Trauma and injuries
Head and neck trauma and injuries can also be a cause of neck pain. In this case, patients require immediate medical attention to rule out more complex and dangerous complications. The neck is protected by the spine, the head, the chest, and the trachea/larynx region. These areas are often affected by trauma, and doctors should evaluate the airways, neurological system, gastrointestinal tube, and vascular elements of the neck in case of high-energy trauma.
Thus, if you received any type of direct hit to your neck and it still hurts after a few minutes, it is imperative to receive medical help to rule out the most immediate risks. Every emergency problem in the neck area will have its own signs and symptoms.
For instance, tracheal or laryngeal injuries will give patients changes in their voice, a crepitus sound, hoarseness, coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, pain when moving the tongue, and neck tenderness in the middle area.
Esophageal injuries will give out additional signs such as bloody saliva, difficulty swallowing, and neck tenderness in the middle area.
More dangerous problems such as carotid artery injury will cause more severe symptoms such as visible hemorrhages or hematomas in the neck, difficulty breathing, and changes in the consciousness level, among others.
We also have the whiplash syndrome or sprain of spinal ligaments that happens after a car crash. It occurs with muscle and ligament tissue are affected by the accident and can have long-term sequelae. Besides neck pain, these patients also have a limited range of motion, neck stiffness, palpable tenderness, reduced neck muscle strength, and reduced tendon reflexes, among other signs and symptoms.