What are the Possible Causes of Stiff Neck?

What Causes Stiff Neck?

Stiff neck can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'critical'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose stiff neck, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "stiff neck" as a symptom. Here are eight possibilities (more below):

Possible Urgent Medical Need
A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Meningitis
Cervical Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Encephalitis
Stress
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

regular morning stiffness

recent job/career changes

sugar/sweet craving

minor pain in cold/cool/damp weather

occasional unexplained fevers

very dry eyes

jumpiness

being a "night person"

significant left iliac pain

recurring depression

frequent morning stiffness

harsh punishment during childhood

... and more than 80 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of stiff neck:

Cause	Probability	Status
A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage	97%	Confirm
Encephalitis	27%	Unlikely
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis	22%	Unlikely
Stress	2%	Ruled out
Meningitis	0%	Ruled out
Possible Urgent Medical Need	0%	Ruled out
Cervical Arthritis	0%	Ruled out
Rheumatoid Arthritis	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate neck pain/stiffness, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

If you have a stiff (hard-to-turn) neck, how far can you turn your neck until the pain or resistance becomes too much?

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ My neck is not stiff
→ I can move my neck quite well, but not all the way
→ I can move my neck a little, with difficulty
→ I can not move my neck

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate no neck stiffness, slight stiff neck, stiff neck or severe stiff neck, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

A Potentially Urgent Medical Need

A very stiff neck can indicate a potentially life-threatening condition, such as meningitis, encephalitis or a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Encephalitis

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Meningitis

Neck Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Stress

Stress can cause the neck muscles to tighten and become stiff.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™