Neck pain is a sharp stabbing feeling from the bottom of your head to the top of your shoulders. The pain may spread to your upper back and/or arms, hindering movement around your head and neck. Neck pain is common, especially for people past 50 years of age. But what causes it? Most neck pain is caused by activities that strain the neck. Hanging clothes, slouching, or sleeping with your neck twisted are some things that can cause neck pain. These may cause swelling of joints in the neck, muscle spasm, or just a constant strain in the neck area. Physical injuries such as falling off a chair or whiplash from a car accident can cause neck pain. Some less common medical problems can also lead to neck pain.
What are the symptoms? You may experience stiffness or a pain in your neck. The pain may spread to your shoulders, upper back, or arms or even get a headache. You may also have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm. If your neck pain lasts for a while, you may have trouble coping with daily life. This is called chronic pain.
Common side effects of chronic pain include depression, constant pain, and anxiety. How is neck pain diagnosed? If your pain started after an injury, or if it doesn’t improve after a few weeks, your doctor may want to do more tests. Imaging tests such as an X-ray, an MRI scan, or a CT scan can show the neck muscles and tissues. These tests may be done to check the neck bones, spinal discs, spinal nerve roots, and spinal cord.