Cause | Common Features* | Tests |
---|---|---|
More common but less serious causes | ||
Sprains and strains | Pain that
| A doctor's examination |
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 |
Pain that
Often in people with arthritis in the joints of fingers, hips, and/or knees | A doctor's examination Sometimes neck x-rays | |
Pain that
Sometimes weakness and/or numbness in the arms | MRI of the neck | |
Limited range of neck motion Sometimes symptoms of spinal cord compression Compression Fractures of the Spine In a compression fracture of the spine, the drum-shaped part (body) of one or more back bones (vertebrae) collapses into itself and becomes squashed (compressed) into a wedge shape. Most compression... read more (for example, numbness or tingling in the arm, hand, leg or foot, weakness, loss of balance) | A doctor's examination Sometimes MRI of the neck Sometimes electromyography and nerve conduction studies | |
Same as for cervical spondylosis Cervical Spondylosis Cervical spondylosis is degeneration of the bones in the neck (vertebrae) and the disks between them, putting pressure on (compressing) the spinal cord in the neck. Osteoarthritis is the most... read more , above except neck pain can be as severe or more severe than the arm pain | MRI of the neck | |
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 | |
Less common but more serious causes | ||
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 |
Progressively worsening, constant pain (even at night), regardless of position or movement Sometimes night sweats or weight loss | MRI or CT Sometimes biopsy | |
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 |
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 | |
A heart attack Acute Coronary Syndromes (Heart Attack; Myocardial Infarction; Unstable Angina) Acute coronary syndromes result from a sudden blockage in a coronary artery. This blockage causes unstable angina or a heart attack (myocardial infarction), depending on the location and amount... read more or angina Angina Angina is temporary chest pain or a sensation of pressure that occurs while the heart muscle is not receiving enough oxygen. A person with angina usually has discomfort or pressure beneath the... read more | 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 |
* Features include symptoms and results of the doctor's examination. Features mentioned are typical but not always present. CT = computed tomography; MRA = magnetic resonance angiography; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging. |