Bump on Back of Neck, Hairline, Near Spine, Left or Right Side, Pictures, Causes, Treatment & Home Remedies

A bump on the back of the neck may appear near the spine, on the hairline, or towards the right side or left side of the neck. The appearance of these bumps may be a sign of various health conditions, whether they are painful or painless. Explore facts, pictures, causes, signs and symptoms bumps on back. Also, learn how to get rid of them with medical treatments and home remedies.

Signs and Symptoms of Bump on Back of Neck

The development of strange bump on the back of the neck is a common condition that might occur to you. These bumps can appear at the back of ears, on the hairline, near or above your spinal borne on the back of neck region.

The bump on the back of your neck can appear in different forms depending on its causal agent. It can occur under or above the surface of your skin. The neck bump can be in a form of a soft lump or hard bump that vary in size from small to large.

The common signs and symptoms that are associated with a bump on back of neck include the following:

• Soft or hard bump of back of the neck
• Small or large lump on back of the neck
• Painful and itchy bump
• Redness, tender, inflamed or swollen skin on back of the neck
• Fluid-filled blister or sore on back of the neck
• Scar-like bump on back of the neck that is not itchy
• Lump under the skin at the back of the neck that is painless
• Swollen lymph node on side of the neck
• Red skin rash on back of the neck
• White, gray, pink, yellow or skin-colored bump on back of the neck
• Stiff or rigid neck that is difficult to move

A bump on the back of your neck can also accompany other strange symptoms such as fever, headaches, chills, sore throat, and others. In case you notice the above symptoms, you can seek the help of your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of Bump on Back of Neck

The back of your neck can develop a bump due to various causes. These causes can lead to either harmless or more serious health condition. The harmless bumps on the back of your neck are usually painless and not itchy.

Occasionally, the back of your neck can develop painful, itchy and malignant bumps that can advance into a more serious health problem. For this case, it is advisable to consult your medical doctor to help you in diagnosis and treatment.

The common causes of a bump on back of neck include:

1. Ingrown hair bump

Ingrown hair or razor bumps are small red or dark raised spots that might appear on the back of your neck after shaving too close to the skin. These bumps are caused by the curling or sideways growth of hair under the skin surface.

2. Folliculitis

The back of your neck can develop red itchy bumps like acne due to folliculitis. This is a bacterial infection of the hair follicle.

3. Insect Bites

The parasitic insect such as mosquito and lice might bite the back of your neck to cause painful red bumps on your skin. White lice usually live in human hair and the can move down to your hairline to caused serious irritation.

4. Folliculitis Keloidalis

This is an inflammation of the hair follicle due to the unknown factor. The condition usually appears as red bumps on the back of the neck. Folliculitis Keloidalis often occur to individuals with dark skin tone than whites. Keloidalis bump can persist on back of your neck for many years without improvement.

5. Boil

A Boil, furuncles or carbuncle is painful red or white large bump that can appear on the back of your neck. The bumps are usually filled with pus. They are caused by bacterial infection of the oil gland on your skin.

5. Keloid

This is a scar-like bump that develops due to the overgrowth of skin tissue. They can appear after injuries or even develop from the surgical wound. This condition is related to genetic factors and often occurs in dark-skinned individuals.

6. Epidermoid Cyst

The epidermoid cysts are bumps that can develop under the skin surface as consequence of an overgrowth of epidermis cells in the dermis or deep layer of the skin. These cysts on back of your neck are usually painless and harmless.

Occasionally, the Epidermoid Cyst can become painful, inflamed, and tender. They can burst and ooze out greasy substances. These bumps can be treated by surgical removal of the cyst from the skin.

7.  Skin cancer

Skin cancer is a rare cause of a bump on back of neck. Basal cell carcinoma is a common type of skin cancer that can lead to the development of tumors that appear on the skin as nodules or raised plagues in the area that gets exposed to sunlight.

8. Swollen lymph nodes

The lymph nodes that are located at the back of your neck can become inflamed and swollen due to an infection. Bacterial and viral infection can stimulate the lymph glands on sides and hairline region of your neck to form painful bumps.

9. Injuries

The back of your neck can develop soft painful bump after physical injuries to the skin. A hit, punch, cuts, and bruise at the back of your neck can lead to raised spots. Also, excess straining of your neck muscles can result in the development of soft or tender bump on neck region.

10. Congenital Abnormalities

Cystic hygroma is one of the known congenital abnormities that often occur in children. This condition can lead to large bump that can grow up to 10 centimeters in diameter.

Also, Meningocele is another condition of spinal bifida that lead to overgrowth of spinal born at the back of the neck.

11. Lipoma

Lipoma is a type of benign skin tumor that is made up of fat content. The lump usually grows slowly under your skin. They are usually painless and harmless.

12. Buffalo Hump

These are excessive deposits of fat on the back of the neck to form a large dome-shaped lump. The condition is related to Cushing’s syndrome or can occur as a consequence of the increased level of cortisol hormone in your body.

13. Osteophyte

Naturally, the back of your neck has a normal protruding spine born called odontoid process. The condition of osteoarthritis can lead to the overgrowth of the born spur that might appear as hard lump alone the spinal line.

15. Cervical Kyphosis

These are the abnormal curvature of a born that appears like a hump at the nape of your neck. This condition can develop from fractures, born tumor, congenital abnormalities, spinal osteoarthritis and dowager’s hump.

16. Spinal tumors

The spinal tumors or pseudotumors is a common cause of a hard bump on back of neck that usually develop at midline. This condition is caused by the infection of the cervical vertebra by tuberculosis.

Bump on Back of Neck Right Side

The back of your neck can develop a strange bump at any location. However, bump on the back of the neck at the right side can occur. The possible causes that may lead to bumps on the back of the neck at right side include swollen lymph nodes, keloids, cancerous tumors, injuries and boil infection.

Also, the right side at the back of your neck can develop a bump as result of any of the causes of a bump on the neck at the back that are already been discussed in the relevant section of the post. if the back of your neck at right side develops a strange lump, you can seek the help of your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Bump on Back of Neck Left Side

Similar to your right side, the left side at the back of your neck can also develop a strange bump or lump. Swollen lymph nodes, keloids, boil cancer as some of the conditions that might cause bumps to appear on left side of the back of your neck.

Because we have many causes that are associated with bumps on back of the neck, it is advisable to seek the help of your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Bump on Back of Neck Hairline

Your hairline at the back of the neck is a prime spot that might develop small bumps or large lump. The possible causes that can lead to small bumps on your hairline at the back of your neck include ingrown hair cyst, folliculitis, insect bites, and skin rash.

For the case of large bumps on your hairline, they can occur as a result of keloid, boil, lipoma, Epidermoid Cyst, Osteophyte, Swollen lymph nodes, Buffalo Hump, and cancer.

Bump on Back of Neck Near Spine

A bump on the back of the neck that are located near you spine could be associated with spinal disorder bumps. The common spinal conditions that may lead to lump on the back of the neck include Spinal tumors, Cervical Kyphosis, and Osteophyte.

How to Get Rid of Bump on Back of Neck

You can get rid of a bump on the back of your neck using various treatment methods depending on the condition of the bump. For small, painless and harmless bump on the back of your neck, you can use home remedies.

Also, you can go for medical treatment in case the back of your neck has painful, malignant overgrowth lump that looks worrisome and is likely to be a serious health condition. You can visit your doctor to help you in medical treatment.

Home Remedies

You can try to use the following home remedies that can help to remove small and benign bumps from the back of your neck. They include:

1. Hot compress

Hot compressing the back of your neck with warm water is an effective home remedy that can help to relieve inflammation. The warm temperature of a hot compress can stimulate the increase of blood flow to the affected area that can help to ease swollen bumps.

How to use:

• Soak a clean cloth in warm water in a bowl
• Hot compress the affected area for few minutes
• Repeat this treatment three times daily until the bump on back of neck go away

2. Lemon and honey

The mixture of lemon juice and honey has powerful healing properties that can help to clear away bumps on the back of your neck.

How to use:

• Mixt 1 teaspoon of lemon juice with equal amount of raw honey
• Apply it to the affected area
• Let it stay on your skin for about 10 minutes before washing it off
• Alternatively, drink the mixture
• Repeat it two times daily until you notice an improvement

3. Aloe Vera

The antiseptic and anti-inflammatory nature of Aloe Vera can help to ease swollen lymph node at the back of your neck.

How to use:

• Wash your neck region with warm water and pat dry it
• Apply the Aloe Vera directly to the affected area
• Let it stay on your skin for about 20 minutes before you rinse it off
• Repeat this treatment three times in a day until bumps on back of your neck go away

4. Garlic

You can use garlic as a remedy that can help to remove bumps from the back of your neck. Garlic has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to relieve a bump on the back of neck region.

How to use:

• Crush two cloves of garlic and mix with one cup of warm water
• Drink the garlic extract three times in a day
• Alternatively, add garlic glove to your daily meals

5. Apple cider vinegar

The apple cider vinegar is an excellent home remedy you can use that can help to clear away bumps from the back of your neck region. It has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to remove skin bumps from the back of your neck.

How to use:

• Get ¼ glass of apple cider vinegar
• Soak the cotton ball into the solution
• Apply it to the affected area of your neck
• Rinse it afer10 minutes
• Repeat this steps three times daily until the bumps on back of your neck clear away

Medical Treatment

A bump on back of neck can be removed by medical treatment. You can visit your medical doctor to help you in diagnosis and treatment. After visiting your doctor, he/ she will decide the appropriate diagnosis and treatment method to use that can help solve your health condition.

The common treatment methods that your doctor might use to get rid of a bump on the back of your neck include:

• Prescription of oral medication that includes anti-inflammatory, antibiotics and antiviral drugs that can help to cure swollen bump in your neck.
• Prescription of ointment creams that can help to clear away bumps from the back of your neck region.
• A surgical procedure to remove a chronic or malignant growth from the back of your neck.

When to See a Doctor

You can see your doctor over bump on back of neck if you notice the following conditions that include:

• If the bump on back of your neck has persisted for more than three weeks without improvement
• If the bumps on back of your neck are too painful or itchy that you cannot withstand
• When the back of your neck develops into large abnormal growth that appears worrisome
• When the bump on back of your neck is associated with other strange symptoms such as fever, headaches, dizziness, and others
• If the bump on your neck has characteristic of hard tumors that bleed easily
• When you develop stiff or rigid neck due to the neck lump