What Is Neck Pain? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Neck pain is a common complaint that can be caused by a variety of different health conditions. It can range from mild to severe, with more severe cases possibly indicating a serious underlying problem.

Your neck and upper back (cervical spine) consist of seven vertebral bones that support your head. These bones are separated by vertebral discs, and are reinforced by a network of muscles and ligaments (connective tissue). A problem with any of these structures, or with nerves in or near your neck, can cause neck pain.

Mild to moderate neck pain can usually be treated at home and improves within a couple of weeks, but it’s important to seek immediate medical attention if you develop severe neck pain suddenly due to an injury, such as after a car accident or a fall. You should also consult a healthcare provider if, in addition to neck pain, you’re also experiencing numbness or loss of strength in your arms or hands, or a shooting pain down your arm.

Signs and Symptoms of Neck Pain

Neck pain may be characterized by the following symptoms:

  • Persistent aching
  • Stabbing pain
  • Burning or tingling
  • Tenderness or sensitivity to mild pressure

  • Pain that gets worse when you hold your head in one place for a while
  • Muscle tightness or spasms

Neck pain can be axial (limited mostly to the neck) or radicular (extending to areas such as the shoulders or arms). It may be accompanied by a headache, or by numbness or tingling in one or both arms.

Neck pain can also be acute, lasting days to weeks, or chronic, lasting longer than three months to several years.

Causes and Risk Factors of Neck Pain

Neck pain can be caused by various health conditions, including the following:

  • Strained muscles
  • Arthritis
  • Herniated disc, disc degeneration
  • Pinched nerves and bone spurs (nerve compression)
  • Trauma or injury

  • Growths, including tumors and cysts (in rare cases)

The following factors are known to increase the risk of developing neck pain:

  • Older age
  • Mental stress
  • Strenuous physical activity
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Being a woman

  • Driving or traveling long distances
  • Working long hours at a computer
  • Hunching your neck down often, such as to look at your phone
  • Carrying heavy bags on shoulder straps
  • Poor alignment while sleeping
  • Smoking

How Is Neck Pain Diagnosed?

Your doctor will diagnose your condition on the basis of a personal medical history and a physical exam. During this exam, your doctor will check for tenderness, numbness, and weakness in your neck.

Your doctor will also ask about your regular activities, as well as any previous injuries that may have contributed to the problem, such as a herniated disc.

In some cases, you doctor may decide that imaging tests of your neck are needed, such as the following:

X-Ray This test can reveal degenerative changes that may be putting pressure on nerves.

Computed Tomography (CT) Scan This test combines X-ray images to create a detailed cross-section of structures in your neck.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Magnetic field and radio waves create detailed images of areas of your body.

Other tests that may help with diagnosis include:

Nerve Conduction Study This procedure measures nerve impulses when a small amount of electrical current is applied, in order to detect damaged nerves.

Electromyography (EMG) This test involves inserting a needle electrode into muscles to measure their electrical activity, to help detect damage to nerves leading to muscles.

Blood Tests Certain markers of inflammation or infection may help identify conditions that contribute to neck pain.

Prognosis of Neck Pain

How severe your neck pain is, how long it lasts, and how likely it is to resolve on its own will depend on the underlying condition causing your pain.

If your neck pain is due to a strained muscle, it will most likely respond to self-care and get better with time.

But more serious conditions may require sustained treatment, procedures, and possibly surgery to see significant improvement.

Duration of Neck Pain

Neck pain can be acute, lasting days to weeks, or chronic, lasting for 12 weeks or longer. How long your pain lasts will depend on the underlying cause and its severity.

If your neck pain lasts longer than a few days or gets worse, or if it interferes with your daily life, it’s a good idea to see your doctor.

Treatment and Medication Options for Neck Pain

Recommended treatments for neck pain vary with the cause of your pain. In general, the goals of treatment are to relieve pain and improve function.

Most forms of mild to moderate neck pain respond well to self-care and conservative treatments, usually within two to three weeks. If your pain still isn’t resolved, your doctor may recommend other treatments.

Self-care options that may help resolve neck pain include:

  • Taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers
  • Using heat or ice packs, or alternating between both
  • Gentle stretches and neck exercises
  • Rest

When to See a Doctor

You should call your doctor if you have persistent neck pain that interferes with your work or daily activities.

While neck pain usually isn’t a medical emergency, you should seek immediate medical attention if any of the following applies to your pain:

  • It develops after an accident or trauma.
  • It occurs with numbness or tingling in your arms, shoulders, or legs.
  • It occurs with weakness in your arms or legs.
  • You experience a headache, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.
  • You experience loss of bladder or bowel control.
  • You have chills, fever, or unexplained weight loss.

Medication Options

Common OTC medications to help relieve neck pain include acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil).

If OTC options aren’t strong enough for your pain, your doctor may consider prescribing or administering the following medications:

Physical Therapy

Some conditions that cause neck pain, including strained muscles, may benefit from physical therapy.

A physical therapist can teach you exercises to help strengthen muscles in your neck, as well as help you correct your posture and alignment.

The following treatments may also be administered by a physical therapist or other therapist:

  • Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) This therapy delivers electrical impulses through the skin to help relieve pain.
  • Traction This therapy uses a specialized device to gently stretch your neck. It may help if nerve root irritation is the cause of your pain.

Surgery

Surgery is rarely needed for neck pain, but it may be recommended if you have nerve root or spinal cord compression. For these conditions, surgery involves removing tissue that is pressing against nerves.

Surgery may be performed to repair damaged or compressed discs in your spine, or to fuse vertebrae when repairing discs isn’t possible.

Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Alternative therapies that may help with neck pain include:


One study from 2015 of 517 patients found that those receiving two types of complementary therapies — acupuncture and the Alexander Technique — reported significantly less neck pain a year later compared to those using more standard approaches.

In general, though, there is not a lot of high-quality research on alternative therapies for neck pain, especially around Internet claims about the “wonders” of certain herbs and supplements. It’s best to discuss any potential alternative approaches to managing your neck pain with your doctor, reviewing the potential risks and benefits.

Prevention of Neck Pain

Not all neck pain can be prevented, but maintaining good posture — keeping your shoulders straight over your hips and your ears right above your shoulders — can help reduce your chances of developing neck pain.

Other simple modifications can also help:

  • If you work at a desk, adjust your setup so your computer monitor is at eye level and your knees are slightly lower than your hips when you’re sitting.
  • Avoid carrying heavy bags over your shoulder.
  • Sleep with your head and neck in alignment with the rest of your body. The Mayo Clinic recommends you try to sleep on your back with your thighs elevated on pillows in order to flatten your spinal muscles.

Complications of Neck Pain

Neck pain can make it difficult to accomplish daily tasks, from driving a car to typing on a computer or doing kitchen tasks.

While it’s unlikely that most forms of neck pain will lead to long-term damage, it’s a good idea to see your doctor if you have pain that lasts longer than a few days or gets worse over time. Your doctor can make sure you don’t have a serious underlying condition that requires treatment.

Research and Statistics: How Many People Have Neck Pain?

Neck pain is a common issue, affecting 10 to 20 percent of adults, and the risk increases with age.

Other estimates, though, have found neck pain to be somewhat less common. A study from 2020 found that neck pain affected 3.6 percent of people around the world in 2017, a number that hadn’t changed significantly since 1990. Norway had the highest rate of neck pain in the world, with a prevalence of 6.2 percent.

Another study, published in 2017, looked at a large sample of 600 adults age 20 and older from the general population. It found that 20.3 percent of participants reported neck pain, and that people who had lost a spouse or were separated were more than twice as likely to report neck pain. Other factors associated with an increased risk of neck pain included lower income and education level, sitting or leaning while working, or having two or more health conditions.

Related Conditions of Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common form of chronic pain. Other commonly reported forms of pain include:

Degenerative conditions that cause neck pain include spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis.

Resources We Trust


Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Sources

  1. Anatomy of the Spine — Upper Back, Lower Back, and Neck. Arthritis Foundation.
  2. Neck Pain: Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic.
  3. Neck Pain. Cleveland Clinic.
  4. Neck Pain and Problems. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
  5. Neck Pain. Cleveland Clinic.
  6. Neck Pain: Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic.
  7. Global, Regional, and National Burden of Neck Pain in the General Population, 1990–2017: Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. BMJ.
  8. Prevalence and Factors Associated With Neck Pain: A Population-Based Study. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy.

Resources

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Justin Laube, MD

Medical Reviewer

Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, and trauma healing.

He graduated with a bachelor's in biology from the University of Wisconsin and a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. During medical school, he completed a graduate certificate in integrative therapies and healing practices through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. He completed his three-year residency training in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles on the primary care track and a two-year fellowship in integrative East-West primary care at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine.

He is currently taking a multiyear personal and professional sabbatical to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, disease, and the processes of healing. He is developing a clinical practice for patients with complex trauma, as well as for others going through significant life transitions. He is working on a book distilling the insights from his sabbatical, teaching, and leading retreats on trauma, integrative health, mindfulness, and well-being for health professionals, students, and the community.

Previously, Dr. Laube was an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he provided primary care and integrative East-West medical consultations. As part of the faculty, he completed a medical education fellowship and received a certificate in innovation in curriculum design and evaluation. He was the fellowship director at the Center for East-West Medicine and led courses for physician fellows, residents, and medical students.

Quinn Phillips

Author

A freelance health writer and editor based in Wisconsin, Quinn Phillips has a degree in government from Harvard University. He writes on a variety of topics, but is especially interested in the intersection of health and public policy. Phillips has written for various publications and websites, such as Diabetes Self-Management, Practical Diabetology, and Gluten-Free Living, among others.

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