The neck is a body part that consists of many important and vital structures.Any neck pain should promptly be discussed with your doctor. Although a pain in the neck is often due to trivial causes, more serious conditions can sometimes be present.

Many structures of the neck can cause pain. The following are some possible causes of neck pain:

• Muscular pain.
• Pain in ligaments.
• Soft tissue pain (due to injuries, abscess).
• Pain due to skin lesions (Herpes, burns).
• Pain due to airway disease.
• Pain related to the tonsils.
• Fractures of the jaw, lower skull and spine.
• Vertebral bone joint pain (Spondylosis).
• Spinal cord injuries (spinal cord compression).
• Pain in the thyroid.
• Pain during swallowing due to disease of the esophagus.
• Tumors of neck.
• Referred pain due to Angina, M.I and Meningitis etc.

Some of the tests that might be ordered by your doctor if you experience neck pain include:

• Complete blood count.
• X-rays of neck.
• CT scan of neck.
• MRI of neck.
• Lumbar puncture for CSF (cerebro-spinal fluid) collection.

As neck pain is caused by a wide variety of disorders, treatment has to be targeted according to the cause. Your doctor should be able to advice you on the optimal treatment options, or refer you to a colleague if different expertise is required.