2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21
Responsible parents take it seriously when a beloved child comes to them with unusual he alth complaints. What to do if a child's neck hurts? We will try to figure out in what situations it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor.
Was there an injury?
All children regularly fall from somewhere and hit something. Such is the retribution for curiosity and new discoveries. The main task of each parent is to assess the extent of the incident in a timely manner. In some cases, a cool compress and brilliant green is enough, in others it is necessary to urgently visit a doctor. But what to do if a child’s neck hurts for no apparent reason? First, try to remember how the previous 24 hours went. It is possible that the discomfort today is an echo of yesterday's falls. If there is a possibility of injury, be sure to visit a doctor. Under such conditions, you can make an appointment immediately with the surgeon.
No reason to panic, there is reason to care
You can try to understand why a child's neck hurts. Very common cause of painis an incorrect posture. If a child is inactive and prefers to sit at the computer instead of playing sports, it makes sense to think about the he alth of his back and neck. In the absence of deviations and contraindications, each person should do exercises in the morning from a very early age, perform feasible physical work, regularly walk and play sports. If complaints of neck pain begin immediately after waking up, it makes sense to check the organization of the bed. The mattress and pillow should be selected individually, according to the weight, height and age of the child. Posture problems can often be seen with the naked eye. If your child has an uneven back, stoops and often sits "hunched over", it's time to take action.
Excessive loads and drafts
Cause of pain in the cervical spine may be excessive load. This symptom can appear if the child wears a too heavy briefcase or overstrained on the eve of the onset of discomfort. Make sure your son or daughter does not lift heavy weights or engage in questionable endurance disputes with comrades. Even a classic physical exercise, such as the pull-up, can harm a child with too many repetitions. If a child has a neck pain on one side, it is likely that he has caught a cold. Walking in windy weather without a scarf and too active ventilation of the apartment with drafts can lead to the appearance of such a symptom. In both of these cases, prevention is easier and more enjoyable than cure. Train your child withearly age to be conscious of their own he alth.
Inflammation of the lymph nodes
Pain in the neck may appear with inflammation of the lymph nodes. Most often, this disease begins as a complication of any infectious process in the body. Lymph nodes can become inflamed with respiratory diseases, influenza, otitis media. It is easy to recognize this pathology at home. In inflammatory processes, the lymph node increases in size and hurts. There may also be an increase in body temperature, general malaise and weakness. In this case, it is impossible to delay contacting a doctor. In the early stages, inflammation of the lymph nodes can be easily cured with medication, and in advanced cases, surgery may be needed.
Inflammation of muscle tissue
One of the most common causes of neck pain in young children is inflammation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The cause of this phenomenon may be birth trauma. It is important to identify the problem in time and treat it. How to understand that a child’s neck hurts if he still doesn’t say anything? With any ailment, the baby behaves restlessly, often cries and is naughty. With inflammatory processes in the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the child usually cannot turn his head to one side. If you see any of these symptoms in your own son or daughter, be sure to see a doctor.
Meningitis is a dangerous disease
One of the worst childhood diseases is meningitis. The cause of the disease is an infection. After it enters the body, a whole range of unpleasant symptoms are observed. The most common of them: vomiting, weakness, fever, fainting, seizures, pain in the muscles. Often with meningitis, the back of the child's neck also hurts. With this symptom, tension of the occipital muscles is observed. Meningitis is a very dangerous disease in which only timely and competent therapy can help. There are other infectious diseases, the course of which may be accompanied by pain in the neck. The most common among them are osteomyelitis and polio.
Other causes of neck pain: torticollis and arthritis
Torticollis is a disease better known by the popular name "torticollis". This is a congenital deformity of the cervical spine. With this pathology, the child's neck hurts on the side when trying to keep it straight. As a result of this, the baby is forced to constantly tilt the neck to one side. The cause of pain in the neck can be diseases of the spine. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a pathology that is very common in children under the age of 16 years. In this disease, the clinical picture can be supplemented by high fever, the appearance of a rash, inflammation of the lymph nodes, and increased sweating. In juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, it is also desirable to start treatment as early as possible, otherwise the disease may spread to the internal organs.
Ways to relieve neck pain before visitingdoctor
There are a lot of diseases in which a child has back pain in the neck. It is almost impossible to determine the exact cause of the appearance of such a symptom on your own at home. And this means that a sick child must be shown to the doctor as soon as possible. If the pain is sharp and too strong, or the patient is injured, you can even call an ambulance. In cases where it is necessary to wait for a doctor's appointment, you can try to take pain relief measures. Attention: all the procedures described below are not a treatment, their purpose is only to bring short-term relief to the patient. The easiest way to relieve a child of discomfort for a while is to give him an age-appropriate universal pain reliever tablet. You can try to make a gentle massage of the area of the neck, in which the most discomfort is felt. Try to massage the skin gently, limiting yourself to light strokes. Aggressive massage can only cause harm if applied before an accurate diagnosis is made. When a child's neck hurts, not all parents know what to do. One of the most popular folk remedies is compresses and lotions. They can be done only if the lymph nodes are not enlarged. If injury or muscle inflammation/tightness is suspected, a cool compress can be tried. Some experts in folk recipes recommend making warm lotions, for example with alcohol. However, many doctors argue that such treatment is not alwayshe althy. If the child must be at home for some time while waiting for a doctor's appointment, try to provide him with a sparing regimen. Keep the patient busy with reading and quiet games. The road to the hospital must also be organized with maximum comfort.
Which doctor should I book an appointment with?
If a child has sore lymph nodes in the neck, which specialist should I visit? Start by visiting your local pediatrician. This specialist can make a preliminary diagnosis and refer you for additional examinations. For pain in the neck, a consultation of such specialists as a rheumatologist, orthopedist, neurologist, infectious disease specialist, ENT doctor is usually additionally prescribed. Also, it will not be superfluous to take a blood test. According to its results, it will be possible to understand whether there is inflammation. Further, parents can only comply with all the prescriptions of the supervising doctor. It is important to understand that it is necessary to treat the disease that caused the onset of pain. Most often, complex therapy is used, in which massages, therapeutic exercises, and medications can be prescribed.
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