Definition
Neck pain and headaches are often associated with each other and can influence each other. The first trigger is usually a painful tension in the neck muscles. This results in a restriction of movement of the head, which is ultimately perceived as neck pain with headache.
In most cases, the diagnosis is a cervical spine syndrome (cervical spine syndrome). Only in extremely rare cases is the complaint based on a dangerous disease or an acute disease requiring treatment. This can usually be recognized by additional warning signs.
Cause
Neck pain with headaches often has a common cause. In some cases, on the other hand, the two symptoms have different causes, whereby they can influence and intensify each other. Most often, the symptoms are caused by irritation in the area of the cervical spine.
This most mobile part of the back, which due to its structure allows turning, tilting, bending and stretching of the head, is susceptible to various types of damage and wear and tear. The most common cause is tension in the neck muscles, which can be caused by poor posture as well as under and overloading. Complaints emanating from the neck, such as neck pain and headaches, can also occur as a result of an injury such as after a traffic accident with whiplash. Only in very rare cases are the symptoms caused by a threatening disease requiring acute treatment, such as meningitis. However, neck and headaches are not usually the only complaints, but often lead to high fever and possibly to a loss of consciousness.
Associated symptoms
Neck pain with headache is often caused by a cervical spine syndrome. This complex of complaints can be accompanied by a variety of other symptoms. Often pain also occurs in the shoulders.
A radiation into the arms up to the hands is also possible. This can also cause tingling and numbness. Since these accompanying symptoms can also indicate a herniated disc of the cervical spine, they should be clarified by a physician if they occur again.
Furthermore, neck pain with headaches can lead to complaints such as dizziness, nausea and unsteadiness in walking. If a fever is present as an accompanying symptom, it can be a beginning harmless cold infection on the one hand, and on the other hand there is also the danger that meningitis is the cause in this constellation, so that a medical examination and assessment should be carried out as soon as possible. Fever usually occurs as a sign of an inflammatory reaction of the body and can have many causes.
As a symptom it is usually not dangerous but in a few cases it can indicate a threatening illness. If neck pain with headaches is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, this may be a sign of meningitis, which should be treated as soon as possible. Other symptoms that may indicate meningitis are loss of consciousness and neck stiffness.
A physician should therefore be contacted promptly in the event of a corresponding constellation. Neck pain with headache may be accompanied by dizziness as a further symptom, which is usually perceived as dizziness or staggering. Due to the various complaints, many of those affected also complain of insecure gait.
All symptoms usually have a common cause. In most cases, the first symptom is a tension of parts of the neck muscles, which causes the neck pain and the headache by radiation. The dizziness can be caused on the one hand by the limited mobility of the head and cervical spine and on the other hand by an irritation of nerve fibers.
In general, dizziness is a very common symptom with a variety of possible causes. If head and neck pain exist at the same time, a connection is likely but not obligatory. If dizziness is persistent, recurrent or very severe, a medical examination should be performed.
In some cases, for example, there is a disorder of the sense of balance in the inner ear, which typically results in rotational dizziness like on a carousel.If no treatable cause can be found, the exclusion diagnosis of cervical spine syndrome often remains as the most likely cause of neck pain with headache and dizziness. Earache can occur under different circumstances and sometimes occurs together with neck pain and headache. The ears are very sensitive and this is where many nerve fibres end, so ear pain often occurs without any damage to the ear itself such as inflammation or injury.
A rather rare cause is muscle tension in the neck area, which then often causes pain in the neck and head. Additional possible symptoms can be noises in the ear (tinnitus) or dizziness. In case of very severe ear pain and a general feeling of illness, a doctor should be consulted.
By looking into the ear with a special instrument, for example, the family doctor can usually tell whether there is a disease in the ear or not. Neck pain with headaches is usually caused by a cervical spine syndrome, in which sufferers can also suffer from a variety of other symptoms. Among other things, ear noises can occur, which are called tinnitus and can occur on one or both sides.
If the noise is only heard for a few seconds and then disappears completely, it is harmless and does not require further clarification. However, if the tinnitus reoccurs and persists for a longer period of time or does not disappear at all, an early examination by your family doctor or ear, nose and throat specialist is recommended. Often, however, no other cause can be found other than a possible connection to the neck pain and headaches. Nevertheless, in a few cases the ear noises are caused by another treatable disease.