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Suggest Treatment For Severe Neck Ache

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Posted on Tue, 7 Oct 2014
Question: I was recently overseas and had a severe neck ache on the left side that was painful even to just lift my head from the bed. It went away within a week. But now I notice a small bulge near my spine where my neck meets my back. I am a female, very healthy 71 years old. I am taking no medications at all.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Sudhir Kumar (44 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
it can be subcutaneous fat or lipoma

Detailed Answer:
Hi, XXXX

Welcome to healthcare magic.

I'm Dr. Sudhir Kumar

After going through your query I think you may be having subcutaneous fat or lipoma which you noticed accidentally because these are common at junction of spine and neck in your age.

It may be not related to neck pain. I think your pain may be related to muscle sprain due to exertion of travelling.

Second possibility is enlarged lymph node. If we think that during travel you got some infection which relieved by itself and generally after infection lymph node enlarged.

I have three questions for you.
1.Small bulge is fluid like or solid
2.Size of it.
3.When you had neck pain you also had fever or not.

To exclude rare cause you need to get MRI OF CERVICAL SPINE and ultrasound of affected area.

Waiting for your reply.

Wishing you good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Sudhir Kumar (37 minutes later)
The size of the bulge is about a quail egg, but is flat and doesn't stick out very much and is not noticeable. I only noticed it after my neck pain was almost completely gone. I can't tell if it is fluid or solid. I can't move it, so it feels more solid than fluid. I didn't have a fever associated with the neck pain. I was in Turkey for a month, and the new food gave me some intestinal issues, but otherwise no other problems. The neck pain was on the left side of my neck and the small bulge is on the left side of my spine.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Sudhir Kumar (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
it can be subcutaneous fat or lipoma

Detailed Answer:
Hi, XXXX

Welcome back.

I'm Dr. Sudhir Kumar

After going through your query I think you may be having subcutaneous fat or lipoma which you noticed accidentally. I think this swelling has no relation with neck pain.These are common at site where neck meets back. These are generally asymptomatic(causes no problem)It is flat and doesn't stick out very much and is not noticeable point towards subcutaneous fat.

As you does not had fever during neck pain period,it is unlikely that neck pain was due to infective cause,so lymph node enlargement is less likely.

Other matters has been already explained.

To exclude rare causes you need to get MRI OF CERVICAL SPINE and ultrasound of affected area.

Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions I will be happy to help. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.

Wishing you good health.

Take care
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Sudhir Kumar

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Practicing since :1993

Answered : 3356 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Severe Neck Ache

Brief Answer: it can be subcutaneous fat or lipoma Detailed Answer: Hi, XXXX Welcome to healthcare magic. I'm Dr. Sudhir Kumar After going through your query I think you may be having subcutaneous fat or lipoma which you noticed accidentally because these are common at junction of spine and neck in your age. It may be not related to neck pain. I think your pain may be related to muscle sprain due to exertion of travelling. Second possibility is enlarged lymph node. If we think that during travel you got some infection which relieved by itself and generally after infection lymph node enlarged. I have three questions for you. 1.Small bulge is fluid like or solid 2.Size of it. 3.When you had neck pain you also had fever or not. To exclude rare cause you need to get MRI OF CERVICAL SPINE and ultrasound of affected area. Waiting for your reply. Wishing you good health.