What Causes Neck Pain?

Neck pain can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'critical'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose neck pain, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "neck pain" as a symptom. Here are eight possibilities:

Torticollis
Dehydration
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Cervical Arthritis
A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Encephalitis
Meningitis
Possible Urgent Medical Need

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

very dry eyes

being easily irritated

allergies to certain foods

daily morning stiffness

high caffeinated soda consumption

low alcohol consumption

slight tongue swelling

lower back pain

indoor allergies

numb/burning/tingling extremities

hiatal hernia

Heberden's nodes

... and more than 60 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of neck pain:

Cause	Probability	Status
Cervical Arthritis	90%	Confirm
A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage	29%	Unlikely
Meningitis	16%	Unlikely
Possible Urgent Medical Need	5%	Ruled out
Dehydration	1%	Ruled out
Encephalitis	1%	Ruled out
Rheumatoid Arthritis	1%	Ruled out
Torticollis	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate neck pain/stiffness, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

If you have neck pain, how severe is it?

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ My neck is not painful
→ It is a minor problem
→ It is significant, but I can function
→ I am in extreme pain, unable to function

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate not having neck pain, slight neck pain, significant neck pain or severe neck pain, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

A Potentially Urgent Medical Need

Severe neck pain can indicate a potentially life-threatening condition, such as meningitis, encephalitis or a subarachnoid hemorrage.

Cervical Arthritis

Encephalitis

Meningitis

Dehydration

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Torticollis (Loxia, "Wryneck")

Pain in the neck, back, or shoulder affects more than two-thirds of all people with torticollis.