Pain in the neck can be more than just a hassle. Neck pain can come from disorders and diseases of any structure in the neck. There are seven vertebrae that are the bony building blocks of the spine in the neck (the cervical vertebrae) that surround the spinal cord and canal. Between these vertebrae are discs and nearby pass the nerves of the neck. Within the neck, structures include the neck muscles, arteries, veins, lymph glands, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, esophagus, larynx, and trachea. Disease of any of these structures can lead to neck pain, including cervical spinal stenosis, myofascial pain, ankylosing spondylitis, spinal tumor (rare), cervical foraminal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.
Neck pain is medically referred to as cervicalgia.
Neck pain can be associated with
- headaches,
- neck soreness,
- sharp pain,
- stress,
- radiating pain,
- numbness and tingling in the arms,
- muscle pain,
- fever,
- stiff neck,
- throat pain,
- tenderness,
- loss of bowel or bladder control,
- difficulty lifting or gripping, and
- weakness of the arms.
A review of our Patient Comments indicated that people with neck pain may also have coexisting symptoms. Some patients reported suffering headaches, neck stiffness and tenderness, and shoulder aches, while others felt as if their neck muscles were bruised or having muscle spasms. Others mentioned feeling groggy and tired. Read on to learn more about neck pain symptoms in our Patient Comments.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.
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Causes of Neck Pain
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Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine. The tendency to develop ankylosing...
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Arthritis
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Broken Bone (Types of Bone Fractures)
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Degenerative Disc Disease & Sciatica
Degenerative disc disease makes the disc more susceptible to herniation (rupture) which can lead to localized or radiating pain....
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Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH or Forestier's disease) is a form of degenerative arthritis. It is characterized...
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Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and tender points. Stress...
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Head and Neck Cancer
Head and neck cancer is cancer of the oral cavity, salivary glands, paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, or lymph...
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Herniated Disc
A herniated disc may be caused by injury or degeneration from age. Symptoms depend on the location of the herniation and whether...
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Meningitis
Encephalitis is a brain inflammation that causes sudden fever, vomiting, headache, light sensitivity, stiff neck and back,...
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Occipital Neuralgia (Headache)
Occipital neuralgia is a type of headache that involves inflammation or irritation of occipital nerves. Signs and symptoms...
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Osteoarthritis (OA)
Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of cartilage in the joints. Also...
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Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve causes pain, numbness, or tingling in the affected area due to pressure on a nerve. Caral tunnel and sciatica are...
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Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a disorder of the muscles and joints that causes pain and stiffness in the arms, neck, shoulders,...
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Relapsing Polychondritis
Relapsing polychondritis is an uncommon, chronic disorder of the cartilage that is characterized by recurrent episodes of...
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Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints,...
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Shingles
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a painful rash caused by the varicella zoster virus. Other shingles symptoms include headache,...
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Shoulder and Neck Pain
Shoulder and neck pain may be caused by bursitis, a pinched nerve, whiplash, tendinitis, a herniated disc, or a rotator cuff...
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Sprains and Strains
An injury to a ligament is called a sprain, and an injury to muscle or tendon is called a strain. Sprains and strains may be...
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Strep Throat (Treatment, Causes, Home Remedies)
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat. Signs and symptoms of strep throat include headache, nausea,...
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Thyroid Cancer
There are four major types of thyroid cancer: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. Tumors on the...
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Toothache
A toothache is a pain on or around a tooth. It may be caused by a variety of things from a cavity, abscess, or even sinusitis....
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Whiplash
Whiplash is a common injury to a person's neck following a car accident (in most cases). Symptoms include: headache, neck...
Other Causes of Neck Pain
- Carotidynia
- Neck Gland Inflammation
- Nerve Entrapment in Neck
- Retropharyngeal Abscess
- Septic Disciitis (Rare)
- Torticollis
- Trachea Inflammation (From Anesthesia Intubation, etc.)
- Virus Infection
Examples of Medications for Neck Pain
- acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tylenol Arthritis Pain, Tylenol Ext, Little Fevers Children's Fever/Pain)
- aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, Bayer, Ecotrin, and others)
- celecoxib (Celebrex)
- hydrocodone/acetaminophen, Vicodin, Vicodin ES, Vicodin HP, Anexsia, Lortab, Lorcet, Lorcet Plus, No
- ibuprofen (Advil, Children's Advil/Motrin, Medipren, Motrin, Nuprin, PediaCare Fever, and others)
- naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn)
- Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
- OTC Pain Relievers and Fever Reducers
- rofecoxib, Vioxx
- Tramadol: for Pain (Ultram, Ultram ER, Conzip)
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