Common Chiropractic Questions: Is My Neck Pain Serious?

Is my neck pain serious? A question many people often wonder when they continue to notice variations of pain in their neck. For instance, recurring episodes of stiff neck often indicated the early stages of joint or disc degeneration.

Symptoms can tell a lot about how serious your neck pain is. Listed below are different symptoms you may experience with your neck and what they mean.

A neck that is relatively pain-free in the morning and worsens as the day goes on frequently indicates strain, fatigue or muscular weakness. A neck that is stiff and painful in the morning and feels better as the day goes on may indicate underlying disease such as arthritis. Neck pain that is aggravated by coughing or sneezing may indicate serious disc involvement. Dizziness, light-headedness, or pain that develops when the head is turned or elevated is strong evidence of a neck problem.

Is it more than just neck pain? Follow this test to help measure the severity of neck pain, check all that apply:

Recurring stiff neck

Constant pain in the neck, face, ears or scalp

Frequent headaches

Recurring pain in the shoulder or arm

Numbness or tingling in the hands or fingers

Difficulty breathing

Chest Pains

Dizziness

If you checked any of the above you may have the symptoms of a serious neck problem. Please contact your local HealthSource doctor for a consultation before the symptoms progress into a serious problem.