Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Neck Pain

Abstract

Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability, with an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30%. Most episodes of acute neck pain will resolve with or without treatment, but nearly 50% of individuals will continue to experience some degree of pain or frequent occurrences. History and physical examination can provide important clues as to whether the pain is neuropathic or mechanical and can also be used to identify "red flags" that may signify serious pathology, such as myelopathy, atlantoaxial subluxation, and metastases. Magnetic resonance imaging is characterized by a high prevalence of abnormal findings in asymptomatic individuals but should be considered for cases involving focal neurologic symptoms, pain refractory to conventional treatment, and when referring a patient for interventional treatment. Few clinical trials have evaluated treatments for neck pain. Exercise treatment appears to be beneficial in patients with neck pain. There is some evidence to support muscle relaxants in acute neck pain associated with muscle spasm, conflicting evidence for epidural corticosteroid injections for radiculopathy, and weak positive evidence for cervical facet joint radiofrequency denervation. In patients with radiculopathy or myelopathy, surgery appears to be more effective than nonsurgical therapy in the short term but not in the long term for most people.

Parotid tumour presents as acute onset neck pain: a case report

“…The differential diagnosis of neck pain may be considered based on the location and onset of pain and whether symptoms correlate with the clinically suspected mechanism of disease. 5,6 Common causes of neck pain involve neurogenic, mechanical, and secondary mechanisms, such as referred pain from a visceral or glandular structure. 5 This case report describes the acute onset of unilateral neck pain in an 88-year-old female without prior episode.…”

“…5,6 Common causes of neck pain involve neurogenic, mechanical, and secondary mechanisms, such as referred pain from a visceral or glandular structure. 5 This case report describes the acute onset of unilateral neck pain in an 88-year-old female without prior episode. History and physical examination failed to raise clinical suspicion for common causes of acute neck pain, including those causes mediated by mechanical and neurogenic mechanisms.…”

Cervical-scapular muscles strength and severity of temporomandibular disorder in women with mechanical neck pain

“…Cervical pain is the fourth leading cause of disability in adults, after lower back pain, depression and arthralgia (2). Epidemiologic studies estimate an annual prevalence of 30 to 50% in general population (3), and a systematic review reports the average frequency of 37.2% (4).…”

Yoga Therapy for Management of Neck and Low Back Pain

“…According to a study published in 2015 by Cohen et al, neck pain has an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30% and is the fourth leading cause of disability in the United States [10]. Fejer et al reported an estimated mean lifetime prevalence of neck pain in the world population to be around 50%, and the 1-month prevalence to be around 25% [11].…”