can coming down with a cold or the flu cause neck pain

The most common question people want to know is why the flu causes pain the back when back pain is not a commonly accepted symptom of influenza.

It’s no secret that aches and pains are common with the flu; it’s why we feel drained and achy constantly. But prolonged and severe back pain just isn’t considered “typical.”

However… it is exactly those same aches and pains associated with the flu that do cause such excruciating back pain for some.

When you have the flu, you have elevated levels of molecules known as cytokines and chemokines, which are created by cells affected by flu.

Both cytokines and chemokines are pro-inflammatory… which simply means they encourage inflammation. When the levels of both of these molecules are elevated higher than usual for influenza, severe back pain is often the result