Case Study Applying a Cognitive Approach to Acute Neck Pain Worry

The patient had neck pain after a large gardening session, with no neurological signs, and two earlier episodes after a long flight and gardening that settled within about a week. Standard reassurance did not help, so Alison asked about her worries: an upcoming interstate work trip, fear of getting worse, and concern that colleagues would see her as slacking or faking. Going through past episodes showed the pain had not stopped her functioning, and two episodes were not enough to show a worsening pattern, an example of jumping to conclusions. The patient herself linked each episode to doing too much, and Alison added that mechanical neck pain usually settles and that bodies dislike sudden large loads. The summary gave her strategies if it worsened and noted her reputation for rarely taking sick days. Alison recommends getselfhelp.co.uk and the book Managing Chronic Pain: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Approach.