Assessment of neck pain

Last reviewed: 18 Jan 2025
Last updated: 03 Jan 2025

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Cervical strain
  • Acute whiplash
Full details

Uncommon

  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Cervical facet syndrome
  • Spasmodic torticollis
  • Cervical fracture
  • Cervical dislocation
  • Cervical radiculopathy
  • Cervical myelopathy
  • Cancer: metastatic
  • Cancer: primary
  • Meningitis
  • Vertebral osteomyelitis
  • Epidural abscess
  • Herpes zoster
  • Carotid artery dissection
  • Vertebral artery dissection
Full details

Contributors

Authors

Richard S. Penaloza, MD
Richard S. Penaloza

Associate Professor of Medicine

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

Denver

CO

Disclosures

RSP declares that he has no competing interests.

David J. Tanaka, MD
David J. Tanaka

Associate Professor of Medicine

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

Denver

CO

Disclosures

DJT declares that he has no competing interests.

Jeffrey Druck, MD

Professor

Department of Emergency Medicine

University of Utah

Salt Lake City

UT

Disclosures

JD declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Allan Binder, MD

Consultant Rheumatologist

Lister Hospital

East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust

Stevenage

UK

Disclosures

AB declares that he has no competing interests.

Margot Putukian, MD

Director of Athletic Medicine

Princeton University

Princeton

NJ

Disclosures

MP is an author of a reference cited in this topic.

Robert McNamara, MD, FAAEM

Chairman

Department of Emergency Medicine

Temple University School of Medicine

Philadelphia

PA

Disclosures

RM declares that he has no competing interests.

Steven P. Cohen, MD

Chief of Pain Medicine

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Baltimore

MD

Disclosures

SPC receives research funding from Scilex and is evaluating a local anaesthetic patch for neck pain.

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    • Consensus practice guidelines on interventions for cervical spine (facet) joint pain from a multispecialty international working group
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