Combination neck pain describes symptoms which occur in the neck, as well as in one or more other areas of the anatomy. Combination symptoms are actually far more common than neck pain alone and account for a great number of patient complaints each year.
In some scenarios, there are structural relationships between pain in multiple areas of the body. In other circumstances, there are psychoemotional relationships responsible for the neck and back pain expressions, as well as the alternate symptomatic locations. In a few cases, the combination symptoms may be completely unrelated to one another and may be distinct syndromes based on 2 or more different causations.
Combination Neck Pain Expressions
Below are listed many of the common multi-location neck pain syndromes which torment patients:
Neck and back pain is the most common of all multiple pain syndromes.
Neck and arm pain can exist in virtually any area of the upper appendages, unilaterally or bilaterally.
Neck and shoulder pain is ultra common and a real burden to bear. Chronic neck and shoulder pain is an ongoing hell for active patients to cope with.
Neck and lower back pain may be linked at the source or may be independently caused.
Neck pain and headaches are a double dose of misery and have tortured me on occasion for years. Neck pain and migraines are not likely linked physically, but are often found in patients with psychosomatic sources of both pains.
Neck and hand pain may be related to pinched nerves in the cervical spine.
Neck pain and sciatica are surprisingly common to suffer together, despite completely different areas of the body being affected.
Neck and upper back pain share the same causative structures in the spine in many patients and are almost always due to identical sources.
Neck pain and dizziness and neck pain vertigo often involve the neck muscles and some possible nerve compression issues, likely to be nonspinally motivated. The trapezius and sternocleidomastoid are the typical culprits.
Neck and ear pain can be related and concerning issues.
Neck and scalp pain may be a substitute for the combination of neck ache and tension headache in some sufferers.
Neck and jaw pain is one of the most often misdiagnosed combo pain syndromes, usually mistakenly identified as TMD.
Neck shoulder arm pain is a three way suffering inflicted on some particularly unlucky patients.
Neck shoulder back pain is the most common three way pain condition in the dorsopathy sector.
Combination Pain Origins
There are often physical or nonstructural reasons for multiple areas of pain to exist concurrently or in alternating patterns.
In the spine, nerve compression issues will produce definitive symptomatic expressions. However, spinal cord issues, such as central spinal stenosis, can produce pain and neurological dysfunction at any level below the affected one. Obviously, regional ischemia and other nonstructural pains can target anatomical locations at will and often completely illogically from a Cartesian point of view. This is usually the case in patients with widespread pain, such as fibromyalgia, or pain in vastly different areas of the body without individual anatomical explanations.
Coping with Combination Neck Pain
Combination neck ache conditions are the rule, rather than the exception. If you have pain in the neck, and in other areas, you fit the typical profile, rather than the few patients who only have neck pain.
We can not tell you how often these pain syndromes are misdiagnosed, often with completely ridiculous theories of why they occur. We hear about pinched nerves being responsible for causing pain in areas of the body not even remotely served by the suspected culprit nerve. This scenario comes into our email box every day. We see misdiagnosed disc issues, arthritic issues and spinal curvature issues all held responsible for enacting pain which is virtually impossible to actually be sourced, yet the diagnosis is made and treatment begins. Do not fall into the trap.
Get the facts about neck pain and thoroughly understand the details of your neck pain diagnosis in advance of choosing any therapy modality.
Neck Pain > Combination Neck Pain
