Help me identify the cause of my sudden, excruciating neck pain.



Two or three times in the past few years, I've experienced incidents of sudden, intensely painful neck pain. It happens when I've been leaning my head back against something (e.g., lying on the floor with my head on a high pillow) and then lift my head up quickly. When it happens, it feels like I've severely strained a muscle on the right side of my neck, close to my windpipe. Swallowing becomes extremely painful, to the extent that I'd probably go to the emergency room if it weren't for the fact that a heating pad makes the pain disappear within minutes. Does anyone know which muscle is causing the problem here? I wonder if my build (tall and lanky with a long, slim neck) makes me prone to neck problems. I'm a 20-something female with no serious health issues otherwise.

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