Why does my neck hurt?
The most common reason why your neck hurts is due to muscle or ligament strain. This is typically secondary to an injury or an activity that is out of the ordinary for you. While chances are it is muscle strain, other possibilities include arthritis and changes due to old age.
Even so, the pain in your neck may actually be due to an injury somewhere else such as in your jaw and shoulders. And the converse may also be true, meaning you may have pain elsewhere such as in your arms when in actual fact the injury is in your neck.
So how do I know where the trouble is?
While you will need to see the advice of a medical professional to be sure, there are some differences in the type of pain as well as associated symptoms that will have your doctor come to a diagnosis. If in addition to the pain , you feel numbness, decreased sensation or muscle weakness, this suggests there is some involvement of the nerves as well.
Try to determine where your pain is, whether it is always there, or if it occurs only when you move in a certain direction as this would favour a muscle strain.
What can I do if my doctor tells me it’s a muscle strain?
Generally, your pain should improve within a span of 2 weeks and common pain medications should help. Your doctor might have recommended the use of heat or ice and teach you some simple exercises to stretch and strengthen your neck.
What if the pain still persists?
If the pain doesn’t let up, you should see your doctor again and you may be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon for a surgical assessment.