The neck supports the whole weight of the head so it is not unusual for it to wear off and hurt, but it is, however, important for us to be able to discern when the pain is hinting towards something serious or not. The most worrisome causes of neck pain rarely cause severe pain, and common problems like slipped discs are usually much less serious than people fear. Sharp and pains with a stabbing sensation are usually false alarms. Only about 1% of neck pain is ominous, and even then it’s often still treatable. Most of the 1% is due to cancer, autoimmune disease, or spinal cord damage.
Don’t medically investigate neck pain until it’s met at least three criteria:
- It’s been bothering you for more than about 6 weeks;
- It’s severe and/or not improving, or actually getting worse;
- There’s at least one other “red flag” (age over 55 or under 20, painful to light tapping, fever/malaise/nausea, weight loss, nasty headache, severe stiffness, very distinctive pain, and numbness and/or tingling and/or weakness anywhere else). Note that signs of arthritis are not red flags.
However, red flags do not always confirm that something bad is about to happen; only that it is time to consult a doctor. We fear spine pain more than we fear other kinds of pain. Backs and necks seem vulnerable, yet most spinal pain does not have a serious cause. The bark of neck pain is usually worse than its bite. Well, have a deeper dive into how it differs.
Please do seek care immediately if you’ve been in an accident or you have very severe or weird pain or other symptoms — obviously, but if you have neck pain that’s been starting to worry you, this is a good place to get some reassurance and decide whether or not to talk to a doctor. Although it’s rare, once in a while neck pain may be a warning sign of cancer, infection, or some kind of structural problems like spinal cord injury or a threat to an important blood vessel. Some of these ominous situations cause hard-to-miss signs and symptoms other than pain and are likely to be diagnosed correctly and promptly — so if it feels serious, go get checked out. Otherwise, if you are aware of the “red flags,” you can get checked out when the time is right — and avoid excessive worry until then.
If these following three conditions are met then it is highly advisable to see a doctor or the situation might aggravate.
- It’s been bothering you for more than about 6 weeks
- It’s severe and/or not improving, or actually getting worse
- There is at least one other “red flag”
Here are some of the “red flags”
- Light tapping on the spine is painful
- Weight loss without dieting is a potential sign of cancer
- Mystery fevers and/or chills (especially in diabetic patients)
- A fierce headache or an inability to bend the head forward
- A severe headache that comes on suddenly
- Steroid use, other drug abuse, and HIV are all serious risk factors of a serious cause of neck pain
Red flags are do not point towards an incurable disease, these are easily treatable. The neck is one of a few areas of the body — along with the low back, jaw, and bowels — that is vulnerable to bouts of unexplained pain, sometimes quite stubborn. In most cases, the pain goes away. Pain is weird and unpredictable and is often the result of the brain being overprotective and paranoid.
Worrying about the pain may be literally the worst thing you can do — not just a poor coping mechanism, but a genuine risk factor. Like noise pollution, the more you focus on it, the worse it gets. That’s why this article is focused on rational reassurance.