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The back of my neck is hot: 3 possible explanations for that burning sensation in your neck and shoulders

3 possible explanations for that burning sensation in your neck and shoulders

  • Why do I feel a burning sensation in my neck and shoulders?
  • How do I stop my neck from burning?
  • Alliance PTP is ready to help you find top-notch PT for neck and shoulder pain

2 minutes, 22 seconds

What’s the cause of that burning sensation in my neck and shoulder, and what can I do about it?

We hear this question all the time. After all, chronic or acute pain in the neck and shoulders can make life unpleasant, and our patients reasonably want their pain relieved. A burning sensation can be startling, even if it doesn’t hurt, because it may start to hurt at some point.

So, let’s discuss why you feel a burning sensation in your neck and shoulders, and what you can do about it.

Why do I feel a burning sensation in my neck and shoulders?

Here are a few common conditions that can cause your neck and shoulders to feel hot:

  1. Strains or sprains ” Neck strains occur when the muscles or tendons in your neck are torn or overstretched. Neck sprains occur when your ligaments are torn or overstretched. These conditions can be caused by whiplash or other neck injuries, and both can cause a burning sensation in your neck that runs down to your shoulders over time.
  2. Stretched brachial plexus ” Your brachial plexus is a group of nerves that send signals from your spinal cord to your upper extremity. When these nerves are stretched, compressed or separated from the spinal cord, you are likely to feel pain and burning in your neck, shoulders, or both.
  3. Nerve compression ” Aside from the brachial plexus, you also have your cervical plexus network, an occipital nerve, an auricular nerve and others. A herniated disc (a spinal disc that slips out of place) can put pressure on these nerves, resulting in pain or a burning sensation. Thoracic outlet syndrome is a common example of this type of nerve compression.

Note that these are just some of the conditions that can cause burning in your neck and shoulders. Age-related muscle and bone degeneration can create a burning sensation in your neck and shoulders, as can nerve disorders like neuropathy and multiple sclerosis.

How do I stop my neck from burning?

Every case of neck pain is different. Your doctor or physical therapist can assign a customized treatment for your case, but here are some strategies that will likely be included in your treatment plan:

  • Rest (with proper neck support).
  • Manual therapy to relieve muscle tension.
  • Joint mobilization.
  • Ice therapy.
  • Heat therapy.
  • Stretches and exercises.

Together, these treatment methods will help to relieve your neck pain, and they may even limit the chances of it coming back.

Alliance PTP is ready to help you find top-notch PT for neck and shoulder pain

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we’re proudly bringing together physical therapy practices across the country to help people get the high-quality PT they need. Want to see a physical therapist in person? We can put you in touch with an Alliance PTP partner that’s close to you and that can help you address neck and shoulder pain.

Not keen on in-person PT sessions or not close to an Alliance PTP partner? No worries. We also offer effective and affordable virtual physical therapy through our Agile Virtual Physical Therapy platform.

Contact our team today so we can help you find the most effective physical therapy services for your injury or condition.

WHAT WOULD CAUSE A BURNING SENSATION IN YOUR NECK?

A burning sensation in your neck can feel like hot needles, varying from mild to severe pain. The pain can move down your neck into the shoulder, back, arms and hands. Neck pain may occur due to different injuries and conditions. If you’re suffering from a burn sensation in your neck, contact First Health PT neck relief in midtown today!

Common Causes of Burning Neck Pain 

If you are feeling a burning sensation in your neck, there are a few culprits you may be able to blame. One of the most common causes of this pain is a sprain or strain in the neck. A sudden movement may have caused this to the neck or some injury to the area. Neck relief in midtown can help identify the cause and design a plan to reduce your pain. Otherwise, there are a few other causes of burning neck pain.

  • Herniated Disc – This not only causes neck pain but can also create symptoms of a pinched nerve in the shoulder, arm, hand, and fingers. It can cause sensations of burning, numbness, tingling, and weakness.
  • Radiculopathy – Like a herniated disc, radiculopathy causes a pinched nerve and is often the result of aging, although a spinal injury can also cause it.
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – The damage to a single nerve can cause burning sensations in the neck.
  • Brachial Plexus Injury happens when the bundle of nerves around the spinal cord and shoulder/arm are stretched, torn, or injured.
  • Torticollis – This commonly occurs due to a bad sleep position or posture but sometimes from an injury.
  • Cervical Discogenic Pain – This pain is brought on by changes in the structure of one or more discs in the neck and often occurs due to aging.
  • Nerve Compression – When a disc in the spine moves, it often presses on nerves, resulting in a herniated or slipped disc, resulting in a burning pain in the neck.

How To Treat Burning Neck Pain 

Neck relief in midtown and your treatment depends on the cause of the pain in your neck. If you have mild neck pain, at-home treatments may subside your symptoms. Try using heat or ice packs and doing gentle stretches and exercises. Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or aspirin can relieve pain and inflammation. Taking time for rest can significantly decrease neck burning and pain.

Visit First Health Neck Relief in Midtown Today!

Physical therapy is another option to relieve the burning sensation in your neck. For neck relief in midtown, our trained physical therapists work to determine the cause of your pain and create a personalized plan designed to relieve your neck pain naturally. Our treatment method incorporates the highest level of evidence-based techniques combined with a compassionate whole body view. Contact us today to book an appointment!

90,000 causes, symptoms and treatment of the disease.

Do not panic when the back of the head and neck hurt: causes and symptoms of discomfort will help to solve the problem quickly


The actual problem of modern society neurologists call pain in the neck and neck. Many people do not even suspect that the usual explanations “the weather changes dramatically”, “unsuccessfully turned his head” can be the causes of diseases that need surgical treatment. The most insidious thing about this issue is that when the head hurts in the back of the head and neck, it is difficult to determine for sure what the discomfort is associated with. The doctor will make an accurate diagnosis.

Causes of pain in the neck and occipital region


In the list of various diseases, expressed through pain in the back of the head and neck, there is osteochondrosis.

In addition to osteochondrosis, vertebral artery syndrome can cause discomfort. The course of this disease is mainly accompanied by a feeling of increased muscle tension, an altered general condition.

Headache in the neck and occiput in young people is a common occurrence today. There are enough reasons for this, but the wrong way of life can be singled out as the main one. Many put themselves in danger voluntarily, being in front of the computer all their free time from sleep. Other people are prone to illness due to the work of 8-10 hours, the processes of which take place behind the monitor.

The disease can be localized in any area of ​​the corresponding part of the body. The person will complain that the back of the neck and the back of the head hurts, either on the left or on the right. Both acute attacks and less noticeable, but long-term, aches are possible. It is worth noting the sources from which the disease occurs:

  • Osteochondrosis;
  • Injuries and tumors;
  • Meningitis;
  • Damaged muscles, ligaments in the muscle corset;
  • Rheumatoid arthritis;
  • Infectious diseases;
  • Muscle spasms that occur as a result of sudden turns of the head;
  • Long-term static loads of a physical nature;
  • “Office” lifestyle, being in uncomfortable positions.
  • In addition to the above factors, when the back of the head and neck hurt, the causes can lie in a variety of serious diseases.

    Hypertension

    As a result of this problem, pressure rises, arching throbbing pain.

    Vascular problems

    Due to the spasm of the arteries, which are located inside or on the surface of the skull, there is a throbbing pain. Discomfort begins in the back of the head, but may spread to the forehead.

    Nervous tension

    Disturbs a person as a result of a stressful state.

    Overwork

    It is formed after prolonged mental or physical work and an uncomfortable position of the body.

    Spondylosis

    There is prolonged or constant pain in the neck and back of the head. Sometimes sensations pass to the eyes and ears.

    Neuralgia of the occipital nerve

    With this disease, a person complains of recurring pain in the back of the head and neck. Also, discomfort gives to the temporal region, the ear zone. The sensation becomes stronger with normal coughing or sneezing, as well as turning the head.


    Migraine

    Accompanied by throbbing pain in the temple, crown, half of the head.

    These problems are not fatal, but extremely dangerous, and if they are started, the consequences are more serious than just discomfort.

    Prevention of the presented disease

    It is impossible to panic in a situation when the neck, the back of the head hurts and the head is spinning. It is worth contacting a specialist to accurately determine the causes of pain. It is impossible to independently determine the diagnosis, therefore, before proceeding with treatment, it is important to hear the opinion of a specialist.

    When the causes of pain in the back of the head and neck are identified, the doctor will draw up a program of competent treatment, which will not only relieve discomfort, but also eliminate the specific focus of the disease.

    The best option for a healthy life is to prevent the disease, so that later you do not look for the reasons why the neck and the back of the head hurt. It is important to adhere to preventive recommendations, with the help of which it will be possible to avoid this problem. It is necessary to observe the working regime, and not to allow the body to be in one position for several hours in a row. Even if a person works while sitting, once an hour it is worth kneading the cervical region, performing elementary exercises. It is important to rest and sleep on time for the 8 hours allotted for an adult body.

    It is advised to keep a positive mood: stressful situations are the causes of pain in the back of the head and neck, the treatment of which is much more difficult than just controlling one’s own emotions. Physical activity is also harmful to health, so you should not allow constant effects of this nature on the body.

    Many people refuse to visit a doctor as a preventive measure. They do not turn to a specialist exactly until the discomfort that has arisen begins to affect their life. However, periodic visits to doctors for a routine examination of the body will help prevent serious illnesses.

    Treatment of pain in the affected areas

    Of course, each patient comes with a unique problem, because the question of why the neck and the back of the head hurts, the causes and further treatment will be explained only by a specialist. Nevertheless, a number of effects on the body are distinguished, with the help of which you can get rid of pain in most cases.

    For example, when pain in the back of the head or in the neck occurs unexpectedly, you can resort to the following actions that affect the relief of sensations:

    1. Ventilate the room with fresh air. The brain will receive an influx of oxygen, which means that blood circulation will improve.

    2. Massage .

    3. If possible, take a horizontal position and relax.

    4. It is advised to cleanse yourself of negative thoughts, breathe deeply and get rid of nervous tension.

    IMPORTANT: Watch your diet, the body may lack omega-3 acids. These are useful trace elements that can be obtained from fatty fish. A diet with such products helps prevent any inflammatory processes.

    The source of the problem is physical fatigue. A good way to give your muscles a chance to heal and bounce back is to take the weight off the affected areas. It is recommended to rest, but it is worth abandoning high pillows, due to which the spine bends.

    Ordinary ice can effectively reduce inflammation, relieve pain in the back of the head and neck. It is necessary to crush the ice and send it to a plastic bag. This bag can be placed in a pillowcase. You can not change cotton fabric for a terry towel, because such a product is too dense, there will be no effective transfer of cold.

    The option recommended by doctors is heating the diseased area. With the help of heat, blood circulation can be significantly improved, muscles can relax, come into the necessary tone. You need to take a damp towel made of natural fabric, any bottle of hot water will also work. You can resort to water procedures and just go under a warming shower. In any of the options, you need to remember that you can’t overheat the body, since an excessive amount of heat can become another cause of pain in the back of the head and neck.

    An important skill is the ability to relax. Overexertion can be caused by emotional stress. You need to keep track of what fuels stress – the rush on the way to work, worries about household chores, relationships with loved ones, communication with superiors, and other factors. When the pathogen from the outside is determined, it is possible to approach the search for a way out of this situation. A person will forget how it is when the neck and the back of the head hurt, after the normalization of the emotional state. Helps to relax relaxation, abdominal breathing, aromatherapy, progressive relaxation. The following tips will help you:

  • Choose a quiet place and make sure that no one will disturb you while you relax;
  • Sit in a comfortable position (lie down), close your eyes;
  • Tighten and relax the muscles from the head, moving to the neck and the rest of the body gradually;
  • It is important to perform the abdominal breathing procedure in a relaxed sitting position;
  • Slow and deep breaths must be taken exclusively from the abdomen. To feel the depth of breathing, you can put your palm on your stomach;
  • Exhale also completely, expelling oxygen with the help of the abdomen;
  • The procedure takes a few minutes without haste. Speed ​​is fraught with hyperventilation. Especially carefully you need to carry it out if the neck and nape become numb.
  • Other ways to relax the body include yoga, various physical exercises, and meditation. Pleasant activities, such as a favorite hobby and listening to music, can also have a positive impact. Tips help treat the causes of pain in the neck and back of the head.

    Doctors highlight massage as one of the key effects on the affected areas. With its help, you can relax tense muscles, induce a deep, comfortable sleep, give the body a feeling of lightness. To carry out such therapy, you must first take a hot shower or bath – this will put the body in order and prepare it for further massage. Whatever the causes of pain in the neck and neck, you need to use lotion or oil (you can use aromatic ones). Then, in a circular motion, massage the affected area, lightly and gently pressing. It is worth paying attention to the chest.

    The next item that will help in this situation is the purchase of an anesthetic. With the help of painkillers, severe pain in the back of the head and neck can be reduced.

    IMPORTANT: Experts strongly recommend that you monitor your posture. Pain in the neck and back of the head occurs when a person holds his back incorrectly. It is possible to explain how much the load on the cervical region is due to physics – the force of attraction. It must be constantly overcome in order to maintain balance, move, constantly stay in an upright position.

    The spine in the skeleton is a support for the whole body and muscles, therefore, when at least some part of the bone frame weakens, a person has to deal with gravity. At the same time, the curvature of the back begins, so that at least some compensation of axial loads occurs. So it becomes quite obvious that poor posture can be the cause of pain in the neck and back of the head.

    Any wall can be used to improve the position of the bony corset. It is necessary to turn your back to the wall so that your heels are a few centimeters away from it. In this case, the shoulders and buttocks should touch the wall, the chin does not fall. This position of the spine is correct. After alignment, you can move away and monitor the formed posture. Pain in the back of the head and neck will subside as soon as the body gets used to the correct position of the body.

    Being overweight also affects the entire body. You can not make an additional load on the cervical region. Therefore, overweight people who also have neck and neck pains should follow the figure, getting rid of excess body weight.

    Specialists have developed many exercises that can not only reduce pain in the neck and neck, but also prevent them. Before carrying out this kind of therapy, it is worth putting a warm compress on the affected area. The procedures should be repeated at least five times three times a day. You should not rush, the muscles should relax.

    You need to assume a sitting position. Turn your head as far to the right as possible, then return to the starting position straight. Also turn left and level off. The second exercise is to lower the chin, then rise up, tilt the head to the left, to the right shoulder.

    The complex of isometric exercises solves the problem. They must be performed through resistance, but it is actually impossible to move the head. It helps to eliminate the causes of pain in the back of the head and neck such a complex:

    1. Take a sitting position, relax. You need to raise your hand and put your palm on your forehead, pressing on it. Be sure to resist the movement of the forehead.

    2. The right hand should be placed on the right side of the head, pressing the area with the hand. Repeat the process on the other side. It is necessary to monitor the opposition of the head and hand.

    3. If the back of the head and neck hurts from behind, then the area should be pressed with both palms, pushing the head. The reverse movement must be resisted.

    With this simple exercise, a person will quickly forget how it is when the back of the head, neck and head are spinning.

    Harm of daily habits for a person

    At times, the answer to the question of why the back of the head and neck hurts is the incorrect location of the working space relative to the eyes. If pain appears at the end of the work shift, this is a direct signal that it is work that is the source of the problem. People do not pay attention to posture, lower their heads down, not looking up from, for example, paperwork for several hours. To avoid heaviness in the back of the head and neck, it is necessary to place the monitor opposite the eyes. It is important to take breaks, warm up as often as work allows, do elementary head tilts to relax the muscles.

    To forget how much neck and neck pain is, it is important to say goodbye to many daily bad habits. For example, many hold a telephone receiver between their neck and shoulder. Some are accustomed to sleeping in an armchair with their heads thrown back and their chins down. Women in the modern rhythm of life are used to doing everything as quickly as possible, but not caring about their health. For example, washing your hair in the washbasin, or leaning under the tap in the bathroom. This can become a source, which breaks the neck and the back of the head.

    Even waking up, during which the back of the head and neck hurts, and dizziness can serve as an alarm signal. The culprits of discomfort are the pillow and the mattress. In order to prevent serious diseases, it is worth changing the mattress to a hard one, and the pillow to a variant of such a height that the head is on the same level with the spine.

    It is obvious that many daily habits can cause significant harm to the body. It is easy to change habits, which will ultimately lead to a healthy life of the body.

    With advice on actions to relieve heaviness in the neck and neck, everyone can put their body in order. Of course, all the methods presented are not a panacea, but a great help in the problem that has arisen. Doctors should not be neglected: they will be able to tell exactly why the neck and the back of the head hurt. It is important to follow the above recommendations in a complex, because only a well-designed therapy will help to say goodbye to an ailment that causes discomfort.

    You can make an appointment with specialists online , as well as by phone 8 (812) 901-03-03.

    Neck pain: causes, symptoms, treatment

    Neck pain with varying frequency in 70% of adults. At the same time, pain can not only be of a different nature, but also be caused by a variety of diseases. Therefore, they are generally not observed in isolation, but are accompanied by other symptoms that help to correctly diagnose and select the optimal treatment tactics.

    TYPES OF PAIN IN THE NECK

    1. 1. acute (less than 10 days)
    2. 2 . chronic
    3. 3. vertebrogenic – arising against the background of pathological changes in the cervical spine, including damage to the intervertebral discs, compression of the spinal roots and spinal cord
    4. 4. non-vertebrogenic – resulting from all other causes, including infectious diseases , inflammatory processes in the muscles, diseases of the thyroid gland, lymph nodes, etc.

    SIGNS OF VERTEBROGENIC PAIN

    1. 1. Irradiation (spread of pain beyond the affected area or organ) to the occipital region, shoulders, arms, up to the hands and fingers. Often, numbness, impaired sensitivity and mobility are observed, which indicates the development of neurological disorders, i.e., infringement of one or another anatomical structure of the nerve roots or spinal cord.
    2. 2. Dizziness, blackouts, and headaches may occur, indicating compression of the vertebral arteries, such as by a herniated disc.

    An urgent appointment with a neurologist is necessary if the pain in the neck is acute or accompanied by dizziness, numbness in the back of the head, tinnitus.

    PAIN IN THE FRONT OF THE NECK

    The occurrence of unpleasant or even painful sensations directly in the area under the chin or diffuse pain along the entire front of the neck may indicate:

    1. 1. diseases of the thyroid gland;
    2. 2. inflammatory processes in muscles affecting ligaments and nerves;
    3. 3. formation of cysts and abscesses;
    4. 4. lymph nodes affected;
    5. 5. angina pectoris;

    That is, the list of possible causes is quite extensive and it is impossible to independently determine what exactly caused the pain in the neck. In such situations, it is worth contacting a therapist for an examination. If necessary, the doctor will refer the patient to a specialist of the required profile.

    6. vertebral artery syndrome

    7. radicular syndrome.

    In both cases, the cause is entrapment of blood vessels or nerves by a deformed intervertebral disc, edematous tissues, a displaced cervical vertebral body, or other structure. In such situations, it is necessary to contact the doctor neurologist .

    In the medical center “Quality of Life” an appointment is conducted by a neurologist of the highest category Gudovshchikova Lyubov Sergeevna.

    PAIN IN THE BACK OF THE NECK, CAUSES

    Due to the peculiarities of the modern lifestyle, people often experience pain in the back of the neck. Work at the computer, constant use of gadgets, low level of physical activity and bad habits, all this causes pathological changes in the structure of the spine, which manifest themselves as pain in the neck. Therefore, in the event of aching, pulling, sharp pains, backaches in the back of the neck, consultation is first of all required neurologist , since in the vast majority of cases this indicates diseases of the cervical spine, namely: 228 3. herniated discs

  • 4. spondylosis
  • 5. myofascial syndrome
  • 6. vertebral compression fractures
  • 7. ankylosing spondylitis
  • In the medical center “Quality of Life” an appointment is conducted by a neurologist of the highest category Gudovshchikova Lyubov Sergeevna.

    PAIN IN THE SIDE OF THE NECK, CAUSES

    Most often, pains in the lateral surfaces of the neck are burning or throbbing, they can also be tingling in nature. They tend to radiate to the shoulder and ear, sometimes accompanied by the formation of secondary torticollis, as a result of which the head leans to the affected side.

    Similar typical for:

    1. 1. pathologies of blood vessels, including atherosclerosis;
    2. 2. muscle spasms, which can be provoked by a strong load on the neck, sudden movement or hypothermia;
    3. 3. malignant growths in the thyroid gland, pharynx and larynx.

    WHICH DOCTOR TO GO TO FOR NECK PAIN

    0228 neurologist . The doctor, based on complaints, examination data and neurological tests, will be able to determine whether the discomfort in the neck is really due to disorders in the spine or is it caused by other diseases.

    Nevertheless, deviations from the norm in the state of the spine, in fact, are one of the reasons for the development of concomitant diseases of internal organs. After all, a change in the position of the vertebrae, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs and other, even minor changes, lead to a disruption in the transmission of nerve impulses from the spinal cord through the nerve roots along the nerves to the internal organs. Since the spinal cord is distinguished by segmental innervation, i.e., each of its parts is responsible for the correct functioning of a particular organ, if disorders occur in the cervical spine, the innervation of the ENT organs, vocal cords, thyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as neck muscles can suffer , shoulders and forearms. Therefore, initially their work is disrupted, and over time, organic changes also occur, that is, one or another disease develops, which can provoke pains of varying intensity and nature in the neck.

    Therefore, diseases of internal organs are extremely rarely diagnosed and changes in the spine are not detected, and therefore a consultation with a neurologist is required without fail. But if the patient has signs of diseases of the thyroid gland, heart, ENT organs or others, he is additionally shown to receive advice from narrow specialists (endocrinologist, cardiologist, otolaryngologist, etc.).

    Thus, neck pain is a widespread phenomenon. They can be caused by the development of various diseases, but most often the discomfort is based on problems with the spine caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, you should not hesitate to contact a doctor. Indeed, in the early stages of the development of the disease, it can be easily dealt with by conservative methods.