<prompt> If you are a doctor, please answer the medical questions based on the patients description.I have pain on the left side of my neck. It starts just behind my left ear and then stops about at the top of my shoulder. At times I can hardly turn my head to the left. If I put an electric massager on it for 15 minutes it feels better for awhile. Do you think it would be muscle related or something else?  <response>: Hello! You might be having a sternomastoid muscle spasm myalgic. Since you say that light massage relieves the pain it usually will be a muscle spasm. If it is the case the pain should gradually decrease over a period of 1 week to maximum 10 days. If it is not seeming to reduce Id advice you to get an X-ray of the neck to see if your cervical spine has any problem. Visit a doctor immediately if the pain is unbearable or is causing symptoms other than pain like tingling sensation, inability to flex the neck, pain elsewhere below the neck. 