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You may feel a knot, stiffness, tingling, or other discomforts in your neck that make turning your head difficult. The pain may also move to your upper back or your arms.
Symptoms
The kind of pain you feel in and around your neck depends on what is causing the pain. Symptoms include:
Difficulty turning your neck
Headache
Pain in your face
Shoulder pain
Arm numbness or tingling
Causes and risk factors
Causes of neck pain include:
Diseases such as arthritis and meningitis
Injuries
Muscle strains
Pressure on nerves
Worn joints
Treatment options
The type of treatment your doctor recommends will depend on the cause of your neck pain and how bad the pain is. Options include:
Rest
Physical therapy
Wearing a brace to keep the neck still so it can heal
Steroid injections to reduce swelling
Traction, which is a therapy that stretches your neck to provide relief from certain types of pain
Surgery may also be an option in some cases.
The contents of this website are for information purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not rely on the information provided for medical decision making and should direct all questions regarding medical matters to their physician or other health care provider. Use of this information does not create an express or implied physician-patient relationship.