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Neck Pain
Alternate Names : Neck Stiffness, Pain - Neck
 See all Pictures & Images
What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
Your doctor will perform a physical examination and ask detailed questions about your neck pain, such as:
- Is your pain in the front, back, or side of your neck?
- Are both sides of your neck affected equally?
- When did the pain first develop?
- Is it painful all the time or does pain come and go?
- Can you touch your chin to your chest?
- What makes your neck feel worse? What makes your neck feel better?
- Do you have neck weakness or neck stiffness?
- Do you have any accompanying symptoms like numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm or hand?
- Do you have swollen glands or a lump in your neck?
The following diagnostic tests may be performed:
If the pain is felt due to muscle spasm or a pinched nerve, your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant and possibly a more powerful pain reliever. Prescription drugs are not necessarily better than over-the-counter medications. The doctor may prescribe a neck collar or, if there is nerve damage, refer you to a neurologist or neurosurgeon for consultation. If meningitis is suspected, you will be sent to an emergency department for further tests, antibiotics, and hospital admission. If a thyroid condition is considered (due, for example, to a lump in the front of your neck), follow-up care for abnormal blood tests will be needed.
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Jump to another section
• Neck Pain: Overview & Considerations
• Neck Pain: Common Causes
• Neck Pain: Home Care & Treatment
• Neck Pain: Prevention
• Call your Health Care Provider if
• What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
• Pictures & Images
Topics that might be of interest to you Tests & Exams
• Cranial CT Scan
• CSF Cell Count
• Neck X-Ray
Other Topics
• Joint Pain
• Swollen Glands
Review Date : 9/17/2003
Reviewed By : Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Boston, Ma., and Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc. and David Webner, M.D., Department of Family Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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