Cervical spine and shoulder pain

The complex problem of combined neck and shoulder pain was investigated in 26 operations in 13 patients who had a shoulder procedure (subacromial decompressions or rotator cuff repairs) and an anterior cervical spine fusion. This select group of complex patients illustrates the diagnostic studies required to determine whether the pain comes primarily from the cervical spine, shoulder, or both. Good pain relief was accomplished after 24 of the 26 surgical procedures (average follow-up, 4.3 years). In the 13 patients, eight presented with nearly equal neck and shoulder pain as the chief complaint, whereas in the remaining five patients, the initial complaint was predominantly neck pain with only minor shoulder involvement. The shoulder pain became more significant after the anterior cervical fusion in these five patients. This study emphasizes the need for a careful evaluation of patients with combined neck-shoulder pain syndrome in a systematic approach allowing appropriate treatment.