Some Causes and Features of Neck Pain
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Cause |
Common Features* |
Tests |
More common but less serious causes |
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Pain that |
A doctor's examination |
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Muscle spasms |
Constant pain and stiffness, causing difficulty or pain when the head is turned one way or the other (sometimes both ways) No symptoms of nervous system malfunction (neurologic symptoms) |
A doctor's examination |
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Osteoarthritis (without compression of the spinal nerve root) |
Pain that Often in people with arthritis in the joints of fingers, hips, and/or knees |
A doctor's examination Sometimes neck x-rays |
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Cervical spondylosis (with compression of the spinal nerve root) |
Pain that Sometimes weakness and/or numbness in the arms |
MRI of the neck |
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A herniated disk (typically with compression of the spinal nerve root) |
Same as for cervical spondylosis, above except neck pain can be as severe or more severe than the arm pain |
MRI of the neck |
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Aching and stiffness in many areas of the body (not just the neck) Sore areas that are tender to the touch Often poor sleep Most common among women aged 20 to 50 |
A doctor's examination |
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Less common but more serious causes |
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A tear in the lining of a neck artery |
Usually constant head, neck, or facial pain Usually neurologic symptoms such as loss of balance or taste, confusion, weakness of an arm and leg on the same side of the body, and difficulty swallowing, speaking, and/or seeing |
MRA (an MRI with injection of dye to allow doctors to see the arteries in the neck) Angiography |
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Progressively worsening, constant pain (even at night), regardless of position or movement Sometimes night sweats or weight loss |
MRI Sometimes biopsy |
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Infection of bone or nearby tissues |
Progressively worsening, constant pain (even at night) regardless of position or movement Sometimes night sweats, fever, and/or weight loss |
MRI Usually culture of a sample of infected tissue |
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Severe headache Neck pain that worsens when the head is bent forward, but not when rotated side-to-side Usually fever, lethargy, and/or confusion |
A spinal tap (lumbar puncture) and analysis of spinal fluid |
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A heart attack or angina |
Sudden and sometimes recurring sweating, difficulty breathing, and/or chest discomfort Usually risk factors for heart disease Usually also pain in the chest |
Electrocardiography, blood tests to measure substances called cardiac markers to check for heart damage, and/or imaging tests such as cardiac catheterization or stress testing |
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* Features include symptoms and results of the doctor's examination. Features mentioned are typical but not always present. |
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MRA = magnetic resonance angiography; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging. |
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