Neck stiffness/pain (patient information): Difference between revisions
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
==How to know you have neck stiffness/pain?== | ==How to know you have neck stiffness/pain?== | ||
The goal of tests is to identify the cause of your neck stiffness/pain and to treat certain disease. | |||
:*Medical history and [[physical examination]] | |||
:*Blood tests including [[CBC]], [[rheumatoid factor]]s, [[ESR]] | |||
:*Neck images such [[x-ray]], [[CT]], [[MRI]] | |||
:*[[Whole bone scan]] | |||
:*Lumbar puncture: When your [[pain]] is suspected [[meningitis]], the doctor may order this test. During this procedure, the patient lies on the side, with knees pulled up toward the chest, and chin tucked downward. After injecting the anesthetic into the lower spine, the doctor insert a spinal needle into the lower back area to measure CSF pressure and collect a sample. The patient is often asked to lie down for a while after the process. | |||
==When to seek urgent medical care?== | ==When to seek urgent medical care?== | ||
Revision as of 16:02, 26 March 2010
For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Jinhui Wu, MD
Please Join in Editing This Page and Apply to be an Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [2] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.
What is neck stiffness/pain?
How do I know if I have neck stiffness/pain and what are the symptoms of neck stiffness/pain?
Neck stiffness/pain itself is a symptom. It can appear in many diseases. The characteristics of neck stiffness/pain is the following;
- Pain: Pain often occurs after activities such as in reading neapaper, watching TV, using computer.
- Muscle strain and tenderness
- Neck stiffness in the mornings
Who is at risk for neck stiffness/pain?
- Trauma and injury
- Degenerative changes in neck such as osteomyelitis, herniated disk
- Fibromyalgia
- Infection of the spine, such as abscess, meningitis
- Immune system diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), polymyalgia rheumatica
- Neurological disease such as stroke, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis
- Cancer that involves the spine
How to know you have neck stiffness/pain?
The goal of tests is to identify the cause of your neck stiffness/pain and to treat certain disease.
- Medical history and physical examination
- Blood tests including CBC, rheumatoid factors, ESR
- Neck images such x-ray, CT, MRI
- Whole bone scan
- Lumbar puncture: When your pain is suspected meningitis, the doctor may order this test. During this procedure, the patient lies on the side, with knees pulled up toward the chest, and chin tucked downward. After injecting the anesthetic into the lower spine, the doctor insert a spinal needle into the lower back area to measure CSF pressure and collect a sample. The patient is often asked to lie down for a while after the process.
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for neck stiffness/pain?
Directions to Hospitals Treating neck stiffness/pain
Prevention of neck stiffness/pain
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Copyleft Sources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003025.htm
http://www.ecureme.com/emyhealth/data/Neck_Pain.asp
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/neckpains.htm