Symptom: Stiff neck

Stiff neck: Reduced mobility of the neck
Introduction: A stiff neck is probably not a symptom you would consider dangerous, and yet it can indicate some very severe conditions such as meningitis or meningococcal disease. Although neck stiffness can arise from physical neck complaints (e.g. whiplash) it is also a common symptom of numerous infectious illnesses. Neck stiffness symptoms need prompt professional medical advice for diagnosis.

Detailed cause information for symptom: Stiff neck:

Possible causes of symptom: Stiff neck (29 conditions)

Medical conditions causing symptom: Stiff neck (25 conditions)

Medical articles on symptoms: These general medical articles may be of interest:

Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
Symptoms and Medical Malpractice
Medical mistakes and their rates, causes and prevention
Deaths and sudden death

Symptoms related to Stiff neck: neck symptoms (59), neck pain (18), neck swelling (30)
Stiff neck type of: Neck symptoms (59), Stiffness (88)
Symptoms: symptom center, symptom groups, symptom descriptions

Possible causes of symptom: Stiff neck: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Stiff neck as a symptom. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

Infections - various infections may cause a stiff neck, usually with other symptoms like headache and fever.
- Meningitis
- Meningococcal disease
- Flu
- Polio
- Cervical spine infection
Physical neck disorders
- Neck injury
- Neck strain
- Neck sprain
- Whiplash
- Neck muscle disorder
- Arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Cervical spondylosis
- Spinal disorders
- Disc disorder
- Torticollis
- Congenital cervical rib
Physical complaints possibly causing stiff neck include:
- Poor sleeping posture
- Wrong pillow
- Cold draught

Conditions listing symptoms: Stiff neck: The following list of conditions have 'Stiff neck' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.