Does a swollen, stiff and painful neck require medical attention?
Patient: Hi. I ve had a sore stiff neck for about a week. starting Thursday it started to get more painful. Today it is very painful at the base of my skull.. It feels swollen and tender and it hurts down my neck now too. Just recently it started to have a random nervy type of pain on one side. Wondering if I should have it looked at tomorrow or if it will probably go away. Doctor: Hello!My name is Dr. Aida and I am glad to attend you on Healthcaremagic! Your symptoms could be suggestive of a bulging intervertebral disc in the cervical spine. For this reason, I recommend consulting with a neurologist and performing a cervical spine CT scan or MRI. Inflammation tests (PCR, complete blood count, sedimentation rate are necessary too). You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues. Kind regards!