History, physical examination, and differential diagnosis of neck pain

Neck pain is a common and costly problem in Western society. Nearly two-thirds of the US population will experience neck pain at some point in their lives, and at any one time about 5% of the US population has sufficient neck pain to cause disability. Although the likelihood of defining a precise cause of neck pain is low, if the etiology and structural source can be determined, they may be valuable in directing treatment. Patient history serves to identify red flags and yellow flags, whereas the physical examination, guided by the history, serves primarily to confirm those suspicions.