Neck pain, sometimes called cervicalgia, is pain in or around your spine beneath your head. Your neck is also known as your cervical spine. Neck pain is a common symptom of many different injuries and medical conditions.
You might have axial neck pain (felt mostly in your neck) or radicular neck pain (pain that shoots into other areas, such as your shoulders or arms). It can be acute (lasting from days to six weeks) or chronic (lasting longer than three months).
Neck pain can interfere with your daily activities and reduce your quality of life if it’s not treated.
Fortunately, most causes of neck pain aren’t serious and improve with conservative treatments, like pain medicine, exercise and stress management.
The location and severity of knee pain may vary, depending on the cause of the problem. Signs and symptoms that sometimes accompany knee pain include:
Neck pain may involve other symptoms, including:
1- Headache.
2- Stiffness in your neck, shoulders and upper back.
3- Being unable to turn your neck or tilt your head.
4- Numbness or tingling (pins and needles) feeling in your shoulders or arms.
Physical exam: Your provider will check your head and neck alignment and observe your range of motion when you move your neck. They’ll feel your neck and supporting muscles to check for tenderness and signs of strain.
Imaging tests usually aren’t necessary to identify what’s causing neck pain. Still, a provider may take images of the inside of your neck if they suspect a serious injury or if you’re experiencing severe pain that doesn’t improve.