Symptom: Stiff neck

Introduction: Stiff neck

A stiff neck is probably not a symptom you would consider dangerous, and yet it can indicate some very severe conditions such as meningitis or meningococcal disease. Although neck stiffness can arise from physical neck complaints (e.g. whiplash) it is also a common symptom of numerous infectious illnesses. Neck stiffness symptoms need prompt professional medical advice for diagnosis.

» Review Causes of Stiff neck: full list

Causes of Stiff neck:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Stiff neck. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Infections - various infections may cause a stiff neck, usually with other symptoms like headache and fever.
  • Meningitis
  • Meningococcal disease
  • Flu
  • Polio
  • Cervical spine infection
• Physical neck disorders
  • Neck injury
  • Neck strain
  • Neck sprain
  • Whiplash
  • Neck muscle disorder
  • Arthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Cervical spondylosis
  • Spinal disorders
  • Disc disorder
  • Torticollis
  • Congenital cervical rib
• Physical complaints possibly causing stiff neck include:
  • Poor sleeping posture
  • Wrong pillow
  • Cold draught
• Congenital torticollis
• Wryneck
• Congenital deformities
• Klippel-Feil
• Exposure to cold
• Intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Cerebral tumor (see Brain tumor)

See full list of 117 causes of Stiff neck

» Review Causes of Stiff neck: full list

Stiff neck: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Stiff neck, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

• Stiff neck: Multiple Symptom Checker

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

• Stiff neck and Nerve symptoms (80 causes)
• Stiff neck and Pain (80 causes)
• Stiff neck and Movement symptoms (78 causes)
• Stiff neck and Sensations (78 causes)
• Stiff neck and Stiffness (74 causes)
• Stiff neck and Neck symptoms (69 causes)
• Stiff neck and Head symptoms (68 causes)
• Stiff neck and Headache (66 causes)
• Stiff neck and Muscle symptoms (66 causes)
• Stiff neck and Fever (54 causes)
• Stiff neck and Digestive symptoms (51 causes)
• Stiff neck and Muscle weakness (51 causes)
• Stiff neck and Temperature symptoms (51 causes)
• Stiff neck and Weakness (48 causes)
• Stiff neck and Behavioral symptoms (46 causes)
• Stiff neck and Fatigue (45 causes)
• Stiff neck and Seizures (43 causes)
• Stiff neck and Vomiting (43 causes)
• Stiff neck and Muscle spasms (41 causes)
• Stiff neck and Spasms (41 causes)

See full list of 1053 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Stiff neck

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Neck symptoms (478 causes)
• Stiffness (456 causes)
• Movement symptoms (1727 causes)

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Stiff neck

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Stiff neck:

• Neck symptoms (478 causes)
• Neck pain (127 causes)
• Neck swelling (97 causes)

Diagnostic Guides for Stiff neck

Medical Books Excerpts Read excerpts from published book sections related to Stiff neck from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Stiff neck. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Stiff neck

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Stories from Users for Stiff neck

Real-life user stories relating to Stiff neck:

• Scared stiff everytime! It's scares me alot!
• Neck stiffness and ankylosing spondylitis
• Stiff Neck
• scared stiff
• migraines,stiff neck, coughing, sneezing, etc.
• Stiff neck
• Left temple alittle swollen and stiffness in neck.
• Stiff neck + Chills
• facial muscles clenching/stiff neck

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Stiff neck or relevant symptoms:

• Musculoskeletal (Muscles, joints and bones) (405)
  • Joint and muscular pain after taking chantix
  • Arm pain after sneezing
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Joint swelling, stiffness, severe foot pain
  • Muscle twitches/spasms
  • More user stories
• Neurological (Nerves) (357)
  • Could this be MS?
  • Numbness and tingling all over
  • Tingling/numbness in arms/hands/legs/face/head [more symptoms]
  • Eye twitch
  • Essential tremor
  • More user stories

Videos for Stiff neck

Patient Surveys for Stiff neck

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about diseases related to your Stiff neck
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Causes of Stiff neck listed in Disease Database:

Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible causes of Stiff neck as a symptom include:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Cervical spondylosis
• Klippel-Feil syndrome
• Meningism
• Meningoencephalitis
• Strychnine
• Torticollis, spasmodic

See full list of 117 causes of Stiff neck
- (Source - Diseases Database)

Medications or substances causing Stiff neck:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Stiff neck as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Selegiline
• Atapryl
• Carbex
• Eldepryl
• L-Deprenyl

See full list of 7 medications causing Stiff neck

Drug interactions causing Stiff neck:

When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Stiff neck as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and overripe bananas interaction
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and Acutrim Late Day Strength Appetite Suppressant interaction
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and Acutrim II Maximum Strength Appetite Suppressant interaction
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and Acutrim 16 Hour Steady Control Appetite Suppressant interaction
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and Actifed Plus interaction

See full list of 127 drug interactions causing Stiff neck

Definitions of Stiff neck:

Stiff neck: nonspecific term for limited neck mobility, often due to muscle cramps and accompanied by pain.
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Organs affected by Stiff neck:

The list of organs typically affected by Stiff neck may include, but is not limited to:

• Neck

Detailed list of causes of Stiff neck

The list below shows some of the causes of Stiff neck mentioned in various sources:

• Acanthamoeba infection - stiff neck
• Acanthamoeba infection of the central nervous system - stiff neck
• Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis - stiff neck
• Acute idiopathic polyneuritis - stiff neck
• Angiostrongyliasis - stiff neck

See full list of 117 causes of Stiff neck

How Common are these Causes of Stiff neck?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Stiff neck. Of the 117 causes of Stiff neck that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 3 causes are "very common" diseases
• 3 causes are "common" diseases
• 1 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 2 causes are "rare" diseases
• 19 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 96 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 117 causes of Stiff neck

Conditions listing symptoms: Stiff neck:

The following list of conditions have 'Stiff neck' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

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Causes of Stiff neck Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Stiff neck based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: