While most cases of minor neck pain are the result of muscle strain or tension from everyday use—poor posture, sleeping in an odd position, bending over a desk too long—neck pain can also be a symptom of many different health issues. In many cases, there may not be one definitive cause.
The most recognized causes of neck pain include
- Muscle strain or tension
- Arthritis
- Ruptured or herniated disc
- Disc disorders
- Accidents and injury (whiplash, vertebral fractures)
- Meningitis
- Fibromyalgia
When to Seek Medical Advice
Call 911 if your neck pain is accompanied by a headache and fever or if your neck is so stiff that you cannot touch your chin to your chest. These may be symptoms of meningitis, a rare but very serious and contagious infection. Severe neck injury can be life-threatening. If you sustain a neck injury and experience numbness, weakness or a tingling sensation, call 911.
Most neck pain gradually improves with home treatment and self-care within a few days to two weeks. If your pain has lasted longer than two weeks or you experience any of the symptoms below, see your healthcare provider.
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience:
- Numbness or tingling in your arm or hand
- Shooting pain radiating to your shoulder
- Change in bladder or bowel habits
- Severe pain from an injury
- Loss of strength or weakness in an arm, leg or walking with a stiff leg
- Swollen glands or a lump in your neck
Treatment
Home Care
Most neck pain responds well to self-care. With proper home treatment, you should begin to feel better within a few days to one week after the onset of pain. If the pain persists or gets worse, alert your healthcare provider.
Follow these self-care guidelines for minor neck pain caused by muscle strain or tension:
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), unless otherwise advised by your doctor.
- Apply heat and/or ice to the affected area. Use ice during the first 48-72 hours, then switch to heat. You can apply heat with hot showers, hot compresses or a heating pad, though be careful not to fall asleep with a heating pad on.
- Perform slow exercises to increase your range of motion. Very slowly stretch your neck muscles by moving your head up and down, side to side, and from ear to ear.
- Have someone gently massage your neck and shoulders.
- Try sleeping on a firm mattress without a pillow, or use a special neck pillow.
Non-Surgical Treatments
If after two weeks, self-care at home has not reduced or eliminated your neck pain—or if your pain gets significantly worse—visit your healthcare provider. Your physician may suggest other treatments including:
- Physical therapy. Physical therapy for neck pain usually consists of heat and ice combined with a stretching and muscle-strengthening program.
- Pain medications. If over-the-counter pain medications do not relieve your neck pain, your physician may prescribe something stronger. Opioid analgesics are sometimes used for a short period to treat acute neck pain. Your doctor may also prescribe a muscle relaxant or tricyclic antidepressant.
- Traction. Under supervision of a healthcare professional and physical therapist, this treatment may provide relatively fast relief for some neck pain. Relief can last hours or days.
- Electrical stimulation. Your physician or physical therapist may use transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to treat persistent neck pain. During a TENS treatment, electrodes are placed on your skin and a weak electrical current is passed through to your nerve pathways. TENS is safe and painless, but it may not work for everyone.
- Corticosteroid medication. Though research about corticosteroid’s effectiveness is inconclusive, these drugs have helped some people suffering from neck pain. Corticosteroids may be administered orally or via injection into the space around the nerve roots.
- Short-term immobilization. Your physician may ask you to wear a soft cervical collar that will support your neck without straining your muscles.
Surgical Treatments
Surgery is rarely needed for neck pain. It is often used to relieve nerve root or spinal cord compression, which may be the cause of neck pain in some people.
Surgical options at the Spine Center at Mission
