Neck pain

Category: Muscles, Bones & Joints · All muscles & joints symptoms

What it can feel like

Neck pain is pain in and around the neck, often with stiffness and reduced turning of the head. It is commonly muscular — sleeping awkwardly, desk posture, stress — and usually settles over days to a few weeks. Neck stiffness takes on a different meaning when fever joins it.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Neck pain can be associated with muscle strain, poor sleeping position, prolonged screen posture, whiplash after a car accident, and age-related wear of the neck joints and discs.

Other possible causes

Neck pain can also be associated with a trapped nerve causing arm pain, and — with fever and feeling unwell — with meningitis. Neck pain after major trauma, or with arm weakness, needs prompt assessment.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Neck stiffness with fever, headache, light sensitivity or a non-fading rash — emergency (possible meningitis)
Neck pain after a significant injury, especially with arm weakness or numbness
Neck pain with weakness or clumsiness in the hands, or unsteadiness walking
Neck pain with unexplained weight loss or a history of cancer

What a clinician may do

A clinician will examine neck movement, arm strength, reflexes and sensation, and ask about trauma, fever and neurological symptoms. Most neck pain is managed with activity, heat and time; imaging and referral follow warning patterns or persistent nerve symptoms.

Watch: related videos

Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.

▶ WatchNeck painWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchNeck pain overviewWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchNeck pain caused by wisdom tooth extractionWatch on MedicalVideos.com

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Frequently asked questions

Why ask about my hands for neck pain?

The spinal cord passes through the neck, and compression can show first in the hands — clumsiness, dropping things, difficulty with buttons — and in unsteady walking. Those signs change neck pain from a muscular problem into a cord problem needing imaging.

Is cracking my neck dangerous?

Self-manipulation clicking is common and usually just joint gas release. Forceful neck manipulation by others carries a small, debated risk to the arteries of the neck; gentle movement and exercises are the safer mainstay for ordinary neck pain.

Related symptoms — Muscles, Bones & Joints

A joint that locks or gives way Aching and stiffness in the shoulders and hips Aching muscles Ankle pain Back pain Elbow pain

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.