Neck pain

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Neck pain

Pain - neck; Neck stiffness

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 - 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.

• 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.
• You have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm or hand.
• Your neck pain was caused by a fall, blow, or injury (if you cannot move your arm or hand, have someone call 911).
• You have swollen glands or a lump in your neck.
• Your pain does not respond to standard doses of over-the-counter pain medication.

Your doctor will perform a physical examination and ask detailed questions about your neck pain, such as:

• Is your pain in the front, back, or side of your neck?
• Are both sides of your neck affected equally?
• When did the pain first develop?
• Is it painful all the time or does pain come and go?
• Can you touch your chin to your chest?
• What makes your neck feel worse? What makes your neck feel better?
• Do you have neck weakness or neck stiffness?
• Do you have any accompanying symptoms like numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm or hand?
• Do you have swollen glands or a lump in your neck?

• X-rays of the neck
• CT scan of the neck or head
• Blood tests such as a complete blood count or a thyroid test
• A spinal tap for a cerebrospinal fluid analysis if meningitis is suspected
• Occasionally, an MRI of the neck