Your symptoms will depend on the cause of your painful neck and how serious it is. Most neck pain starts suddenly and usually improves after a couple of days. This is known as acute (short-term) neck pain. The pain begins in your neck and may spread to your head and shoulders, or down an arm.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Barry M, Jenner JR.
ABC of rheumatology: pain in neck, shoulder and arm.
BMJ. 1995; 310: 183-186.

 

 

 

 

 

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Your arm or hand may also feel numb, weak or tingling. You should tell your doctor if you get these symptoms, as they may mean you have a problem with a nerve in your neck.

You might also have a slipped disk pressing on a nerve (a disk is the spongy pad between the bones in your neck). Or a muscle spasm might be pinching a nerve.

Some people get neck pain that doesn't go away. This is called chronic (long-term) neck pain. The pain may get worse from time to time. For some people, the pain is so bad that it keeps them awake at night.

Sometimes people get neck pain that is caused by something more serious. You should see your doctor right away if:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: neck pain.
August 2009. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003025.htm (accessed on 3 September 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

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