Neck Pain in Spanish

What it means

Neck pain is discomfort in any of the structures in the neck, including the muscles, nerves, bones (vertebrae), joints, and the discs between the bones. When the neck is sore, it may be difficult to move it, such as turning to one side, which many people describe as having a stiff neck. A common cause is muscle strain or tension, often from everyday activities such as bending over a desk or sleeping in an uncomfortable position; falls and accidents are another common cause. If nerves are compressed, there may be numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arm or hand. A fever and headache with a neck so stiff that the chin cannot touch the chest is an emergency sign that needs urgent care: call 911 in the U.S.

Spanish term: Dolor de cuello
Gender and article: masculine: el dolor de cuello
Pronunciation: doh-LOR deh KWEH-yoh

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
dolor cervical	General	Title of the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article, which also uses this form in its text.
cervicalgia	General	Listed among the alternative names of the MedlinePlus en español article; the English article lists the same word.
dolor en el cuello	General	Wording of the MedlinePlus en español health topic on neck injuries and disorders.

Dolor de cuello appears in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia (si el dolor de cuello involucra compresión de los nervios), although the article itself is titled Dolor cervical. The health topic page writes dolor en el cuello. The article lists cervicalgia, rigidez en el cuello and cuello rígido among its alternative names; the English list has cervicalgia, neck stiffness and stiff neck.

In these pages cervical refers to the neck: where the English article says severe neck injuries, the Spanish one says lesiones cervicales graves. Other words from the same pages: latigazo cervical (whiplash), collarín cervical (cervical collar), entumecimiento (numbness), hormigueo (tingling) and debilidad (weakness). Dolor and cuello are both masculine: el dolor, el cuello. The emergency sentence on the page is Llame al 911 o al número local de emergencias o vaya a un hospital.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I woke up with neck pain, and I cannot turn my head to the right.	Me desperté con dolor de cuello y no puedo girar la cabeza hacia la derecha.
Clinician	Where do you feel the pain, and how often does it occur?	¿Dónde siente el dolor y con qué frecuencia se presenta?
Patient	It is on the right side, and it started three days ago.	Es en el lado derecho y empezó hace tres días.
Clinician	Was the pain caused by a fall, a blow, or an injury?	¿El dolor fue causado por una caída, un golpe o una lesión?
Patient	No, but I spend many hours in front of a computer.	No, pero paso muchas horas frente a una computadora.
Clinician	Do you have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm or hand?	¿Tiene entumecimiento, hormigueo o debilidad en el brazo o en la mano?
Patient	My neck feels stiff, and the pain wakes me up at night.	Siento el cuello rígido y el dolor me despierta durante la noche.
Clinician	I am going to examine your neck. Please tell me if the pain gets worse when I move it.	Voy a examinarle el cuello. Por favor, dígame si el dolor empeora cuando lo muevo.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Neck Pain
Spanish (Español)	Dolor de cuello
Chinese (中文)	頸痛
Korean (한국어)	목 통증
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Đau cổ
Filipino (Tagalog)	Sakit sa leeg
Portuguese (Português)	Dor no pescoço
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	อาการปวดคอ
Japanese (日本語)	頸部痛

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical recordtriage note

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: M54 → Dorsalgia

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Bones, joints and muscles

All terms in this area: Bones, joints and muscles — Huesos, articulaciones y músculos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.