Please help! neck pains

[hales716]

I'm 17 years old and over the past couple of months ive been experiencing these numbing pains that shoot from the back of my neck at the hairline, to halfway on my forehead. The sensation is frightening and it almost gives me this paranoid feeling, that there's this pain when im not sure if there is or not. They come randomly..and the only way i can sense it coming is when the back of my head starts to get this numbing pain and then it slowly spreads throughout my entire head until it feels like im going to lose it.
The numbness is almost scary enough to make me want to panic because i dont know whats going on. Its almost a panic numbness--if that even makes sense. The numbness tends to reach my ears and i get this high-pitched frequency that rings loud. Usually when the pain slows--which only happens if i quickly massage my temples and the back of my neck--im left with a headache.
I do tend to crack my neck sometimes to work some kinks out, but its never been where i've actually hurt my neck while doing it..so i dont know if that would have anything to do with this pain.
I'm really scared that something may be wrong with my spine or even my head. If you can help me, please please do. I dont know what else to do at this point.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
There is a chance that you have compression of the spinal nerves in the cervical spine region. This can happen due to overuse of computers, work involving straining of neck, canal stenosis, bone disease, spondylosis, poor posture etc.
Use a hard bed to sleep. Avoid a pillow. Roll a towel and place it under your neck while sleeping. Initially this will be uncomfortable but with time the acupressure will do wonders. Use an analgesic cream or spray. Anti-inflammatory drugs help. A good physiotherapist can teach you some exercises which will help you a lot. A MRI of the cervical spine may be required.
Please consult a neurologist. The treatment is to remove the compression. You have to discuss the best treatment option with a neurologist, which can range from medication to physiotherapy to traction, cervical collars or even surgery.
It could also be due to high blood pressure so please get your BP checked.
Hope this helps. Do discuss this with your doctor and get yourself examined. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[hales716]

P.S.--the past couple of weeks i have been getting more slower in the sense of exhaustion and i feel like just falling over and closing my eyes almost everyday. I live a healthy lifestyle so im sure it has nothing to do with weight issues or unhealthy eating.
I just dont know what to do.
I'm tired and dizzy and my neck is killing me.