Back pain can range from a mild, dull, annoying ache, to persistent, severe, disabling pain. Pain in your back can restrict mobility and interfere with normal functioning and quality of life. You should always consult your health care provider if you have persistent pain.

Neck pain occurs in the area of the cervical vertebrae in your neck. 因为它的位置和活动范围, 你的脖子经常没有保护，容易受伤.

背部或颈部的疼痛可能是急性的. 这意味着它突然而强烈地发生. 慢性疼痛持续数周，数月，甚至数年. 疼痛可以是持续性的，也可以是间歇性的.

是什么导致背部和颈部疼痛?

Even with today's technology, the exact cause of back and neck pain is difficult to determine. In most cases, back and neck pain may have many different causes, including any of the following:

• Overuse, strenuous activity, or improper use, such as repetitive or heavy lifting

• 创伤、损伤或骨折

• 椎体退变, often caused by stresses on the muscles and ligaments that support your spine, or the effects of aging

• Infection

• 异常生长，如肿瘤或骨刺

• Obesity, which places increased weight on your spine, and pressure on your discs

• Poor muscle tone

• Muscle tension or spasm

• Sprain or strain

• 韧带或肌肉撕裂

• 关节问题，如关节炎

• Smoking

• 椎间盘突出或突出(滑动)并压迫神经

• 骨质疏松和压缩性骨折

• Congenital (present at birth) abnormalities of your vertebrae and bones

• 腹部疾病，如主动脉瘤 

下腰痛从哪里开始

Where Neck Pain Begins

背部和颈部疼痛的症状是什么?

与背痛相关的症状可能包括:

• 背部钝痛、灼痛或剧痛.  The pain can be confined to a single spot or cover a large area

• 腿部麻木或膝盖上下刺痛

• Stiffness or achiness that occurs anywhere along your spine (from your neck to your tailbone)

• Sharp, shooting pain that radiates from your low back to your buttocks, 沿着你的大腿后面, 进入你的小腿和脚趾

• 背部中下部持续疼痛, 尤指长时间站立或坐着之后

膀胱和肠道失控, 双腿无力, are symptoms of a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.

与颈部疼痛相关的症状包括:

• 手臂麻木或刺痛

• Headaches

• Shoulder pain

• 剧烈的刺痛或颈部钝痛

Pain that occurs suddenly in your back or neck, due to an injury, is considered to be acute pain. Acute pain comes on quickly and may leave sooner than chronic back or neck pain. 这种类型的疼痛不应持续超过6周.

疼痛可能来得快，也可能来得慢，并持续数周, 3 months or greater, 被认为是慢性疼痛吗. 慢性疼痛不像急性疼痛那么常见.

如何诊断背部和颈部疼痛?

如果你感到颈部或背部疼痛, you should see your health care provider for a medical and physical exam. He or she may also do X-rays of the affected areas, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 这允许更完整的视图.  The MRI produces pictures of soft tissues as well, such as ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. The MRI could lead to a diagnosis of infection, tumor, inflammation, or pressure on your nerve. Sometimes a blood test may help diagnose arthritis, a condition that can cause back and neck pain.

如何治疗背部和颈部疼痛?

If you experience acute back or neck pain, it may simply improve with some rest. Over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may also help with the discomfort. 在此期间，你应该试着轻轻地移动, 这样你就不会变得僵硬，失去活动能力.

如果你的背部和颈部有慢性疼痛, 你应该尝试几种可能有用的治疗方法, 在寻求手术选择之前. These include:

• Hot or cold packs (under your health care provider’s instructions)

• Specific exercises to strengthen muscles and ease pain, such as stretching and flexing. Your health care provider can provide and demonstrate these exercises.

• Aerobic exercise may be permitted and can help with your overall fitness and strength

• Certain anti-inflammatory medications or muscle relaxants may be used, 在你的医疗保健提供者的监督下

• 背带或紧身胸衣作为额外的支撑

• 在这个部位注射止痛剂

• Nerve block, which decreases pain signals from  the affected nerve

• Acupuncture

如何处理背部和颈部疼痛?

急性背痛通常不用特别治疗就会好转. Using acetaminophen or ibuprofen will decrease pain and help you rest. Surgery and special exercises are generally not  used with acute pain.

 For severe, disabling, 或者是慢性背部和颈部疼痛, 康复项目的设计可以满足你的需要. The type of program will depend on the type and severity of your pain, injury, or disease. Active involvement of the patient and family is vital to the success of rehabilitation programs.   

The goal of back and neck rehabilitation is to help you manage disabling pain, return to your highest level of functioning and independence possible, 同时提高你的整体生活质量. The focus of rehabilitation is on relieving pain and improving mobility (movement).

To help reach these goals, back and neck rehabilitation programs may include the following:

• 提高活动范围的锻炼计划, 增加肌肉力量, 提高灵活性和机动性, and increase endurance

• Help with obtaining assistive devices that promote independence

• 患者及家属教育及辅导

• 疼痛管理技术

• 戒烟咨询

• 步态(步行)和运动再训练

• Stress management

• Nutritional counseling

• Ergonomic assessments and work-related injury prevention programs

• Vocational counseling

颈背痛的并发症有哪些?

• Loss or productivity: Back pain is the most common reason for disability in working adults.

• 神经损伤:如果你的背痛是由椎间盘突出引起的, 压迫脊神经可能会引起各种各样的问题, such as weakness, numbness, 或者从背部到腿部的剧烈射击痛.

• Depression: Back or neck pain can disrupt all aspects of a person’s life: work, physical exercise, social activities, and sleep. The anxiety and stress caused by the change in mobility and pain can lead to depression.

• Weight gain: Loss of mobility and inability to exercise can lead to weight gain and the loss of muscle strength.

It is a good idea to see a health care provider if you have numbness or tingling, or if your pain is severe and does not improve with medication and rest. 如果你小便困难, weakness, pain, 或者腿麻木, fever, 或者无意中减肥, 你应该马上给你的医生打电话.

我能预防颈部和背部疼痛吗?

以下方法可能有助于预防背部和颈部疼痛:

• Practice correct lifting techniques: avoid heavy lifting; when you do lift something, bend your legs, keep your back straight, 然后慢慢抬起你的身体和物体.

• 正确使用电话、电脑和其他设备.

• 坐、站、睡都要保持正确的姿势.

• Exercise regularly. Learn specific back-strengthening exercises to keep your back muscles strong. 在做背部运动之前，先做一些伸展运动来热身.

• 做一些运动来提高你的平衡能力.

• Avoid smoking.

• 保持健康的体重

• 减少可能导致肌肉紧张的情绪压力.

• 确保你的饮食中有足够的维生素D和钙.

我应该什么时候给我的医疗服务提供者打电话?

如果您有以下情况，请咨询您的医疗保健提供者:

• 膀胱或肠道失控，双腿无力.  这些症状需要立即引起注意

• Severe back or neck pain that does not decrease with medication and rest

• 受伤或跌倒后的疼痛

• 四肢无力、麻木或刺痛

• Fever

• 无意中减肥

Key points

• Back and neck problems range from minor aches to severe, disabling pain

• 通常，疼痛的原因无法确定.

• 如果你感到麻木或刺痛，去看医生, 剧烈的疼痛不能通过药物治疗和休息得到改善, difficulty urinating, weakness, pain, 或者腿麻木, fever, 无意中减肥, or pain after a fall.

• 通常，背部和颈部疼痛会随着时间的推移而改善. Consult with your health care provider if your pain is not decreasing.

• Use prevention strategies to keep yourself healthy and injury-free.

For severe, disabling, or chronic back pain, consider an individualized rehabilitation program.