Neck Pain
Common Causes of Neck Pain
Neck pain is very common and is thought to affect at least two thirds of the population at some time in their life. It is most commonly caused by disorders of the cervical spine that result in pain usually in the back of the neck, but can also radiate into the head, shoulders, arms and chest from "pinching of the nerves" in the neck. Other causes of pain in the neck can include trauma (whiplash), fracture, inflammatory arthritis, thyroiditis, cancer, infection and more.1
Causes of Neck Pain
- cervical spine dysfunction
- muscular sprains of the neck
- trauma (whiplash)
- torticollis (wry neck)
- cervical spondylosis (osteoarthritis)
- inflammatory arthritis
- polymyalgia rheumatica
Other conditions that may cause neck pain include:2
- angina or myocardial infarction
- cancer (primary or metastatic)
- osteomyelitis
- meningitis
- carotid/vertebral artery dissection
Symptoms of Neck Pain
Pain in the neck can be caused by a wide range of different conditions. The most common cause of neck pain is cervical spine dysfunction including degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, facet joint disease and cervical spondylosis. These conditions are associated with other symptoms including muscle spasm and ache, stiffness, headaches, loss of range of movement of the neck and pain or numbness radiating into the head, shoulders, arms or chest. The latter symptom is commonly caused by nerve entrapment by surrounding structures of the cervical spine. In the worst case these conditions can cause significant compression of one or more nerve roots or even the spinal cord itself. This results in muscle weakness and numbness of the affected nerves and requires prompt medical treatment.3
A variety of other medical conditions can cause neck pain which may be associated with symptoms including fever, headache, weight loss, chest pain, SOB, dizziness and more. If you experience any of these symptoms you should seek advice from a medical practitioner.
Tests for Neck Pain
There are a number of tests to investigate the cause of neck pain. These include blood tests to check for inflammatory markers, signs of infection or thyroid disease. An ECG may also be a test commonly requested if your medical practitioner has suspicions that the pain in the neck may be referred from the heart. However usually the most important tests for neck pain will involve radiological investigations for signs of cervical spine dysfunction. Most commonly an x-ray of the cervical spine (C-spine) will be requested followed by more detailed images done through CT or MRI. Ultrasounds may be occasionally used to investigate lumps in the neck around the thyroid gland or any cervical lymph nodes.4
Treatment of Neck Pain
The treatment of neck pain is obviously largely based on the diagnosis made and attributed to it's cause. The most common cause of neck pain is cervical spine dysfunction and would usually involve "conservative management" initially including simple analgesia using Paracetamol and possibly NSAIDs (if there are no contraindications). Physiotherapy is also often beneficial in helping to reduce any associated inflammation or muscle spasm involved with the cervical spine dysfunction. If a more serious cause of cervical spine dysfunction, such as disc herniation or significant spondylosis resulting in nerve impingement or spinal cord compression occurs, this often requires referral to a specialist orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon for consideration of spinal surgery.5
Of course there are many other causes of neck pain and these may require a variety of different interventions.
If you have any form of neck pain we strongly suggest you see a qualified medical practitioner to help with diagnosis.
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References
1. MyDr.com.au "Neck Pain Symptoms and Causes". MyDr.com.au. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
2. Clinica Media. "Neck Pain and Causes". Neckpain.com.au. Retrieved 13 September 2006.
3. William C. Shiel Jr., MD. "Shoulder and Neck Pain". eMedicineHealth. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
4. Wikipedia. "Neck Problems". Retrieved 18 January 2011.
5. Arthritis Victoria. "Neck and Shoulder Pain". Retrieved April 2010.
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