Muscle spasms in the neck occur for a variety of reasons, including whiplash from an automobile collision, poor posture, or overusing or straining the neck muscles. Spasmodic torticollis, a condition that causes the head to turn to the side when...
Neck spasms are an involuntary contraction of the muscles of the neck, resulting in a feeling of tightness or pain. According to the Summit Medical Group, neck spasms may occur from an injury, overuse, poor posture or stress. Once the patient has...
Many people carry stress and tension in their shoulders and necks, making these muscles particularly prone to painful, tight spasms. Performing gentle neck exercises to stretch and lengthen the muscle fibers helps relieve stiffness and pain and...
According to the Family Doctor website, neck pain may be caused by injury, stress, faulty posture or other health problems, such as degenerative conditions, fibromyalgia or disk herniations. One of the most common symptoms reported by neck pain...
Muscle spasms are involuntary contractions of a muscle. They are a common components of neck pain and injuries and can be the result of many different conditions. In most cases, muscle spasms are minor annoyances that improve quickly on their own...
There are numerous causes of excruciating neck pain. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, neck pain can originate from neck structures, including the nerves, muscles and spinal discs, or...
There are numerous treatments for bone spurs or degenerative joint disease of the neck, also called osteoarthritis or OA, which typically responds well to conservative care methods. According to the Merck Manuals website, OA—the principle...
Neck pain can range from mild and annoying to severe and debilitating. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS, for many people, neck pain lasts only a short time before self-resolving. Other people may require...
A sudden, jarring movement of the head can result in torn neck muscles or tendons, a condition that specialists refer to as "neck strain." When there is damage of this sort, the neck muscles spasm, and you will likely experience pain and...
Torticollis, also called wry neck, is a painful muscle spasm in the neck that pulls the head to one side while also turning the chin to the opposite side. Symptoms include difficulty turning the head and headache. While about 1 percent of cases...
Imipram, generically known as imipramine, is an oral medication used to manage depression and prevent bedwetting in children, according toMedline Plus. It belongs to a group of drugs classified as tricyclic antidepressants and is available as a...
Everyone suffers from a tight, tense or painful neck from time to time. If you spend a lot of time hunched over in front of your computer, driving in your car or experience inordinate amounts of stress, you may suffer from neck and back pain,...
Muscle spasms occur when your muscle contracts involuntarily. If you experience shoulder spasms in particular, a number of muscles -- from the neck to the upper middle back to the deltoid muscles at the top and sides of the shoulders -- can be to...
A quick or forceful stretch to a muscle in spasm can actually cause it to become more severe, increasing pain and tension in the neck. Instead, perform a slow, controlled stretch to the affected areas of the neck following a spasm. If the muscle...
Botulinum toxin, widely known as Botox, is a prescribed medication used to treat cervical dystonia, facial wrinkles and excessive sweating. Cervical dystonia is a neurological condition that causes severe shoulder and neck muscle spasms. According...
Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic bacterium that produces a potent toxin that can cause the serious disease tetanus in humans. People typically contract tetanus through introduction of the Clostridium tetani spores via a puncture wound or even a...
Tension in your neck muscles may lead to tension headaches. According to the National Library of Medicine, tension headaches are the most common form of headaches. The National Center for Emergency Medicine Informatics notes that tension, in this...
Cervical dystonia, or spasmodic torticollis, is a painful condition characterized by involuntary neck muscle contraction that causes the neck to abnormally turn, tilt or flex. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a rare disorder that commonly...
A pulled neck muscle is a painful condition that affects even the simplest of activities. It is a common injury that affects people of any age, race and sex. Often pulled neck muscles are diagnosed without a consultation with a physician, but...
Pain that runs from the shoulder to the top of the neck is a fairly common occurrence, with more than half the population experiencing an episode of neck pain at least once, according to the "British Medical Journal." There are several causes of...
Generally it is when the neck is injured that its many functions are realized. The anterior muscles of the neck include muscles that control the position of the mouth, tongue, larynx, and pharynx. A pull in the neck can be due to several reasons...
Athletes can incur acute cervical spine injuries in a number of different ways. Contact sports such as football, rugby, boxing and hockey provide the greatest risk of a cervical spine injury. According to Medline Plus, most spinal cord trauma...
Peptic ulcers refer to sores that form in the stomach or intestine as a result of increased stomach acid secretion. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that drinking too much alcohol, smoking cigarettes and chronic ibuprofen, aspirin or...
For increasing fitness, improving cardiovascular endurance, losing weight and training for cycling events, recumbent bicycles are comfortable alternatives to more traditional bicycles. They are easy to use, regardless of fitness level. And the...
Also referred to as wryneck, torticollis is a condition in which the head is tilted to one side. The top of the head usually tips one way, while the chin is pointed in the opposite direction. It may occur as a baby develops in the womb, a...
Botox, also known as botulinum toxin, is a popular drug used cosmetically to eliminate prominent facial lines or wrinkles. Before botox gained notoriety for its cosmetic applications, it was used to treat a number of health conditions including...
You may attribute a stiff neck in the morning to nothing more than a poor night's sleep, when really, the sensation may be the symptom of a variety of causes. Waking up with a stiff and aching neck can disrupt your day, especially if it lingers....
Cervical cancer survival rates have improved since the 1970s, with increased awareness and regular Pap tests. However, more than 12,000 women were diagnosed with this condition and more than 4,000 died in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease...
The cervical disc is the cushioning material that lies in between each vertebral body, allowing for space and shock absorption. When the disc protrudes or bulges beyond its normal boundaries, it is called a herniated or prolapsed disc. When a...
Pinched nerves usually occur in the neck, but can lead to pain and muscle spasms throughout the upper back and arm. Learn how to treat a pinched nerve in the neck and stay fit in this sports medicine video.
