Neck pain – Cervical pain can occur from 3 structures in the neck. The most common source of neck pain is the disc. Degenerative disc disease occurs in many individuals and many of these patients can develop neck pain. Since the disc is responsible for shock absorption, impact activities and sports can aggrevate this pain. The facets can also cause neck pain. These structures in the back of the neck are real joints like a hip or knee joint and develop the same degenerative changes that all other joints can. The last structure that can cause neck pain is the nerve root. More commonly, nerve root compression causes shoulder and arm pain but if it is only mildly compressed, it will cause only neck pain. Spinal cord compression normally does not cause neck pain as there are no pain nerve receptors in the spinal cord that will cause pain.
About the Author: Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.