Pinched nerves, infections, fractures, and spinal cord problems can also cause neck pain.
Musculoskeletal-Related Causes of Neck Pain
Most cases ofneck painare due to a musculoskeletal problem.
The initial pain of a neck strain is often reported as sharp or knife-like.
Illustration by Alexandra Gordon, Verywell
As time goes on, the pain often becomes more aching or throbbing in quality.
Besides pain, other symptoms of a neck strain include stiffness and muscle spasms.
As the cartilage in your neck continues to wear down, bony growths (bone spurs) may develop.
These take up space and may eventually place pressure on nerves that run down the spine.
Compressed nerves can then lead to numbness, tingling, and electrical sensations in the arms and shoulders.
Overall, cervical spondylosis is an extremely common condition, especially in middle to older-aged individuals.
The pain is usually deep and aching.
Nerve-Related Causes of Neck Pain
In addition to musculoskeletal conditions, nerve problems may cause neck pain.
Sometimes the pain occurs in the chest, breast, or face.
Pins-and-needles sensation, numbness, and weakness may also occur in the arms.
Symptoms other than neck pain can also be present depending on the location of the infection.
Cancer
Certainhead and neck cancers, such assalivary gland cancer, may cause neck pain.
This life-threatening condition is usually due to trauma, including unnoticed minor trauma.
It leads to astrokeortransient ischemic attackin more than 50% of cases.
Neck pain from acute trauma is usually seen in an emergency room and requires a faster pace of care.
Neurological Examination
A neurological exam will be done in most cases of neck pain.
One test, called theSpurling test or maneuver, is very useful for showing the signs of cervical radiculopathy.
The test is positive if the maneuver reproduces the pain or other sensory disturbances like tingling.
Another maneuver your provider may do is called theLhermitte’s sign.
This test checks to see if a person gets a shock-like sensation where their neck is flexed.
For example, amagnetic imaging resonance (MRI)of the cervical spine can look for cervical radiculopathy.
An MRI of the cervical spine is also done to check for infection or malignancy.
A cervical spineX-rayand/orcomputed tomography (CT)scan can confirm a suspected neck fracture or diagnose cervical spondylosis.
Differential Diagnoses for Neck Pain
Neck pain does not always come from your neck.
In these instances, there are usually other symptoms, too.
Sometimes, whole-body rheumatological conditionssuch asfibromyalgia,rheumatoid arthritis, andpolymyalgia rheumaticacause neck pain.
This can be followed by applying moist heatlike a warm bath or showerto your neck to loosen tight muscles.
If your pain is severe, you might need prescription medications for pain likeopioids.
Steroids work to alleviate pain, as well as reduce inflammation.
Complementary Therapies
Sometimes complementary therapies are used in conjunction with traditional medications or therapies to alleviate discomfort.
This pop in of surgery is usually done by an interventional cardiologist or vascular surgeon.
Some of the common ways to treat neck pain include OTC and prescription medications for pain and physical therapy.
Some causes of neck pain are more serious and need to be treated with surgery.
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