Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Is Recurrence Of Shooting Pain In Neck Moving Towards Brain A Warning Sign ?
Question: I experienced an extremely severe shooting pain in my neck that moved upward toward my brain -- severe enough to make me scream out loud. It went away just as suddenly -- whole episode was 15 seconds maybe. No pain after that but neck felt weak for a few hours. This has happened 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years during various activities -- this time I was drying my hair with a blowdryer as I do every morning. Just a temporary trapped nerve? Or could this be a warning sign of something more severe? Should I make an appt to see my doctor or can I just wait & mention it during my annual physical?
Hello.
Thanks for writing to us.
The severe momentary pain that you have is most likely cephalgia fugax.
Usually it is not associated with any serious disorder but these may be associated with migraine headache, cerebral tumors and anxiety neurosis.
If your pain was associated with sweating and chest pain then it could be related to cardiac disease.
To rule out any associated abnormality, a CT scan of head, ecg, X-ray of skull and an isotope scan is suggested.
It is best to get yourself investigated and if everything is normal then usually no treatment is needed.
I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful.
Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.
Regards.
Thanks for writing to us.
The severe momentary pain that you have is most likely cephalgia fugax.
Usually it is not associated with any serious disorder but these may be associated with migraine headache, cerebral tumors and anxiety neurosis.
If your pain was associated with sweating and chest pain then it could be related to cardiac disease.
To rule out any associated abnormality, a CT scan of head, ecg, X-ray of skull and an isotope scan is suggested.
It is best to get yourself investigated and if everything is normal then usually no treatment is needed.
I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful.
Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Manju M
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
