Rheumatology Made Simple : Neck Pain

Neck Pain:

Neck pain is a fairly common symptom.

Usually it accompanies thoracis spine pathology.

It may be associated with degenerative changes in cervical spine such as intervertebral disc narrowing,osteophyte formations at end plates and erosion of facet joints.

At a given time,around 12 % of population will be having neck pain.

Causes Of Neck Pain:

1.Inflammatory Diseases:

Rheumatoid arthritis

Polymyalgia rheumatica.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

2.Infectious diseases:

Brucellosis

3.Soft tissue pathology:

Trauma

Whip lash injury

Neck strain

4.Degenerative Bone disorders:

Disc proplapse

Osteoporosis

Traumatic fracture

Osteomyelitis

Osteomalacia

Paget”s disease

5.Trauma

Direct to the neck

Bracial plexus trauma

6.Referred pain:

From Shoulder as in adhesive capsulitis

From pharynx eg in pharyngitis / infections.

Temporomandibular joint and Acromioclavicular joint