Experiencing pain in the neck’s right or left side can be different because these pain areas are affected by different causes and may need different treatments. While they get better on their own, sometimes it can be severe and lead to complications. Learn the difference between left-side neck pain and right-side neck pain in this article. Visit the best Pain Management Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org.

Left-side neck pain

Neck pain on the left side is widespread and caused by different factors. Mostly this pain is temporary but if it is persistent and severe, and doesn’t get better with home treatments, you should seek medical attention.

Causes

Left neck pain is mostly caused by:

1. Tension or muscle strain:

This is the most common issue that leads to pain on the left side of the neck. It occurs when your tendon or neck muscle is torn or overstretched, which causes muscle strain. Tension in muscle occurs when you don’t relax it fully or release it completely after contracting.

This tension or muscle strain can occur because of:

• Sitting or leaning forward when you’re working on a laptop or phone for a long time.
• Sleeping in an awkward position like a twisted or bent neck.
• Holding the phone between the shoulder and ears.
• Wear or tear of joints with age.
• Compression of nerves.
• During the workout, you put too much force on the neck muscles.
• Stress.
• Fall or crush into someone causing whiplash.
• Overexerting the neck muscles when lifting heavy objects or exercising.

• Whiplash:

When you forcefully thrust your head back and forth, it leads to a painful neck and head injury, known as whiplash. It is also caused by auto accidents, playing sports, like football, and violent falls. It causes pain in the left side of the neck, a headache, and muscle stiffness, which restricts the range of motion.

• Cervical radiculopathy:

When nerve fibers of the left side of the neck get irritated, squeezed, or compressed out from the spinal cord, it causes pain there. This condition is called cervical radiculopathy or pinched nerves that happen due to herniated discs, bone spurs, or inflammation. This pain can radiate down from the neck to the arm or shoulder. You may experience numbness due to nerve compression.

• Acute Torticollis:

This condition, also known as wryneck, occurs when neck muscles bend, twist, or tilt to one side. A sudden neck muscle contraction causes this and leads to neck pain on the left side. Mostly acute torticollis caused by:

• Injuries or accidents.
• Congenital irregularities.
• Neurological conditions like stroke or compressed nerves.
• Long-term exposure of the neck to cold temperatures.
• Certain medications.
• Infections.
• Emotional stress.
• Poor posture.
• Sleeping in an awkward position without proper head support.

Besides these main causes, there are some less common causes as well, including:

1. Degeneration of cervical disc:

Cervical or neck discs are sandwiched together in the bone structure to work as shock absorbers to protect the bones. They are flexible, and rigid, and allow motion between adjacent segments. However, over time these disks get weak, and their outer layer may have tears with time. If it breaks, the internal fluid comes out and builds up on the spinal cord or a nerve root. This causes pain in the left side of the neck.

• Meningitis:

This condition causes inflammation of the fluid and the 3 membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is generally caused by a virus, but can also be caused by bacteria, fungus, or parasite infections. It can result in muscle stiffness and pain in the neck along with headaches. If not timely treated, it can lead to seizures and brain swelling, which can be life-threatening.

• Cervical fracture:

There are seven bones at the top of the vertebrae called cervical vertebrae. If any of these bones get fractured in accidents, sports, and other injuries, it is called a cervical fracture. This fracture can lead to debilitating pain on the left side of the neck. Damage to the spinal cord is the most dangerous issue with a cervical fracture.

• Herniated cervical disc:

This occurs when the outer layer or covering of the cervical disc tears out, making the nucleus push through and press the nerves and spinal cord (that are encased in the vertebra) to one side. Pressure on the nerves can cause neck pain, numbness, stiffness, and arm pain.

There are some rare causes of left-side neck pain as well, including:

• Congenital anomalies: These anomalies affect newborn babies, and cause pain on both or left side of the neck, and other similar symptoms. It includes congenital torticollis, which can injure the neck during delivery, and congenital vertebral defects, which include abnormally shaped cervical vertebrae.
• Spinal tumor: It is caused by abnormal cell growth that starts in the spinal cord or vertebrae, which can be cancerous or benign and lead to pain at the site of the tumor. Spinal tumors can lead to neurological symptoms and restriction in range of motion, neck pain, muscle weakness, and severe inflammation. This pain along with other symptoms keeps getting worse until the tumor is treated.

Other Symptoms

Sometimes side neck pain also accompanies other symptoms depending on the cause. It may include:

• Stiffness in the affected area that affects your range of motion.
• Radiating pain from neck to arms, shoulder, or even the head.
• Muscle spasms.
• Headaches.
• Numbing and tingling that may extend to your left arm or hand.
• Difficulty in performing daily activities.

Treatment options

The neck pain (left side) treatment depends on the severity of the pain and its diagnosis. For mild to moderate neck pain, these home treatments can help:

• A hot bath or shower.
• Neck massage to ease the muscle tension
• Use pillows to support the neck muscles.
• Hot or cold compresses.
• Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain-relieving medications.
• Using gentle stretching to improve flexibility in the neck.
• Practicing good posture while standing, sitting, and walking.

Your doctor may recommend physical therapy depending on the causes of the pain because better posture and movements through various exercises can ease the discomfort. If neck pain doesn’t improve, your doctor may give corticosteroid injections to lower the pain and inflammation in the neck. If pain occurs due to fractured bones or severely compressed nerves, surgery may be the only option. Minor fractures can get better with a neck collar.

Right-side neck pain

Neck pain on the right side is a very common problem that occurs from as simple as sleeping in the wrong position. Similar to left-side neck pain, this pain is mostly temporary and gets better with home treatments. However, sometimes it can be severe, it needs medical assistance.

Causes

Similar to left-side neck pain, right-side pain also occurs due to muscle strain, whiplash, bad posture, stress, degenerative conditions, and acute torticollis. However, there are some other causes as well, including:

• Brachial plexus injury: An injury to your brachial plexus (usually occurs during a sports injury or traumatic accident); which is a group of nerves that send signals to your shoulder through the elbow and to your hand. It is possible during and after an injury that you lose the sensations/feeling and function throughout the entire right arm. Its symptoms can range from slight numbness of the right side of the neck to severe debilitating pain that affects your quality of life. If you experience these symptoms and do not see any improvement, you should consider screening to get an accurate diagnosis. Surgery is not always needed, but in severe cases, surgery is recommended.
• Cysts and tumors: If you have a mass on the side of your neck that causes you pain, you may be dealing with a cyst or tumor, which are not obvious, and you can’t find them right away. Luckily, most of them are benign (non-cancerous). These tumors mostly occur in the right side of the neck and treatment is given based on the underlying cause. If you’re experiencing right-side neck pain and you think it may be a cyst or tumor, make sure to visit your doctor. The earlier it is detected, the more effective the treatment plan will be.

Other causes of neck pain on the right side are infections, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer.

Symptoms

Similar to left-side neck pain, right-side neck pain may occur alongside other symptoms, including:

• Headache.
• Neck stiffness.
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arm, hand, or other area affected by involved nerves.
• Head forced to one side.
• Click or grating sound or sensation.
• Pain radiating to the upper back, shoulders, or arms.
• Difficulty or pain moving the head in one or more directions.

If you have a neck injury, you may have symptoms that indicate a need for medical attention, like:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Pins and needles feeling or numbness
• Trouble concentrating
• Difficulty swallowing
• Vision or hearing changes

Treatment

Treatment options for the right side of neck pain are similar to neck pain from the left side. However, in severe cases when home treatments don’t improve your condition, your doctor may prescribe steroid injections and muscle relaxants to reduce your pain or surgery for the underlying cause of chronic pain.

When to see a doctor?

While neck pain is not generally serious, you should see a doctor if it bothers you. Even if neck pain is mild, some additional symptoms may mean something more is going on. You should see a doctor if your neck pain:

• Occurs after an injury like a motor vehicle accident, diving accident, blow, or fall.
• Radiates into the shoulders or down the arms or legs.
• Is accompanied by difficulty with fine motor skills, particularly, after an injury.
• Is severe.
• Is continuous and persistent.
• Lasts longer than a few weeks.
• Not relieved by OTC pain medications.
• Lowers your ability to move your head.
• Feels worse in the morning.
• Is accompanied by fever, sweats, or chills.
• Is accompanied by loss of bladder or bowel control.
• Gets worse or concerns you.

Neck pain on the left side or the right side is caused by similar factors and mostly is mild and gets better with home treatments. However, in severe cases, you should seek medical assistance to manage the pain and treat the underlying cause.

Need help with neck pain, visit our pain management clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book you appointment now!!! If your pain needs professional assistance, visit our pain management clinic in Brooklyn today or call to get a consultation.  Our location at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212 is well-served by public transportation, including many bus routes, and the subway line. Visit our website at https://doralhw.org/department/pain-management/ or contact us on +1-347-384-5690 for additional details.