Symptoms

• Neck pain due to strained muscles cause these symptoms:
  • The head is often cocked to one side
  • Can't bend the head backward or put the chin to each shoulder. Often, can still bend the neck forward (touch the chin to the chest).
  • The neck muscles are often sore to the touch

Causes of Neck Pain

• Strained Neck Muscles. New neck pain is often due to stretched neck muscles (muscle overuse). The most common cause is working with the head flexed down (bent forward). This happens with texting, looking at smartphones and mobile devices. Reading while lying in bed or working on a computer for hours can trigger neck pain. The neck likes to keep the head in a neutral position. This is because the head is heavy. Other triggers are sleeping in an odd position or fixing something on the ceiling (neck bent backward).
• Swollen Lymph Node. This can be from an infected lymph node. That can irritate and cause spasms of the neck muscle it lies against.
• Whiplash Injury is caused by sudden movement of the head and neck. The head snaps back and forth. Neck muscles, nerves and ligaments are stretched. Can occur with a rear-end car collision. Can also be from a sports injury. Needs to be checked by a doctor.
• Arthritis of the Spine. The neck and spine can have wear-and-tear changes. This causes the neck to get stiff and painful; it limits movement. Arthritis can also lead to nerves being pinched as the channels they pass through become narrow. This may cause pain that goes into the shoulder or down the arm. It can also cause dizziness when the head is turned or the neck is bent down.
• Major Neck Injury (serious). The neck protects the spinal cord. A fracture or other injury of the neck can damage the spinal cord. All neck injuries need to be kept still (immobilized) on a spine board with a neck brace until they are checked and cleared.
• Meningitis (very serious) is a bacterial infection of the membrane that covers the spinal cord and brain. The main symptoms are a stiff neck, headache, confusion and fever. A stiff neck means you can't touch the chin to the chest. If not treated early, meningitis can cause brain damage.
• Cardiac Pain (serious). Pain from heart (cardiac) problems can spread to the neck, shoulder or jaw. Other symptoms are heavy feeling in the chest, shortness of breath and/or sweating. If you have pain in your neck or jaw and the cause is not clear, it could be a heart problem. Seek help right away.
• Cervical Radiculopathy (serious). This happens when the main nerves going down the arm are pinched at the neck. It can feel like severe arm pain or loss of feeling and weakness.
• Other Serious Causes of Neck Pain:
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Bone disorders
  • Cancer
  • Serious injuries

Pain Scale

• Mild: you feel some pain, but it doesn't keep you from any normal activities. Work, activities and sleep are not changed.
• Moderate: the pain keeps you from doing some normal activities. It may wake you up from sleep.
• Severe: the pain is very bad. It keeps you from doing all normal activities.

When to Call for Neck Pain or Stiffness

Care Advice for Strained Neck Muscles

What You Should Know about Neck Pain:

• Most new neck pain is from stretching and turning the neck muscles too much. Muscle overuse causes strained neck muscles.
• Long periods of looking down is a common cause of neck pain. Seen mainly with texting or looking down at mobile devices.
• When muscle pain starts without reason, it can be from sleeping in an awkward position.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Pain Medicine:

• To help with the pain, take an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil). Ibuprofen works well for this type of pain.
• Use as needed, but do not take more than the maximum recommended dosage as stated on the package.
• If you are not sure what to take, ask a pharmacist.

Cold Pack for Pain:

• During the first 2 days, use a cold pack or ice wrapped in a wet cloth.
• Put it on the sore area for 20 minutes.
• Repeat 4 times on the first day, then as needed.
• Reason: reduces pain and any spasm.
• Caution: avoid frostbite by wrapping the ice pack. Do not put ice directly onto the skin.

Use Heat after 48 Hours:

• If pain lasts more than 2 days, put heat on the sore area.
• Use a heat pack, heating pad or warm wet washcloth.
• Do this for 10 minutes, then as needed.
• Reason: increases blood flow and improves healing.
• Caution: avoid burns by wrapping the heat pack. Do not put it directly onto the skin.

Sleep Position:

• Sleep on the back or side, not the stomach. Reason: sleeping face down puts stress on the neck muscles.
• Sleeping with a neck collar helps some people.
• Use a foam neck collar (from a drug store). If don't have one, wrap a small towel around the neck.
• Reason: keeps the head from moving too much during sleep.

Activity:

• Protect the neck. Avoid any activity that makes the pain worse.
• After 48 hours, start a gentle stretching program.

Stretching Exercises:

• Do 3 minutes of gentle stretching exercises each day. Reason: improve the tone of the neck muscles.
• Touch the chin to each shoulder. Touch the ear to each shoulder. Move the head forward and backward.
• Don't apply any resistance during these stretching exercises.

What to Expect:

• New neck pain without a reason most often goes away in a few days.
• Neck pain from muscle overuse (strained neck muscles) goes away in 1 to 2 weeks.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Neck pain becomes severe
• Stiff neck occurs
• Pain starts to shoot down the arms, upper back or legs
• Pain lasts more than 2 weeks
• You think you need to be seen
• Your pain gets worse

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.




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