- Neck pain is a very common musculoskeletal complaint. Neck pain can be very painful and uncomfortable, but it is rarely dangerous. Serious pathology occurs in approx. 1-2% of cases. With serious causes including:
- Malignancy & tumours
- Systemic Inflammatory conditions
- Fractures
- Myelopathy
- Severe osteoporosis
- Fusion or ankylosis
Non-serious specific pathologies may include radiculopathy and radicular pain. This can include cervical disc herniations and facet joint injuries that may sensitise and/or compress a nerve root exiting from the cervical spine that can cause radicular pain into the arm/hand and/or muscle weakness or diminished function.
In most cases of neck pain, it is non-specific neck pain, meaning that there is no specific pathoanatomical cause of the pain. There can be numerous normal age-related changes that occur in the cervical spine, these changes can sound scary on an imaging report such as an MRI, but these are often completely normal age-related changes.
What is the cause of neck pain?
Neck pain is commonly associated with myofascial pain / muscle tightness, minor sprains & strains.
Stress, poor sleep, lifestyle, level of activity, beliefs and behaviours can also be associated with intensity and longevity of cervical spine symptoms.
The right education and advice regarding the management of neck pain is key to getting you back to doing the things that you enjoy.
