What Are the Symptoms of Neck Rigidity?
Neck stiffness is generally caused by poor sitting posture, maintaining the same position for a long time, and improper sleeping posture. When it occurs, it can lead to stiffness and pain in the neck, numbness in the hands and feet, and difficulty breathing. This is due to the neck stiffness affecting the normal circulation of blood. Relief methods include applying heat, massaging the cervical vertebrae, acupuncture, and moxibustion.
1. Stiff Neck Syndrome: Characterized by stiffness in the neck, pain in the shoulders and occipital region, with corresponding tender points and stiffness in the neck. It is a common clinical feature of cervical spondylosis, the earliest stage of the disease, and a common early manifestation of other types of cervical spondylosis. Since the symptoms are relatively mild, they are often overlooked, leading to repeated attacks and worsening of the condition. Many patients with recurrent stiffness of the neck belong to this type.
2. Neck Stiffness: Neck stiffness is caused by excessive and sustained muscle contraction, which not only reduces blood supply to the neck muscles but also causes the accumulation of metabolites such as lactic acid, leading to ischemic muscle pain. Pain in the back of the head and top of the head may be caused by tension headaches due to head or cervical spine pathology. Manifestations include degenerative changes in the cervical intervertebral discs and their secondary pathological changes, such as instability and loosening of vertebral segments, protrusion or herniation of the nucleus pulposus, formation of bone spurs, hypertrophy of ligaments, and secondary stenosis of the spinal canal. These can stimulate or compress adjacent nerve roots, spinal cord, vertebral arteries, and cervical sympathetic nerves, causing various symptoms and signs.
3. Cervical Rib Syndrome: Cervical rib syndrome is a complex clinical syndrome caused by compression of important vascular and nerve structures in the thoracic outlet region. It is also known as thoracic outlet syndrome, anterior scalene muscle syndrome, pectoralis minor syndrome, costoclavicular syndrome, and excessive abduction syndrome. It refers to a series of vascular and neurological symptoms in the upper limbs caused by compression of the brachial plexus and subclavian arteries and veins at the outlet of the thoracic cavity due to various reasons. Clinically, it is mainly manifested as pain and numbness in the shoulders, arms, and hands, and in severe cases, muscle atrophy, cold and purplish hands, and weakened radial pulse.
