Pain - neck

Alternative names

Neck pain; Neck stiffness

Considerations

Neck pain may originate from any of the structures in the neck. These include muscles and nerves as well as spinal vertebrae and the cushioning discs in between. Neck pain may also come from regions near the neck, like the shoulder, jaw, head, and upper arms.

When your neck is sore, you may have difficulty moving it, especially to one side. Many people describe this as having a stiff neck.

If neck pain involves nerves (for example, significant muscle spasm pinching on a nerve or a slipped disc pressing on a nerve), you may feel numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm, hand, or elsewhere.

Common Causes

Common neck pain is from muscle strain or tension. Usually, everyday activities are responsible. Such activities include bending over a desk for hours, having poor posture while watching TV or reading, placing your computer monitor too high or too low, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, or twisting and turning the neck in a jarring manner while exercising.

Traumatic accidents or falls can cause severe neck injuries like vertebral fractures, whiplash, blood vessel destruction, and even paralysis.

Other causes include a herniated disc, fibromyalgia (pain syndrome throughout the body), and arthritis. Meningitis, although much less common, can cause significant neck stiffness.

Home Care

For minor, common causes of neck pain:

• Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
  
• Apply heat or ice to the painful area. One good method is to use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, then use heat after that. Heat may be applied with hot showers, hot compresses, or a heating pad. Be careful not to fall asleep with a heating pad on.
  
• Perform slow range-of-motion exercises - up and down, side to side, and from ear to ear - to gently stretch the neck muscles.
  
• Have a partner gently massage the sore or painful areas.
  
• Try sleeping on a firm mattress without a pillow or with a special neck pillow.
  

Call your health care provider if

• One week of self care hasn't helped.
  
• You have a fever and headache, and your neck is so stiff that you cannot touch your chin to your chest. (This may be Meningitis - call 911 or get to a hospital.)