The alternative to MRI for neck pain is a CT scan which can be used if you can't have an MRI.
If you have metal implants or a pacemaker or other implanted devices then you should not have an MRI but can have a CT scan instead.
An MRI can come back normal but you still have neck pain which is a clear indication that the neck pain is not coming from a herniated disc and instead the neck pain would be coming from a damaged facet joint.
Getting a normal MRI with severe neck pain can actually be a good thing.
To release tightness at the base of your skull you can do so by applying some gentle pressure from your fingertips at the base of the skull.
You can also massage the base of the skull to release tightness and tension at the base of your skull.
Another option to release tightness at the base of your skull is to place a rolled up towel under the head and neck as you lay down on your back and the pressure from the rolled up towel can provide a gentle massage and release any tightness and tension at the base of your skull.
An ice pack and keeping the area warm can help neck pain at the base of the skull.
Also massaging the neck at the base of the skull and moving your neck around can help ease the neck pain at the base of the skull and taking some over the counter pain medicines such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen can help get rid of the neck pain.
When your neck hurts just below your skull it means you have an issue with your suboccipital muscles which are 4 pairs of suboccipital muscles that are located at the base of your skull.
The job of the suboccipital muscles are to support the movement between your skull and the first and second neck vertebrae.
A chiropractor can help with most neck pain and can provide a safe and non invasive alternative treatment to neck pain.
The first signs of arthritis in the neck are chronic stiffness and chronic pain in your neck which can be worse with upright activity.
Other signs of arthritis in the neck are a sound or feeling of popping in your neck when moving your neck, involuntary contractions of the muscles or spasms which cause pain or a loss of movement and or headaches which can start from your neck and numbness and weakness in your fingers, hands and arms.
You should get an MRI for neck pain if the neck pain does not go away within a few weeks or gets worse or if you have weakness or numbness along with the neck pain.
An ER will treat neck pain through medications and sometimes through physical therapy and if you have more severe neck injuries the hospital will use a neck brace or in severe enough cases surgery may be needed to correct and fix the neck pain.
The best painkiller for neck pain is ibuprofen, aspirin or naproxen or other NSAID medications.
If neck pain is nerves then the neck pain will also be accompanied by numbness, tingling and or weakness in your hand, arm or other places.
If your neck pain is just painful and does not have numbness, tingling, and or weakness in your hand, arms or other parts of the body then it's most likely muscular neck pain.
To sleep with neck pain you should sleep on your side or your back and avoid sleeping on your stomach.
Use a supportive pillow that also keeps your neck aligned with the spine when sleeping with neck pain.
The signs that your neck pain is serious is if the neck pain lasts several days or a week or longer and if the neck pain also spreads down to your legs or arms then the neck pain would be serious.
The red flags for neck pain are severe neck pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in your arms, shoulder or hands.
If you have any of the red flag symptoms of neck pain you should see a doctor.
Meningitis neck pain will feel like intense, deep pain that can extend into the head or down the back.
The neck pain from meningitis can get worse when you stretch and can also involve more than just the neck and shoulder area.
Moving your neck up and down stretches the inflamed tissue of the meninges.
A headache from meningitis will feel like a migraine headache and the headache usually begins quickly and affects the entire head instead of just one location.
Meningitis usually begins with symptoms such as a fever, loss of appetite, cough, muscle aches and headache.
The 5 causes of meningitis are parasites, fungi, viruses and bacteria and certain cancers.
Most meningitis infections are transmitted from person to person and even cancers, drugs and injuries cause a small number of cases of meningitis.
The most common and most dangerous type of meningitis is bacterial meningitis which can be deadly within 24 hours without treatment.
Meningitis is very rare and only around 1 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis each year in the United States.
Most of the people diagnosed with meningitis are children, college age students, elderly and infants.
Meningitis is contagious from the time the symptoms have started and for around 7 to 10 days.
You can prevent meningitis by getting a meningitis vaccine called the meningococcal vaccine and maintaining healthy habits such as getting plenty of rest, eating healthy and avoiding close contact with sick people.
You can recover from meningitis at home in less severe cases of meningitis.
In less severe cases of meningitis you can usually recover at home within 7 days to 10 days.
Rest, fluids and over the pain medicine can help to treat some cases of meningitis at home.
In more severe cases of meningitis hospital treatment is usually required.
You can tell the difference between viral and bacterial meningitis through a blood cell count as bacterial meningitis causes the white cell count to be much higher while viral meningitis causes the white cell count to be lower.
You can have mild meningitis which is known as viral meningitis which most often goes away and clears on it's own.