When you have a cold or the flu you’ll often find that your whole body aches, sometimes it’s even the first symptom,
before the congestion, cough, or nausea begin. Why does this happen? Why does your neck become stiff and swollen and why does it hurt?

There are a number of reasons why you may end up with a stiff neck that ache during a cold or flu infection. Firstly, your lymph nodes, an important part of your immune system, are likely to become enlarged and your neck is one of the places in the body where there is an abundance of lymph tissue. This swelling can often be felt under your jaw-line and cause both jaw pain itself as well as more widespread neck pain. Read more