Neck Pain: Much More Than a Psychosocial Condition

Michele Sterling

DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2009.0113

Neck pain is a common health problem that affects approximately 70% of individuals at some time in their lives. International epidemiological data suggest that a point prevalence of between 10% and 40% of the population will experience neck in any 1 year. It is often considered that the course of neck pain is favorable, with the majority of people showing full recovery; however, recent data suggest that this may not be the case. The course of neck pain is marked by periods of recurrence and exacerbation, with most people not reporting full symptom resolution following a whiplash injury. These data provide a challenge to all clinicians and researchers involved in the management of cervical spine pain to develop improved preventative and management approaches. A first step in this process would be to gain a deeper understanding of the processes underlying various neck pain conditions.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2009;39(5):309-311. doi:10.2519/jospt.2009.0113

KEY WORDS: cervical spine, neck pain

Neck pain is a common health problem that affects approximately 70% of individuals at some time in their lives.

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