Patient guide / Neck, head and jaw
Understanding neck, head and jaw symptoms
Pain in the same area can have different explanations. These guides explain the terms, care options and when to seek help. They cannot diagnose your condition.
This page is awaiting validation. It does not replace a consultation or a programme adapted to your situation.
Neck pain and a stiff neck: understanding your symptoms
Neck pain can disturb sleep, work and simply looking to one side. Understanding stiffness and the feeling of being stuck can help you gradually return to activities while recognising situations that need an examination.
Read the guidePain and conditionsCervical disc herniation and radiculopathy: understanding arm pain
Pain travelling from the neck into an arm may come with tingling, altered sensation or weakness. A cervical disc herniation is one possible cause. Assessment connects the symptoms, nerve function and, when useful, imaging.
Read the guidePain and conditionsCervical spondylosis and neck arthritis: understanding scan findings
Words such as arthritis or degeneration in a report can be worrying. They describe changes in joints or discs, but do not by themselves explain why you hurt or what you will be able to do tomorrow.
Read the guidePain and conditionsWhiplash: understanding neck symptoms after an accident
A sudden head movement can be followed by pain, stiffness or headaches. Whiplash describes an injury mechanism. It does not replace initial assessment or care adjusted to how symptoms develop.
Read the guidePain and conditionsCervicogenic headache: when a headache comes from the neck
Headache and neck pain occurring together do not prove that the neck is the cause. Cervicogenic headache is a particular headache type. Identifying it requires evidence of a genuine connection with a neck disorder.
Read the guidePain and conditionsTension-type headache: understanding pressure around the head
Pressure around the head can make a day difficult even when it is not migraine. Understanding tension-type headache, its variations and associated factors helps prepare a consultation and avoid trying treatments at random.
Read the guidePain and conditionsMigraine with and without aura: understanding attacks and care
Migraine can interrupt work, activities and family life. It is more than an unusually strong headache. Understanding symptoms, aura, differences between attacks and treatment options helps you prepare for appropriate care.
Read the guidePain and conditionsOccipital neuralgia: understanding nerve pain at the back of the head
Shooting pain at the back of the scalp may suggest occipital neuralgia, sometimes called Arnold neuralgia. However, not every pain in this area is a neuralgia. Assessment distinguishes nerve pain from other headaches.
Read the guidePain and conditionsJaw pain, temporomandibular disorders and teeth grinding
Chewing, yawning and talking can become uncomfortable when the jaw hurts. Understanding the difference between joint problems, muscle pain and teeth grinding helps you prepare useful questions for the dentist and other professionals.
Read the guidePain and conditionsDizziness and neck pain: why the cause needs assessment
Dizziness together with a painful neck can be unsettling. Having both symptoms does not prove the neck causes the dizziness. Describing exactly what happens helps guide assessment and avoid inappropriate treatment.
Read the guidePain and conditionsNeck pain or headache: when should you seek medical help?
Some symptoms need immediate help, others prompt medical advice or planned follow-up. This page explains the distinction. It cannot rule out an emergency remotely and does not replace professional assessment.
Read the guideText updated on
Medical review: awaiting Hasib Selimovic.