Can a Pinched Nerve in the Neck Cause a Headache?

Pinched nerves in the neck are a common cause of headaches, muscle spasms, and other symptoms. They can be debilitating, but most of the time, symptoms clear up without medical treatment.

This article goes over how nerves in your neck become pinched, the possible symptoms, causes and risk factors, the diagnostic process, and treatment options for pinched nerves.

What Is a Pinched Neck Nerve?

Nerves send messages between your brain and the rest of your body. The nerves in your neck and back branch off of the spinal cord, exit the spinal canal between vertebrae (the bones of your spine), and then travel through your body to connect to various tissues.

Nerve compression most often happens at the point where the nerve branches off. Bone spurs, a ruptured disc, and abnormal or inflamed tissues may press on the nerve. The medical term for a pinched neck nerve is cervical radiculopathy.

A 2016 study suggests nearly two out of every 1,000 people are diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy. You're most likely to develop it during your 40s and 50s and it's more common in people assigned male at birth than those assigned female.

Symptoms

A pinched nerve in the neck can cause headaches plus pain in the:

• Shoulder
• Arm
• Upper back

Usually, the pain is on one side—the same side as your pinched nerve. The ache can spread down from the back of your skull to between the shoulder blades or up to your forehead, brow, and eye.

Additional symptoms of a pinched nerve in the neck may include:

• Muscle spasms
• Pain when moving the neck
• Same-side shoulder and arm pain, tingling, or numbness
• Diminished strength, sensation, or coordination

Often, symptoms will clear up on their own as inflammation and muscle spasms resolve—relieving excess pressure on the nerve.

When the upper nerves in the neck are involved, it's called a cervicogenic headache. Headaches caused by pinched nerves in the lower neck are common as well.

Cervicogenic headaches can come and go and may last a few hours, days, or weeks at a time. Often, symptoms are triggered by things like a muscle spasm, sleeping in the wrong position, or sitting in an uncomfortable position,

Some medical conditions, including cancer or spinal infection, can cause symptoms similar to a pinched nerve in the neck.

Risk Factors

Anyone can get a pinched nerve in the neck, and the symptoms can fluctuate. Up to 30% of people report pain while simply sitting, walking, or standing. Others feel it after sneezing or coughing.

Researchers say the most common risk factors associated with a pinched nerve in the neck include:

• Being White
• Smoking cigarettes
• Having a prior pinched nerve
• Frequently lifting heavy objects
• Driving equipment that vibrates
• Jumping off a diving board
• Playing golf
  

Causes

Most of the time, a pinched nerve is due to age-related changes in the spine that lead to one of the following conditions:

• Degenerative disc disease: Weakening and damage of the discs (cushions) between the bones in your spine
• Herniated cervical disc: When a disc ruptures (moves out of place)
• Cervical spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal
  

Diagnosis

To diagnose a pinched nerve, your healthcare provider will likely give you a physical exam and perform a few tests:

• Reflex check: A pinched neck nerve can impair the reflex in the deep tricep tendon in the back of your upper arm. Your healthcare provider can gauge the response by tapping it with a rubber hammer.
• Spurling maneuver: Your provider may have you turn your head to the affected side and then gently press down on the top of your head. A pinched nerve then causes pain, numbness, or tingling.
• Imaging tests: Tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can confirm the diagnosis of a pinched nerve.

An MRI isn't always necessary. Healthcare providers typically only order them if your symptoms came on after an injury or they suspect a concerning medical condition such as spinal cord problems, infection, stroke, or cancer.

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Treatment

Most symptoms of a pinched nerve in the neck clear up on their own within six weeks. If treatment is necessary, it may include:

• Physical therapy, massage therapy, or chiropractic care
• Wearing a neck collar
• Over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers such as Advil (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen), Tylenol (acetaminophen)
• Steroid injections near the affected nerve, if other treatments aren't effective

If treatments aren't effective and you didn't have an MRI during the diagnostic process, your healthcare provider may order imaging tests to figure out why you're still having headaches.

Summary

A pinched nerve in the neck can cause headaches and pain that spreads into your shoulders, arm, and upper back. It can lead to tingling and numbness in your hands and fingers, as well.

Anyone can get a pinched nerve, but they're more common in middle-aged to older people. They usually have to do with natural changes to your spine due to age.

Over-the-counter pain medicines can make you more comfortable. Physical therapy, chiropractic care, and wearing a neck collar can also help. Steroid injections are an option when those approaches don't work well.