Neck Pain

You may feel a knot, stiffness, or severe pain in your neck. The pain may be worse when you move. It may spread to your shoulders, upper back, or arms. You may get a headache. You may not be able to move or turn your head and neck easily.

If there is pressure on a spinal nerve root, you might have pain that shoots down your arm. You may also have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm. You may also have a burning feeling when you are touched on the skin of the arm or hand. There might also be pain that feels like a shock and extends into your arm or hand.

If your neck pain is long-lasting (chronic), you may have trouble coping with daily life. Common side effects of chronic pain include fatigue, depression, and anxiety.

Neck pain can be caused by:

• An activity that harms the neck.
• An injury.
• Another medical condition.

Sometimes neck pain may not have a clear cause.

Activities that cause neck pain

Neck pain can be caused by activities that involve repeated or prolonged movements of the neck. This can result in a strain (an overstretched or overused muscle), a sprain (injury to a ligament), or a spasm of the neck muscles.

These activities include:

• Holding your head in a forward or odd position for long periods of time while you work, read, watch TV, or talk on the phone.
• Sleeping on a pillow that is too high or too flat or that doesn't support your neck, or sleeping on your stomach with your neck twisted or bent.
• Spending long periods of time resting your head on your upright fist or arm.
• Work or exercise that uses the upper body and arms, such as painting a ceiling or other overhead work.

Injuries that cause neck pain

Minor injuries may occur from tripping or falling a short distance or from too much motion of the cervical spine.

Severe neck injuries may occur from:

• Whiplash in a car accident.
• Falls from great heights.
• Direct blows to the face or to the back or top of the head.
• Sports-related accidents.

Medical conditions that cause neck pain

Certain medical problems can cause neck pain. These include:

• Problems related to aging, such as:
• Narrowing of the spinal canal (cervical spinal stenosis).
• Arthritis of the neck (cervical spondylosis).
• Chronic conditions, such as:
• Fibromyalgia.
• Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Ankylosing spondylitis.

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and do a physical exam. He or she may also ask about any previous treatment you've had, as well as any injuries, illnesses, or activities that may be causing your neck pain.

During the physical exam, your doctor will check how well you can move your neck. He or she will also look for tenderness or numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms or hands.

If your pain started after an injury, or if it doesn't improve after a few weeks, your doctor may want to do more tests. Imaging tests, such as an X-ray, an MRI scan, or a CT scan, can show the neck muscles and tissues. These tests may be done to check the neck bones, spinal discs, spinal nerve roots, and spinal cord. You may have blood tests to check for an illness or infection.

The type of treatment you need depends on the cause of your neck pain. Most neck pain caused by activities can be treated at home.

For neck pain that occurs suddenly:

• Use a heating pad on a low or medium setting for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. Or you can try an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.
• Avoid more neck injury by changing some habits, such as how you sit or sleep.
• Work with a physical therapist, chiropractor, or osteopathic doctor for exercises or manual therapy. Massage or yoga may help.

Ask your doctor if you can take an anti-inflammatory medicine for pain.

For chronic neck pain, your doctor may prescribe medicine to relax your neck muscles, relieve pain, or help you sleep. Acupuncture may also help with your pain and relieve tension in your neck.