4. Stiff Neck
Many people suffer from stiff necks and don’t think anything about it. They assume they pulled a muscle by turning their head too fast or they simply slept funny. Most people are also able to find some relief by doing stretches, taking pain medications, or elevating their head and neck until the pain goes away.
Neck stiffness with meningitis is a little different/ It doesn’t feel like a normal stiff neck, it feels worse. It can be extremely painful, and traditional pain relief medications may not work or not work as well as they should. Meningitis can also make it hard to move the neck at all.
You may try to move it even though it’s painful, but find that it’s not physically possible. This is especially true if you try to look down.
When testing for meningitis, some doctors will ask their patients to put their chins to their chests and also look straight up. If they can’t do it, they may suspect meningitis and order further tests to confirm it.