone, rigidity, which we continue to talk about on this page www.. It is necessary to undergo an examination to identify the cause of this syndrome. If it is caused by excessive or unusual physical activity, the doctor will recommend a course of massage and special physical exercises. If the cause is more serious, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease. Be healthy!

Svetlana, www.site
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Muscle rigidity, or otherwise their increased tone, is a condition that occurs both in healthy people (due to heavy loads on the body) and in patients with various chronic diseases (degenerative pathologies in the musculoskeletal system, metabolic disorders, nervous, endocrine, autoimmune diseases) .

Content:

natural causes

Overwork during physical activity, sports. In these cases, an excessive amount of lactic acid and other substances can accumulate in the muscle tissue, the stagnation of which causes tension in the muscles.
Stress, psychological trauma. People in an emergency may consciously or unconsciously squeeze their muscles with force, thus distracting from mental pain.
Abuse of medicinal substances that stimulate the growth of muscle mass or have a side effect (increase their tone).
Sensitivity to changes in the weather causes hypertonicity of the muscles and twitching of certain muscle groups.
Errors in nutrition and drinking regimen. With a low intake of water and nutrients, the body can react with muscle tension and bone tenderness.
Rare reactions to sexual pleasure (orgasm), stretching the body "in a string", getting up "on the bridge", which are caused by the release of a large amount of sex hormones into the blood.
Increased sensitivity to pain, manifested in strong muscle tension at the site of the lesion or in the projection of the diseased organ on the surface of the body.
Wearing uncomfortable, restrictive, or constricting clothing. In these cases, local blood circulation is disturbed, muscle spasm occurs.

If the cause of rigidity is natural causes, it is temporary (episodic) in nature and does not require treatment when the irritating factors are eliminated. Here, the use of physical procedures (water, massage, aromatic, etc.) is justified.

Pathological causes

Parkinsonism. It is expressed in lesions of the central and peripheral nervous system, manifests itself in the form of spastic tremor of the extremities. Accompanied by body tension, stiffness, decreased motor activity.
Osteochondrosis and spondylosis. Degenerative and inflammatory changes in the bone, cartilage, nervous or vascular tissues surrounding the affected vertebra cause increased tension in the skeletal muscles. With a decrease in the depreciation functions of the vertebrae, muscle hypertonicity is of a compensatory nature.
Infections. With severe intoxication of the body and high temperature, muscle tension increases, which is manifested by tonic convulsions in the limbs.
Sharp belly. Life-threatening conditions - appendicitis, cholecystitis, peritonitis reveal themselves on palpation of the epigastric and peritoneal regions. The procedure allows you to feel the tension of the press (stone belly).
Strokes. With damage to the cerebellar zone of the brain, muscle rigidity is observed on the opposite side of the body (paralysis).
Injuries or tumors of the brain or spinal cord. Such pathologies can cause organic damage to nerve cells and increased muscle tone, trembling and cramps in the limbs.
cerebral palsy. One of the characteristic signs of the disease is a spastic symptom.
Epilepsy. In some of its types, during attacks, there is a rigidity of the facial muscles and (or) limbs.
Metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus, hypovitaminosis, anemia, thyroid or parathyroid diseases, calcium deficiency, etc.) In these cases, the lack of essential elements or hormones in the body can cause muscle hypertonicity.
Poisoning by chemicals, gases, radiation. The entry of harmful elements into the blood causes pathological changes in the muscles (tension, swelling) or nerve fibers that innervate them (violation of impulse transmission), which provokes hypertonicity.
Myositis (muscle inflammation). With this disease, the muscles are sharply painful, swollen and tense.

Muscle rigidity in the development of these pathologies is persistent, requires accurate diagnosis and the use of therapeutic measures.

Muscle hypertonicity is often observed in newborns and infants, this is due to the immaturity of their nervous system. With a timely appeal to a neurologist and the appointment of treatment (drugs and massage procedures), this phenomenon stops within a few months.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Clinically, muscle tension is manifested in an increase in their tone.

In mild cases (overstrain, stress, individual reactions, blood stasis), this can be determined by touch (dense, stretched muscles are felt in these areas) and by a subjective sensation of discomfort in the affected areas. Such conditions are accompanied by moderate pain, but occur without restriction of movement.

In the middle course (osteochondrosis, spondylosis, intoxication, myositis), an outside observer can see muscle twitches, which are palpated as dense formations. Patients have expressed painful sensations, isolated convulsions are recorded.

In severe cases (cerebral palsy, trauma, tumors, parkinsonism), rigidity is visible to the naked eye, the body of patients has a characteristic "frozen" or unnatural posture, trembling of the limbs, attacks of tonic convulsions are observed.

Diagnosis of diseases, a symptom of which has become muscle rigidity, includes:

examination and questioning of patients, finding out their lifestyle, habits, hereditary or chronic pathologies, injuries, as well as palpation of painful areas of the body;
a blood test (for signs of inflammation, for sugar, for cholesterol, for antigens to infections, hormone levels, etc.) and urine (for protein, leukocytes, specific gravity, etc.);
study of the activity of internal organs, musculoskeletal, nervous or vascular systems using X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, laparoscopy, biopsy, etc.

Treatment

It is possible to get rid of muscle discomfort and tension or reduce them only after the establishment of the underlying disease.

Temporary hypertonicity is eliminated with a warm shower, a relaxing bath, massage, a good night's rest, psychotherapeutic relaxation procedures.
For the treatment of muscle tension in diseases of the spine, muscle relaxants, non-steroidal painkillers, exercise therapy, and physiotherapy are used.
For the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, sedatives may be needed.
In case of injuries, rest, good care, resolving therapy, and taking vitamins are important. Surgery may be needed.
Endocrine pathologies are treated with the use of drugs that regulate the level of insulin, parathyroid hormone, thyroxine, and dietary nutrition.
Hypovitaminosis and macronutrient deficiencies are replenished by taking these substances.
Surgical treatment is used according to indications for tumors, cerebral palsy, fractures.

Prevention

Measures to prevent or reduce muscle stiffness include:

avoidance of physical and emotional overstrain;
treatment of chronic pathologies;
timely access to a doctor at the onset of acute diseases;
rational nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

Romanovskaya Tatyana Vladimirovna

Muscles are the most important part of the human body. They perform a protective function for bones and joints, and also allow a person to actively move. Any pathology of muscle tissue is a torment for a person, because he cannot move normally and constantly feels pain.

Rigidity of the muscles is their overstrain, increased tone. If healthy muscles constantly contract and relax, then with hypertonicity, muscle tissue becomes stiff and painful. This condition requires the attention of a doctor, as it indicates the presence of disorders in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.

Rigidity is a condition in which muscle hypertonicity occurs, they become inelastic and rigid. This condition occurs when there are violations in the work of the central and peripheral nervous system, and is accompanied by a violation of motor activity, excruciating pain.

Pathology can occur at any age, but in infants, increased muscle tone up to 3-6 months is considered the norm, and usually does not require special treatment. This is due to the characteristics of the development of the child. If increased muscle tone is observed in an adult, then most likely this indicates the presence of a problem that requires treatment.

The reasons

Muscle stiffness usually occurs due to an unhealthy lifestyle. The fact is that when a person sits in one position for a long time, or performs monotonous work, there is a violation of blood circulation in the tissues, they are destroyed. Muscles respond to this condition with increased tone, trying to protect the body.

In this case, it is enough just to start moving in order to normalize tissue nutrition, then the symptom goes away by itself and no longer bothers. If the disease torments the patient for a long time, relapses constantly occur, then you should definitely consult a doctor, perhaps serious disorders that require treatment have already arisen.

There are several main reasons why muscle rigidity occurs in adults:

Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis. This disease occurs when degenerative disorders occur in the spine, it suffers from stress, poor posture, and eating disorders. Often with osteochondrosis, muscle spasms occur, which are localized in the affected area. That is, if the cervical region is broken, then rigidity will occur in it, if the chest, then the scapula will hurt.
Injuries. With various injuries, the vertebrae can be displaced, nerves can suffer, and circulatory disorders and the occurrence of rigidity are possible.
Polyneuropathy. With such a pathology, nerves are affected, it requires timely and competent treatment.
Stroke. In this case, there is a violation of the brain, due to impaired blood circulation, paralysis can occur in any parts of the body and throughout the body, including the legs.
cerebral palsy. In cerebral palsy, there is a violation in muscle contraction.
Meningitis, encephalitis. With such infectious diseases, the brain suffers and the work of the whole body is disrupted.
Parkinson's disease.

It is worth noting that muscle spasm does not always indicate a serious pathology, only a doctor can accurately determine rigidity, so you should not self-medicate. It can be pointless and dangerous.

Symptoms

If there are symptoms similar to the stiffness of the muscles of the lower extremities, you should immediately contact a therapist and a neurologist, these specialists will conduct an examination and prescribe tests that need to be taken to find the cause of the disease. Rigidity is accompanied by characteristic symptoms:

There is a spasm of the muscles, they become stiff, painful to the touch.
Motor activity is impaired, the muscle does not relax, so the patient cannot move the affected limb normally.
If the leg is affected, the patient begins to limp, as he cannot normally bend and unbend the limb.
The patient is worried about the pain, which persists during the rest period, intensifies during movement.
The general condition is disturbed, the person is upset all the time, eats little, sleeps badly.

In especially severe cases, the pain can be simply unbearable. With rigidity, the muscles become very stiff, it is simply impossible to touch the sore spot, even massage causes terrible torment. In this case, you can not do without medical treatment.

Treatment

The neuropathologist is engaged in the treatment of increased muscle tone of the lower extremities, but first the patient needs to contact a therapist who, if necessary, refers to a specialist. The disease is diagnosed on the basis of an examination, and after passing the necessary tests.

To begin with, the doctor interrogates the patient, you need to answer when the pain occurred, what other symptoms are bothering, whether they are related to something. Often a detailed history helps to make a diagnosis even before undergoing research. To confirm, the patient can be sent for x-rays, MRI, ultrasound, and you will also need to take blood and urine tests.

Traditional

How leg stiffness is treated depends on the cause. The patient is prescribed complex therapy, which allows you to eliminate both the cause of the condition and the painful spasm itself, which worries the person at the moment.

It is impossible to be limited only to symptomatic treatment, this will lead to a worsening of the condition. It is always worth remembering that if the pain has passed for a while, this does not mean that the body has ceased to collapse. For example, with osteochondrosis, the spasm may go away for a while, but the spine will remain unhealed, and the pain will appear again soon.

The patient is prescribed medication to relieve inflammation, pain and muscle spasm, if necessary. Muscle relaxants should be selected by a doctor, taking into account the patient's condition, such drugs have severe side effects, they cannot be taken uncontrollably.

Physiotherapy is also prescribed, which improves blood circulation in tissues, relieves inflammation and pain, helps eliminate muscle hypertonicity, and normalize their work.

And massages are prescribed after the pain syndrome is relieved with rigidity, they help develop muscles, strengthen them and prevent further destruction of the spine, as well as improve blood circulation in the tissues and eliminate stagnant processes in them.

Depending on the cause of rigidity and the patient's condition, he is referred for a consultation with other specialists, for example, a psychotherapist, ophthalmologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist. Since muscle rigidity is often associated with other serious pathologies.

During the period of remission, patients are prescribed spa treatment, which has a positive effect on the work of the whole organism and the general psychological state of the patient.

Surgical treatment is prescribed in very severe cases, and this is rare, since the risk of complications is high. Most often, the indication for surgery is muscle contracture, that is, restriction of the motor activity of the joint due to muscle spasm.

Folk

Folk remedies will also help relieve rigidity, but it is recommended to use them only after consulting a doctor. You need to make sure that in a particular case the use of the recipe is not contraindicated, and also make sure that there is no allergy to the components of the product.

Laurel oil will help relieve pain. A bunch of bay leaves should be crushed in a coffee grinder, poured with warm vegetable oil, and left for a week in a dark place. Strain the finished product, massage it in problem areas before going to bed.

Herbal infusions also showed themselves well. Lotions and therapeutic baths with sage, chamomile and various relaxing preparations relieve pain and inflammation in the muscles.

A compress with cabbage leaf and natural honey also helps a lot. They make it at night, for this the leaf is crushed until it gives juice, smeared with honey and applied to the sore spot. From above, the compress must be secured with a bandage or cloth.

Prevention

To prevent muscle hypertonicity, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right and exercise in order to prevent the occurrence of stagnant processes in the tissues of the whole body. It is also recommended to undergo regular medical examinations and treat all diseases that have arisen in a timely manner.

Patients with chronic pathologies can reduce the risk of relapse if they regularly undergo preventive examinations, do massage and gymnastics, and take medications prescribed by their doctor. Competent care of your body and a healthy lifestyle will help to make life full.

Gymnastics (video)

Rigidity is a disease in which there is an increase in tone or stretching of the muscles of the back of the head. Some who bear this disease do not attach too much importance to the symptoms. But from the outside you can easily determine that they are sick. Such people have a stiff neck, because because of the pain they cannot rotate it as they should.

Although muscle stiffness looks like a disease, it should be taken as a residual symptom. It manifests itself after a stroke, meningitis, encephalitis, spinal injuries in the neck, osteochondrosis and Parkinson's disease.

Symptoms

To determine whether this is really rigidity, you need to contact a specialist. The patient should put his head on the doctor's hand and try to get it to the chest. If there is at least a small distance, and there is no damage, then you can safely make a diagnosis of stiff neck. Also a hallmark of rigidity is frequent bouts of vomiting and fever.

mental factor. The manifestation of rigidity, or simply increased tone of the muscles of the back of the head, may also depend on the mental state. If a person suffers from a mental disorder or he often finds himself in stressful situations, because of which the nerves are at their limit, then the effect of the disease will increase: severe spasms prevent the neck from rotating sharply and fully.
After stroke and meningitis. In the manifestation of muscle hypertonicity, these diseases differ in the time of action. After a stroke, stiffness occurs immediately, and with meningitis, muscle tension occurs gradually (it develops after the body is cured of respiratory diseases).
With osteochondrosis. This is a very unpleasant disease. It affects the vertebral discs, as a result of which the spine settles and pinches the nerve endings in the neck. From this, the neck muscles are stretched.
After encephalitis. In this case, rigidity occurs as a result of damage to the meninges and tissues, which prevents signals from passing through the nerve pathways.
With Parkinson's disease- Rigidity spreads throughout the body. Such a symptom greatly hinders the movement of a person, his pronunciation and the ability to walk.
After vertebral injuries in the neck. After such an injury, there is a lack of mobility and functionality of the neck muscles, as a result of which they can gradually stretch, which will lead to their rigidity.

Other factors

It happens (but very rarely) there is a pathology in which there are no above-mentioned symptoms. This happens with high craniocerebral pressure. This is a clear sign of the appearance of a brain tumor.

Although these symptoms are unpleasant in their own way, they are not as scary and dangerous as some that stand out for their sharpness and short duration:

Sharp, unpredictable pain with rhythmic turning of the neck, which is first felt in the head, and then passes into the neck and descends to the back.
Incomprehensible changes in temperature in the body, bouts of fever, which in turn cause vomiting and jumps in blood pressure.

However, do not worry too much if such symptoms appear. You need to see a doctor only if these signs of the disease appear simultaneously and unexpectedly.

How and what to treat rigidity

As a rule, it is not the rigidity itself that needs to be treated. The correct approach to the treatment of hypertonicity of the cervical muscles is to eliminate the cause of the disease. This must be taken seriously, because the disease can spread and the chance of a cure is low.

If such a deviation is meningitis or encephalitis, then such a person should take (only under the direction of a doctor) antibacterial drugs, a whole “bouquet” of vitamins.

A stroke survivor needs to be treated in a hospital, where he will be provided with drugs that can clot blood, as well as (in extreme cases) blood substitutes.

With high craniocerebral pressure, the patient may need to open the skull to eliminate the symptom. Be sure to use drugs that remove toxins, and you also need to undergo oxygen treatment. Otherwise, the disease, like a volcano, will act with renewed vigor.

In order to get rid of rigidity in osteochondrosis, it is not at all necessary to use complex complexes of ointments for massage or exercise. Even a simple exercise that consists of smooth head rotations and gradual stretching of the spine is very effective, as it reduces the tension of the muscles of the spine. Thus, the muscles warm up, become more flexible, elastic and contract faster.

Of course, even the simplest massage is indispensable. Proper and even massage, accompanied by a useful ointment, provides pain relief and restores even blood circulation in the area of neck muscle tension. In this way, brain function will improve, preventing it from starvation.

The use of a special collar with an orthopedic inclination is a very effective method of treatment. High quality soft materials, amazing elasticity have a tremendous effect on tense muscles, so that they return to their normal position very soon. Having put on such a collar for the first time, it first takes only 7-10 minutes to get used to it. Then you can gradually increase the time of wearing such a collar up to 2-3 hours.

From all of the above, we can conclude that muscle rigidity manifests itself along with serious diseases. But still this symptom is curable.