Neck pain on the left side

Probably, each of us several times in life faces such an unpleasant sensation as pain in the neck on the left. Such pain can be varied and is caused by a number of reasons. It is worth consulting a chiropractor or another doctor in the event that painful manifestations in the left part of the neck cause you long-term and very noticeable discomfort. Pay attention to how you sleep: in some cases, a bad pillow or head position during sleep directly affect the occurrence of pain. Often, the consequence of an incorrect neck position during sleep is stiffness of its movements. Stand under a hot shower and the likelihood that the pain will soon go away is quite high. Also, do not forget that pain in the neck on the left can be post-traumatic in nature or signal to us that the body is suffering from some disease.

Why does pain appear on the left side of the neck

During the examination, the doctor must first rule out the possibility of the following diseases, the symptom of which is pain in the neck on the left:

• Osteoarthritis (damage to the intervertebral joints causes pain that may be more localized on the left side of the neck)
• Osteochondrosis (severe pain, often also felt in the arm)
• Muscle spasm (most often occurs as a result of overexertion, hypothermia of the cervical spine, incorrect sleeping position, lifting heavy objects, carrying heavy objects for a long time)
• Herniated disc (usually occurs in the lower cervical spine)
• Spinal stenosis (leads to damage to the spinal cord, which is not always reflected in pain, but often leads to numbness in the limbs, disruption of the pelvic organs, general weakness)

Pain on the left side of the neck can also be associated with the following diseases:

1. Viral parotitis (in other words, “mumps”: during the disease, the lymph node on the left or right side of the neck, sometimes on both sides, becomes inflamed and enlarged, which leads to severe pain, especially when swallowing)
2. Brain tumors
3. Tumor of the cervical spine (in most cases, these are metastases from cancer of other organs: prostate, breast, lung, kidney, thyroid, melanoma; If pain in the cervical spine bothers a person throughout the day, is long-term and persistent, a tumor can be excluded)
4. Meningitis (inflammation of the membranes of the brain causes pain in the cervical region, especially when trying to tilt the head forward)
5. Retropharyngeal abscess
6. Acute thyroiditis (the disease is quite rare, cases of purulent thyroiditis are known)
7. Tuberculosis
8. Osteomyelitis, etc.

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Be careful with your neck

Not only terrible diseases can provoke a feeling of pain in the neck on the left. Most often there are cases when the cause is the wrong position of the head during sleep, a sharp turn of the neck, being in a draft. In such cases, other unpleasant sensations are often added to the pain: nausea, dizziness, limited ability to turn the head. A good massage and manual therapy will help get rid of such pain. Make sure that your sleeping place and workplace do not pose a hidden threat to your neck. Check if the pillow you sleep on is good enough. Pay attention to whether there are drafts in the room where you work. Perhaps the pain in the neck on the left is caused by excessive strain on the left arm - a sharp rise or prolonged carrying of heavy objects. But we strongly advise against self-medication. If you have pain in the left side of the neck, a chiropractor, traumatologist, rheumatologist, neurologist or oncologist can help.

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