Health Warning Signs Associated with Persistent Neck Pain

Dr. Constantine Toumbis is a longtime Crystal River, Florida, physician who leads the Citrus Spine Institute and offers personalized patient care. Dr. Constantine Toumbis performs procedures such as posterior spinal fusion and lumbar laminectomy and has experience treating patients for conditions such as back and neck pain.

One common concern of those who experience neck pain, which can be minor and temporary, is when it warrants a medical visit. While there is no hard-and-fast rule to this, it is often better to take a preventive approach and seek diagnosis, rather than simply wait for the pain to get better.

Serious warning flags include a neck condition that has been noticeable for more than a few weeks and, rather than improving, seems to be getting worse. Specific signs to watch for include pain associated with a light tapping on the neck and the onset of severe, sudden headaches. Another serious sign is nuchal rigidity, or the inability to move the head in a forward direction, which may be due to meningitis.

Spinal cord issues may not involve neck pain at all, but impact the limbs through symptoms such as diffuse numbness and a feeling of general heaviness. In addition, pain may shoot through the limbs when the neck is bent forward and hand-eye coordination may get worse. If any of these symptoms are experienced, it makes sense to seek out the advice of an experienced spine physician.