Go to an emergency department now if there is
- neck pain after a fall, a road accident or a blow to the head: keep the neck still and call 108
- sudden weakness, numbness or loss of feeling in both arms or both legs
- neck pain with fever, a severe headache and a stiff neck, or confusion
- sudden severe neck pain with a headache unlike any before
Caspian Healthcare has no emergency department. These need a hospital the same day.
See a doctor within a few days if
- your hands feel clumsy: dropping things, trouble with buttons, writing or picking up coins
- your walking has become unsteady or your legs feel stiff or heavy
- pain, tingling or numbness runs down one arm into the fingers and is not settling
- an arm or hand is getting weaker
- the pain wakes you at night, or comes with weight loss or fever
Clumsy hands and an unsteady walk can be the first signs that the spinal cord in the neck is being pressed (cervical myelopathy). It often comes on slowly and without much pain, so people put it down to age. Found early, it can be treated before the damage becomes permanent.
What helps ordinary neck pain
- Keep the neck moving gently within comfort. Turn, tilt and nod slowly a few times every hour.
- Screen and phone position: raise the screen to eye level, hold the phone up rather than bending your head down, and take a break every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Heat on the neck and shoulders for 15 to 20 minutes eases muscle spasm.
- Painkillers for a short time, as your doctor advises. If you have diabetes, kidney disease or high blood pressure, ask before taking diclofenac or ibuprofen.
- Exercises to strengthen the neck and upper back once the worst pain has settled. A physiotherapist can show you the right ones.
Tests
- X-ray of the neck: done in our building, useful after an injury
- MRI: shows the discs, nerves and spinal cord. Needed for weakness, clumsy hands, unsteady walking, or arm pain that is not improving. Arranged at Vijaya Diagnostic
- Nerve conduction study (NCS): helps tell a pressed neck nerve from carpal tunnel syndrome or diabetic nerve damage. Done at Caspian
Read more on how to read your spine MRI report and on back pain and sciatica.
See Dr. Imran at Caspian
Dr. Mohammed Imran, Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeon. MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Neurosurgery), Gandhi Medical College. Telangana Medical Council 60634.
Monday to Saturday, 4 to 5 pm. Walk in, no appointment needed. Consultation ₹600, valid for 6 days or 2 visits, whichever comes first.
Bring any MRI, CT or X-ray you have had (the films or CD and the written report), and the list of every medicine you take.
Common questions
Is cervical spondylosis serious?
Usually not. Most people over 40 have some wear on a neck X-ray or MRI and many have no symptoms at all. It needs attention when it presses on a nerve or the spinal cord: arm pain, numbness or weakness, clumsy hands, or trouble walking.
Should I wear a neck collar?
Not for ordinary neck pain. A soft collar for a day or two can ease severe pain, but wearing one for longer makes the neck stiffer and weaker. A collar is used for longer only when a doctor advises it, for example after an injury.
Can my pillow cause neck pain?
It can add to it. Use one pillow that keeps your neck in line with your body, neither bent up nor dropping down. Sleeping on your stomach twists the neck and is best avoided.
Is the tingling in my hand from my neck or from diabetes?
Diabetes nerve damage usually starts in both feet first. Tingling in one arm that follows a line down to certain fingers is more often from the neck. Carpal tunnel syndrome at the wrist is another common cause. The examination, and sometimes a nerve conduction study, tells them apart.
When is surgery needed for the neck?
Only for a minority: when the spinal cord is pressed (clumsy hands, unsteady walking, worsening weakness), or when arm pain from a pressed nerve has not improved after proper treatment over several weeks.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed Imran, Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeon, Telangana Medical Council 60634. Last reviewed 13 November 2026. General information for patients of Caspian Healthcare: your own doctor’s advice comes first.