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Neck pain
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
A typical pain syndrome in rheumatology and traumatology is neck pain. About 30% of the population of developed countries have chronic neck pain, the number of such patients has been steadily increasing in recent years, and huge amounts of money are spent on treatment and rehabilitation measures.
Neck pain is experienced at least once in a lifetime by more than 80% of people of different ages (usually from 30 to 60 years). 90% of patients who experience neck pain for the first time do not require medical supervision. Among patients who experience lower back pain for the first time, 40-50% will experience it within 1 week, 50-80% - within 1 month, and 92% - within 2 months. Only 2-10% of patients experience lower back pain on the left side that is more severe.
Lifestyle plays a major role in the development of neck pain syndrome.
Minor injuries during work and sports are the leading cause of neck pain, but in these cases the pain goes away on its own or after using local (systemic) painkillers.
Neck examination. It is necessary to pay attention to the general position of the neck and the soreness of its bone formations. It is important to examine the mobility of the cervical spine: flexion and extension (mainly in the atlantooccipital joint), rotation (atlantoaxial joint) and lateral flexion (depending on the cervical spine as a whole). Rotation is most often impaired. An examination of the upper limbs is performed to identify muscle weakness in them, depending on the damage to the nerve roots [shoulder abduction - C5; elbow flexion - C5-6; elbow extension - C6-7; wrist extension - C6-7, wrist flexion - C7-8, clenching the hand into a fist and spreading it (abduction of the fingers with resistance) - Th1. Reflexes are examined: from the biceps - C5-6, from the supinator - C5-6; from the triceps - C7. If spinal cord compression is suspected, the lower extremities should be examined to identify the corresponding symptoms).
The main causes of neck pain are:
Spasmodic torticollis. In adults, spasmodic torticollis can develop suddenly. There is a sharp pain in the neck, it becomes fixed in a certain position, which is caused by a spasm of the trapezius or sternocleidomastoid muscle. Usually, this condition goes away on its own, but relief can be provided by warmth, gentle manipulation of the neck, wearing a rigid collar, muscle relaxants and analgesia.
Torticollis of infants. This condition results from damage to the sternocleidomastoid muscle during childbirth. In young children aged 6 months to 3 years, the disease manifests itself in a head tilt to the side (on the affected side, the ear is closer to the shoulder). On the affected side, facial growth slows down, resulting in some facial asymmetry. In the early stages, a tumor-like formation is found in the area of the affected muscle. If these signs are quite persistent, physiotherapy procedures aimed at lengthening the affected muscle may be effective. In later treatment, the muscle is dissected (separated) at its lower end.
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