Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of PainCausesOther SymptomsFinding ReliefHealing TimeIf Not Improving
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Pain
Causes
Other Symptoms
Finding Relief
Healing Time
If Not Improving
Neck paincan happen on either side of the neck and is usually not serious. It can result from problems in the muscles, nerves, joints, bones, or disks in the neck. Common causes of pain on the right side of the neck include problems with posture, stress on the neck, injury, and (less commonly) certain medical conditions.
This article will discuss the types of pain that can occur on the right side of the neck, common causes of right-sided neck pain, other symptoms that can accompany this pain, how to getpain relief, how long neck pain lasts, and when to see a healthcare provider for neck pain.
Westend61 / Getty Images
Types of Pain That Can Occur on the Right Side of the Neck
There are different types of neck pain, including:
Indications of EmergencyCall 911 or seek emergency medical care if you show signs of:Meningitis(infection or inflammation of the membranes covering the brain): Such as fever, headache, neck too stiff to touch your chin to your chestHeart attack: Such as chest pain, arm or jaw pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, vomiting
Indications of Emergency
Call 911 or seek emergency medical care if you show signs of:Meningitis(infection or inflammation of the membranes covering the brain): Such as fever, headache, neck too stiff to touch your chin to your chestHeart attack: Such as chest pain, arm or jaw pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, vomiting
Call 911 or seek emergency medical care if you show signs of:
Possible Causes of Neck Pain on the Right Side
Neck paincan stem from factors such as:
How to Relieve Neck Spasms
Posture and Sleep Position
How you hold your body when sitting, standing, and lying down, can lead to neck pain if done improperly, especially if the poor posture is prolonged or repeated.
Check your postureduring activities that can put a strain on your neck, including:
Muscle Tightness in Upper Crossed Syndrome
Physical and Psychological Stress
Extra tension in the neck muscles from physical activity or reaction to psychological stress can lead to pain and/orstiffness.
Visualizing Neck Muscles on a Diagram
Injury
An injury to any part of the neckcan cause neck pain, but the most common neck injuries involve muscles and ligaments.
Common causes of neck injury include:
Whiplashis a common neck injury. It happens with a traumatic event (such as a motor vehicle accident or sports incident) that causes an abrupt movement of the neck beyond normal limits, forward (hyperflexion) or backward (hyperextension).
Whiplash can cause injury to many structures in the neck and lead to pain (in the neck, ear, and/or jaw),headaches, spasms, and loss of range of motion in the neck.
Explaining Coat Hanger Pain
Medical Conditions
Other Symptoms With Neck Pain on the Right Side
If you have a neck injury, you may also have symptoms that indicate a need for medical attention, such as:
What Helps With Right-Sided Neck Pain?
Neck pain can usually be managed with conservative measures.
Ice
Use icefor the first 48 to 72 hours, especially if there is swelling.Don’t apply ice directly to the skin. Wrap a bag of ice, a bag of frozen vegetables, or a frozen towel in a thin, dry cloth. Place it on the area for 15 to 20 minutes, every two to four hours, until symptoms improve.
Heat
After 72 hours, useheat instead of cold. Try using warm compresses, a heating pad, or warm showers.A moist towel warmed in the microwave may also help, but be careful not to overheat it, which can cause injury.Apply moist heat for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
Better Sleep
When sleeping:
Better Posture and Changes to Activities
Being aware of body positioning and taking measures to reduce strain can help treat and prevent neck pain.
Some tips to help avoidstraining your neckinclude:
Stretching and Exercises
Exercises thatstretch and strengthen neck musclescan help with range of motion, pain, and stiffness. Talk to your healthcare provider before doing new stretches or exercises, particularly if you have had a serious neck injury, have a pinched nerve in your neck, and/or pain or numbness in the arm and hand.
Do these stretches and exercises twice daily (when you get up in the morning and before bed at night).
Stretches can be as simple as moving your head up and down and side to side from ear to ear.
It may also be helpful to see a licensed physical therapist who can show youspecific exercisesto improve your symptoms.
10 Neck Stretches and Exercises for Pain, Posture, and Better Sleep
Stress Reduction
Stress reduction can help reduce neck tension, helping with the recovery and prevention of neck pain.
Stress reduction techniquesinclude:
Massage
Differenttypes of massagesare available and may help relieve muscle spasm. Choose a licensed massage therapist who is experienced with neck pain.
Medication
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen), Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen), or aspirin may help manage pain.Do not give aspirin to children or teenagers.
If OTC medications aren’t effective, your healthcare provider may prescribe medications such as:
Is Cracking Your Neck Bad for You?
How Long Does Healing From Right-Sided Neck Pain Take?
Neck pain can be:
How long neck pain lasts depends on a number of factors, but most neck pain only lasts a few weeks.
Neck Pain on Right Side Not Improving
If your neck pain is not improving, see your healthcare provider. Depending on the cause of your neck pain, they may refer you to a specialist such as a:
If necessary, your healthcare provider may suggest tests such as:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
While neck pain is usually not serious, seeing a healthcare provider is sometimes necessary. Even ifneck pain is mild, the presence of additional symptoms may mean something more is going on.
See a healthcare provider if your neck pain:
On-Going Self-Care For Chronic Neck PainChronic neck pain may be helped with measures such as:Physical therapySlow range of motion exercisesProper posture (awake and asleep)Regular exercise (aim for 30 minutes on most days, with breaks throughout the day to stretch)Speaking with your healthcare provider
On-Going Self-Care For Chronic Neck Pain
Chronic neck pain may be helped with measures such as:Physical therapySlow range of motion exercisesProper posture (awake and asleep)Regular exercise (aim for 30 minutes on most days, with breaks throughout the day to stretch)Speaking with your healthcare provider
Chronic neck pain may be helped with measures such as:
Summary
Neck pain can occur on either side of the neck. It usually involves soft tissue and is typically not serious. Causes of neck pain include posture and sleep position, physical and psychological stress, injury, and medical conditions.
It may be helped with measures such as ice then heat, better posture when awake and asleep, stretches and exercises, stress reduction, massage, and medication.
See a healthcare providerif your neck pain is not improving, if it follows an injury, or if other symptoms, such as numbness, radiating pain, or weakness, accompany it.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Neck pain.Harvard Health.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it.Mount Sinai.Neck pain.National Health Service.Neck pain.Hull University Teaching Hospitals.Neck pain.UpToDate.Patient education: neck pain (beyond the basics).Penn Medicine.5 possible causes of neck and shoulder pain.Penn State University.Neck pain.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).Healthdirect.Neck pain.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Neck pain or stiffness.MedlinePlus.Neck pain or spasms - self care.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Neck pain.Harvard Health.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it.Mount Sinai.Neck pain.National Health Service.Neck pain.Hull University Teaching Hospitals.Neck pain.UpToDate.Patient education: neck pain (beyond the basics).Penn Medicine.5 possible causes of neck and shoulder pain.Penn State University.Neck pain.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).Healthdirect.Neck pain.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Neck pain or stiffness.MedlinePlus.Neck pain or spasms - self care.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Neck pain.Harvard Health.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it.Mount Sinai.Neck pain.National Health Service.Neck pain.Hull University Teaching Hospitals.Neck pain.UpToDate.Patient education: neck pain (beyond the basics).Penn Medicine.5 possible causes of neck and shoulder pain.Penn State University.Neck pain.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).Healthdirect.Neck pain.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Neck pain or stiffness.MedlinePlus.Neck pain or spasms - self care.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Neck pain.
Harvard Health.Neck pain: symptoms, causes, & how to relieve it.
Mount Sinai.Neck pain.
National Health Service.Neck pain.
Hull University Teaching Hospitals.Neck pain.
UpToDate.Patient education: neck pain (beyond the basics).
Penn Medicine.5 possible causes of neck and shoulder pain.
Penn State University.Neck pain.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).
Healthdirect.Neck pain.
Seattle Children’s Hospital.Neck pain or stiffness.
MedlinePlus.Neck pain or spasms - self care.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
