On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Any part of your neck - muscles, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, or nerves - can cause neck problems. Neck pain is very common. Pain may also come from your shoulder, jaw, head, or upper arms.

Muscle strain or tension often causes neck pain. The problem is usually overuse, such as from sitting at a computer for too long. Sometimes you can strain your neck muscles from sleeping in an awkward position or overdoing it during exercise. Falls or accidents, including car accidents, are another common cause of neck pain. Whiplash, a soft tissue injury to the neck, is also called neck sprain or strain.

Treatment depends on the cause, but may include applying ice, taking pain relievers, getting physical therapy or wearing a cervical collar. You rarely need surgery.

Start Here

• Neck Pain (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Neck Pain (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
• Neck Pain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Neck Swelling (Symptom Checker) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Neck Swelling (Symptom Checker) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Neck Pain (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• X-Ray Exam: Neck (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Cervical Laminoplasty (North American Spine Society)
• Chiropractic: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Epidural Steroid Injections (North American Spine Society)
• Halo-Gravity Traction (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Radiofrequency Neurotomy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Cervical Exercise: The Backbone of Spine Treatment (North American Spine Society) - PDF

Specifics

• Burners (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Cervical Dystonia (Spasmodic Torticollis) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) Also in Spanish
• Cervical Spondylosis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis of the Neck) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Cervical Stenosis, Myelopathy and Radiculopathy (North American Spine Society)
• Herniated Cervical Disc (North American Spine Society)
• Repetitive Motion Disorders (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Stiff Neck (Nemours Foundation)
• Whiplash (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Whiplash and Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAS) (North American Spine Society)

Genetics

• Klippel-Feil syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

• Spinal fusion - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Spinal surgery - cervical - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Cervical Vertebrae Injuries (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Neck Injuries (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Neck Pain (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Whiplash Injuries (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Case characteristics and surgical efficacy in elderly patients over 65 years...
• Article: Sagittal alignment to predict efficiency in pulsed radiofrequency for cervical facet...
• Article: Sex differences in craniofacial parameters of children and adolescents: a comparative...
• Neck Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

• Head Tilt (Torticollis) (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Klippel-Feil Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Patient Handouts

• Cervical MRI scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Cervical spine CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Cervical spondylosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Neck lump (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Neck pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Neck pain or spasms - self care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Neck x-ray (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Spinal fusion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Torticollis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish