
Spine Disorders
TERMINOLOGY
INTRODUCTION Neck
pain is a common problem that can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden,
sharp pain that leaves you incapacitated. It can come on suddenly from an
accident, a fall, or from lifting something too heavy. It may also develop
gradually, perhaps as the result of age-related changes to the cervical spine.
Regardless of how it happens or how it feels, you know it when you have it, and
chances are, if you don't have it now, you will experience it sometime in the
future. There are many pain sensitive tissues in the neck. This is why it is
often difficult to determine the exact origin of neck pain. In some cases neck
pain may arise from more than one tissue of the neck. Neck pain may or may not
be associated with neurological compromise. Neck pain
can arise from conditions that compress, destroy, or irritate pain-sensitive
structures such as the annulus fibrosis, posterior longitudinal ligament, and
the capsule of the zygapophyseal joints. Referred pain from internal organ
(visceral) disease may cause or contribute to neck pain. Neck pain can also be
confused with primary shoulder disease and peripheral nerve disorders. Common
conditions thought to cause neck pain include degenerative disc disease, with
or without disc herniation, and degenerative arthritis of the spinal
(zygapophyseal/facet) joints. The relationship between neck pain and the degree
and levels of spinal degeneration do not always correlate well. PREVALENCE Neck pain is a common
problem in our society. At any given time, aproxaimlety 10% of the adult
pollution in the United Status is experiencing neck pain. This accounts for
about 15-20 million people. Neck pain occurs more
frequently than low back pain. |