Neck Pain

Question 1

What is whiplash?

Answer 1

Acceleration- Deceleration forces applied to the neck

Pain in neck, shoulder and arm

Can have headache, memory loss and dizziness

Can take months to settle

Question 2

What is mechanical pain?

Answer 2

Can follow injury, sleeping in awkward position or prolonged keyboard working

Palpable muscle spasm with pain

Can radiate up to occiput and be associated with tension headache

Question 3

What is brachial neuralgia/cervical radciulopathy?

Answer 3

Compression of cervical nerve roots

Symptoms

• aching pain in neck to arm
• progress to mild loss of pinch grip strength
• dermatomal sensory loss
• occasional sharp pains down arm

Question 4

What is cervical myelopathy?

Answer 4

Compression of cervical spinal cord

Question 5

What are symptoms of cervical myelopathy?

Answer 5

Older patients- fine motor problems e.g. cannot chop food
Slow developing spastic gait
Pain not main feature

Question 6

What are signs of cervical myelopathy?

Answer 6

UMN signs below level of compression
LMN signs at level of compression
Positive hoffman