Severe pain at base of neck

[naobi]

Hello my mom is having severe pain at the base of her neck.  When she bends over it starts to throb and the pain gets worse.  Nothing seems to stop the pain and it is getting worse.  What could be causing it?  Please help  Thank you..

[RunningMom]

Ice will be much better on the neck and it will reduce the swelling.  

It's still a good idea to talk to her doctor and have a MRI of the cervical spine.  As people get older, they can develop bone spurs on the neck, which can press against a nerve.  Also, the discs will start to wear out and that will cause problems too.

I'm 35 and I had bone spurs removed from my spine when I had a spinal fusion due to a herniated disc.  A lot of my migraines start at the base of my neck due to my cervical problems.

[naobi]

She is in a lot of pain.  Her neck feels swollen and we are keeping heat on it. She has not had any neck or head trauma recently. Thank you so much for your information and I will do some more research.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How is your mother? Was there a previous trauma to her head or neck? At this point, it is best that your mother refrain from bending over and to have this evaluated further by your doctor. This could be due to musculoskeletal causes specifically on the cervical region. Complete medical history and physical examination with imaging studies of the neck will help determine the underlying cause. If over-the-counter pain medications do not help, prescription medicines may be indicated. Take care and best regards.