Neck Tongue SyndromeNeck Tongue Syndrome causes sudden severe pain in the upper neck which travels simultaneously, into the tongue - on the same side as the neck pain. The pain can be provoked by rotation or flexion of the neck. 
One estimate is that one in 500 people referred to hospital for headache will have this disorder. It must be rare, or it is overlooked because no-one thinks that tongue sensation has anything to do with upper cervical nerve root sensation. How does a neck problem produce pain in the tongue?The sensory nerves from the lingual nerve of the tongue have some connections with the upper cervical nerves (See diagram, Creative Commons License Bartleby.com). These nerves communicate with the nucleus pars caudalis of the cervical cord. These nerves then connect with the main trigeminal system, which transits pain signals to the thalamus and the rest of brain. There is also cross communication between lingual nerve, hypoglossal and glossopharyngeal nerves within the substance of the tongue.
Are there any treatments?Treatment of these brief pains is usually with either NSAIDS like Indomethacin or anti-convulsants like Gabapentin.Nerve blocks to the C2 nerve root could might also be considered. Are any other diseases associated with this syndrome?People with hyper-mobile joints may be more at risk of neck-tongue syndrome.Rheumatoid Arthritis often causes disease of the joints of the upper cervical spine and is also a recognised cause of neck-tongue syndrome. A recent case of neck-tongue has been described in association with Chiari Malformation, but the malformation was not treated to see if symptoms improved. ReferencesFortin and Biller: Headache 1985;25:255-258 (Free Abstract only)O Sjaastad and LS Bakketeig. Neck–tongue syndrome and related conditions. Cephalalgia 2006;26:233–240 (Free Abstract only) Wong SL et al. Chiari-1 malformation and the neck-tongue-syndrome: cause or coincidence? Cephalalgia 2008;28:994-5 (Free Abstract only)
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