Neck pain: Symptom

Date Updated: 10/22/2024

Definition

Neck pain is a common problem, affecting many adults at some time in their lives. Neck pain can involve just the neck and shoulders, or it might radiate down an arm. The pain can be dull or feel like an electric shock into the arm. Some symptoms, such as numbness or muscle weakness in an arm, can help pinpoint the cause of neck pain.

Causes

Some causes of neck pain include:

Cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis)
Cervical spondylosis
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)
Fibromyalgia
Herniated disk
Meningitis
Muscle strains (An injury to a muscle or to tissue that connects muscles to bones, called a tendon.)
Myofascial pain syndrome
Osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis)
Poor posture
Rheumatoid arthritis (a condition that can affect the joints and organs)
Sleeping in awkward positions or with too many or too few pillows
Spinal stenosis
Tension headache
Trauma from accidents or falls
Whiplash

When to see a doctor

Neck pain caused by muscle tension or strain often goes away on its own within a few days. Neck pain that continues longer than several weeks often responds to exercise, stretching, physical therapy and massage. Sometimes you may need steroid injections or even surgery to lessen neck pain.

Seek emergency medical care

Call 911 or have someone drive you to the emergency room if you have severe neck pain that's associated with:

Traumatic injury. Examples include car collisions, diving accidents or falls.
Muscle weakness. Weakness in an arm or leg or trouble walking may be a sign of a more serious problem.
Fever. If you have severe neck pain with a high fever, you might have an infection of the membrane covering your spinal cord and brain. This is called meningitis.

Schedule an office visit

Call your healthcare professional if you have neck pain that:

Worsens in spite of self-care.
Persists after several weeks of self-care.
Radiates down your arms or legs.
Is accompanied by headache, weakness, numbness or tingling.

Self-care

To help ease discomfort, try these self-care tips:

Ice or heat. Apply an ice pack or ice wrapped in a towel for up to 15 minutes several times a day during the first 48 hours. After that, use heat. Try taking a warm shower or using a heating pad on the low setting.
Stretching. Stretch your neck muscles by turning your neck gently from side to side and up and down.
Massage. During a massage, a trained professional kneads the muscles in the neck. Massage might help people with chronic neck pain get relief from tightened muscles.
Good posture. Practice good posture, especially if you sit at a computer all day. Keep your back supported, and make sure that your computer screen is at eye level. When using cellphones, tablets and other small screens, keep your head up. Hold the device straight out rather than bending your neck to look down at the device.