Everything You Need to Know About Neck Pain
When is a pain in the neck more than just a pain in the neck? When is it a sign that something more serious may be involved?
Typically, neck pain is caused by a muscle strain, and one side of the neck may experience more pain than the other. But when neck pain is accompanied by other symptoms, it may be cause for concern. Here’s why:
- Neck pain with vomiting and stiffness may indicate meningitis. If you cannot touch your chin to your chest and experience drowsiness, confusion and/or sensitivity to bright lights, call a medical professional right away.
- Neck pain with weakness in the arms and tingling in the fingers may indicate a herniated disc, which is pressure on a nerve root due to a narrowing of the spinal cord canal.
- Neck pain after a car accident is usually referred to as whiplash. When you’re in a car that is hit from behind, the neck tends to snap suddenly forward and then backward, causing what is known as cervical acceleration/deceleration (CAD) trauma or syndrome.