Neck stiffness/pain (patient information)

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How do I know if I have neck stiffness/pain and what are the symptoms of neck stiffness/pain?

Neck stiffness/pain itself is a symptom. It can appear in many diseases. The characteristics of neck stiffness/pain is the following;

• Pain: Pain often occurs after activities such as in reading neapaper, watching TV, using computer.
• Muscle strain and tenderness
• Neck stiffness in the mornings

Who is at risk for neck stiffness/pain?

• Bad everyday habits and postures: Chronic neck stiffness/pain is caused by everyday activities, including having poor posture while watching TV or reading, placing your computer monitor too high or too low, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, bending over a desk for hours, or twisting and turning the neck in a jarring manner while exercising.
• Trauma and injury
• Degenerative changes in neck such as osteomyelitis, herniated disk
• Fibromyalgia
• Infection of the spine, such as abscess, meningitis
• Immune system diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), polymyalgia rheumatica
• Neurological diseases such as stroke, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis
• Cancer that involves the spine

How to know you have neck stiffness/pain?

The goal of tests is to identify the cause of your neck stiffness/pain and to treat certain disease.

• Medical history and physical examination
• Blood tests including CBC, rheumatoid factors, ESR, may supply clues for Immune system diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis
• Neck images such as x-ray, CT, MRI: These tests can show the structure of the cervical spine and muscle. They may help doctor diagnose fructure, tumor and other disorders.
• Head images such as CT and MRI: When the doctor suspect that your neck stiffness/pain is one of the symptoms of brain disease such as stroke, head images may be ordered.
• Whole bone scan: Bone scan is needed when the doctor suspect cancer spreads from other parts of the body to the neck bones. Abnormal concentrations in the cervical spine may be detected.
• Lumbar puncture: When your pain is suspected meningitis, the doctor may order this test. During this procedure, the patient lies on the side, with knees pulled up toward the chest, and chin tucked downward. After injecting the anesthetic into the lower spine, the doctor insert a spinal needle into the lower back area to measure CSF pressure and collect a sample. The patient is often asked to lie down for a while after the process.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider if symptoms of neck stiffness/pain develop. If you experience either of the following symptoms, seeking urgent medical care as soon as possible. It may suggest a serious problem.

• Severe pain
• Neck stiffness/pain after a severe trauma or injury, especially it gets worse
• Neck stiffness/pain with fever, headache, confusion, seizures, double vision, numbness, paralysis or trouble speaking
• Neck stiffness/pain with losing control over urine or stool
• Neck stiffness/pain accomanying with difficulty swallowing or breathing

Treatment options

Treatment of stiffness depends on the underlying cause.

• Treat underlying cause, such as antibiotics for bacterial meningitis, surgery for trauma or fracture, surgery or medications for stroke.
• For chronic neck stiffness/pain, the following treatment may be helpful.

• Medications

  Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS): NSAIDs relieve pain by reducing the inflammation that causes the pain. Usual drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.

  • Muscle relaxants: For severe muscular neck stiffness/pain, muscle relaxants such as baclofen or valium may be considered.
  • Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids such as depomedrol or prednisone can also beused to decrease inflammatory reaction.

• Heart treatment: Light heat may relax your neck stiffness.
• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Physical therapy

Where to find medical care for neck stiffness/pain?

Directions to Hospitals Treating neck stiffness/pain

Copyleft Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003025.htm

http://www.ecureme.com/emyhealth/data/Neck_Pain.asp

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/neckpains.htm

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/stiff_neck.htm