Neck pain
| Neck pain | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Cervicalgia |
| Illustration of a person with neck pain | |
| Specialty | Neurosurgery |
Neck pain, also known as cervicalgia, is a common problem, with two-thirds of the population having neck pain at some point in their lives.[1]
Because there is not a universally accepted classification for neck pain, it is difficult to study the different types of pain. In 2020, neck pain was the second most common cause of disability in the United States and cost $100 billion in health care spending.[2]
Nightly rotator cuff impingement may lead to an asymptomatic shoulder impingement, leading to neck pain.[3] Neck pain can be caused by other spinal problems, and may arise from muscular tightness in both the neck and upper back, or pinching of the nerves emanating from the cervical vertebrae.[4]
The head is supported by the lower neck and upper back, and it is these areas that commonly cause neck pain.[5] If this support system is affected adversely, then the muscles in the area will tighten, leading to neck pain.
As of 2020, neck pain affected about 203 million people globally, with females having higher prevalence.[6]
- ^ Binder AI (March 2007). "Cervical spondylosis and neck pain". BMJ. 334 (7592): 527–31. doi:10.1136/bmj.39127.608299.80. PMC 1819511. PMID 17347239.
- ^ "US Health Care Spending by Payer and Health Condition, 1996-2016". JAMA. 323 (9): 863–884. 2020-03-03. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.0734. ISSN 1538-3598. PMC 7054840. PMID 32125402.
- ^ Creech, Julie A.; Silver, Sabrina (2025), "Shoulder Impingement Syndrome", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 32119405, retrieved 2025-05-29
- ^ "Neck pain". Mayo Clinic. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ Jung, Benjamin; Black, Asa C.; Bhutta, Beenish S. (2025), "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Neck Movements", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 32491487, retrieved 2025-05-29
- ^ Wu AM, et al. (March 2024). "Global, regional, and national burden of neck pain, 1990-2020, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021". The Lancet. Rheumatology. 6 (3): e142 – e155. doi:10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00321-1. PMC 10897950. PMID 38383088.