The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of referre
d pain from the cervical zygapophyseal joints (C0/1 to C7/Th1) and the
cervical dorsal rami (C3 to C7). The subjects were 61 patients who ha
d occipital, neck, and shoulder pain of suspected zygapophyseal origin
in whom pain was reproduced by injection of contrast medium into the
joints or by electrical stimulation of the dorsal rami. Under fluorosc
opic control, the zygapophyseal joints from C0/1 to C7/Th1 were stimul
ated by the injection of contrast medium and while electrical stimulat
ion of the cervical zygapophyseal dorsal rami at segments C3 to C7 was
performed during facet denervation. If injection or electrical stimul
ation reproduced the patient's usual pain, the distribution of referre
d pain was determined and the sites of referred pain were divided into
10 areas. A total of 181 joints and 62 segments were studied. Each jo
int and dorsal ramus produced referred pain with a characteristic dist
ribution. The main distribution of referred pain was as follows. Pain
in the occipital region was referred from C2/3 and C3, while pain in t
he upper posterolateral cervical region was referred from C0/1, C1/2,
and C2/3. Pain in the upper posterior cervical region was referred fro
m C2/3, C3/4, and C3, that in the middle posterior cervical region fro
m C3/4, C4/5, and C4, and that in the lower posterior cervical region
from C4/5, C5/6, C4, and C5. In addition, pain in the suprascapular re
gion was referred from C4/5, C5/6,and C4, that in the superior angle o
f the scapula from C6/7, C6, and C7, and that in the mid-scapular regi
on from C7/Th1 and C7.