Neck Stiffness – Stiffness of the Neck
The common type of stiff neck from which a person suffers after" sleeping in the wrong position" or after being exposed to cold is an example of fibrositis. The cause is probably continued muscle tension which reduces the blood supply to the involved muscles. The same malady may cause muscle pain in the shoulder or lower back.
A more chronic form of stiff neck occurs in torticollis (wry neck) which may last throughout life. Some cases of torticollis seem to result from a congenital shortening of certain neck muscles. In other cases the symptom appears after childhood and may consist of a spasmodic contraction of some of the neck muscles causing the head to be rotated or tipped to one side. These cases may be manifestations of psychologic problems.
Pain in the neck which interferes with 'the usual motions may occur when the lymph nodes are enlarged. Stiffness and pain in the neck may also occur in some forms of arthritis or following injury to the head or neck.
Stiff neck occurring in the course of an acute illness may indicate an infection of the meninges (the supporting tissues which cover the brain and spinal cord). Rigidity of the neck is one of the important signs of meningitis. When the meninges are irritated, as by a hemorrhage or by being stretched by an adjacent brain tumor or brain abscess, the neck may become rigid.
