Shooting pain in neck

Injuries and disorders of organs in the body usually produce painful sensations. Neck pain can be either an acute, sudden condition or something patient has for some time (chronic pain in the neck). In case someone experiences sudden pain in the neck, it is usually described as sharp and some patients report spreading of the pain towards the shoulders and arms. Chronic neck pain is, in most cases, a mild condition which lasts in certain intervals for some time.

Causes of Neck Pain

Sharp or shooting pain in the neck is a serious problem which can be caused by some injuries of the neck or surrounding tissues or by conditions affecting the whole human body. The most common cause of shooting pain in the neck is some sort of injury or trauma. A person who has strained muscles or sprained ligaments in the neck will definitively experience some neck pain. This is also true for some sports, whiplash injuries and traumas because of fractures or accidents as well.

The rotator cuff is actually a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder, enabling the movement of the arm. Repetitive use of these muscles or some sport injury can be a cause of sudden pain in the neck and most patients feel pain that goes from the neck and shoulders through the arm.

Inflammation of bursa sacks in the shoulder joint (condition known as bursitis) may also be causing sharp neck pain and some swelling. Common causes of bursitis are infections and injuries, but it can also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

Ruptured or herniated discs and osteoarthritis could be additional explanations for sudden sharp pain in the neck. Osteoarthritis patients are usually older people and they may also notice stiffness, inflammation and swelling of affected joints.

How to Treat Pain in the Neck?

Shooting neck pain must be reported to your doctor as soon as you can, in order to be treated in time and efficiently.

For minor injuries doctors recommend some rest and proper exercises with professional trainer, while severe injuries may need surgical intervention. Rotator cuff injuries also require surgical procedure and some anti-inflammatory drugs.

Bursitis can be treated in several different ways, by using drugs, aspiration of the fluid from bursa sacks or by surgical removal of bursa fluid.

Osteoarthritis is not curable, but patients suffering from this condition may be prescribed with some medications or treatments to relieve pain and ease other existing symptoms.