Diagnosis of Neck Pain
Neck pain is a symptom and not a disease by itself. When you come to the doctor’s office with this symptom, they will likely do one or more of these steps to detect the cause of your problem. They include a history of the symptom, a physical exam, and diagnostic tests.
History
The history of neck pain gives your doctor a clue about the cause. It also helps track down other diseases in other body parts that might trigger neck pain.
The doctor will ask some questions. For instance, they will probably ask what type of pain you’re feeling. There are two main types of neck pain they might be looking for:
- Neuropathic pain: It means nerve-related pain. When you have this type of pain, it is usually a burning or electrical-like sensation. It may also be described as shooting or stabbing pain and generally radiates to another part, especially the shoulder or the arm. The radiation of pain gives your doctor an important clue. The distribution of radiated pain responds to the nerve involved in the problem. Thus, the more accurate you can be, the better diagnosis you will receive. For example, pain radiation in the middle finger or thumb and index finger can help your doctor diagnose problems in the nerve roots C7 and C6.
- Mechanical pain: It is caused by muscles, bones, and other mechanical structures of the neck. This type of pain is usually felt as throbbing or aching. In some cases, mechanical pain may also become radiated to the upper part of the arm, especially the shoulders. When the upper facet joints are affected, pain can be felt in your neck and occiput (the posterior part of the skull).
Another important part of the history-taking is asking you about additional signs and symptoms. Neck pain from nerve-related causes does not come alone. Patients usually feel numbness, tingling, and other sensations. When the source of pain is mechanic, these additional symptoms are very rare. Morning stiffness is another critical symptom you can describe, and it is often felt in patients with arthritis.
Pay also close attention to what triggers and calms down pain. This will also give doctors an essential clue for the diagnosis. In mechanical pain, the symptoms worsen with physical activity, and the association is very clear. In neuropathic pain, the link is not clear. Sometimes the pain worsens, and sometimes, it doesn’t.
One of the most apparent diagnoses in pain history is a car crash or trauma. In such cases, whiplash syndrome is the most common guess. A spinal cord injury and a vertebral fracture are other causes to rule out immediately in an emergency room.