Hi there. Thanks for your question at HCM The term chronic neck pain is usually used to describe neck pain which has lasted for more than 6 weeks at the least.I think in your girl friends scenario it can be termed as acute onset sever neck pain.Neck pain can usually caused due to varied etiologies involving the structures in neck mainly the nerves, muscles, disc, joints and abnormal posture. Pain restricted to neck only and which is not shooting down the arms is suggestive of pain arising from the muscles, joints, bones or disc.Pain arising from the nerves usually shoots down the arm into fingers and associated with numbness. Analgesics either taken orally as tablets or as local applications in the form gel or lotions have soothening effect and relive pain most of the times. Ice gel application can help during the initial few days. If the pain still persists after medications for a week physiotherapy under prescription in the form of neck strengthening exercises, ultrasonic massage can help provided your girl friend has no contraindications to such therapy. If the pain persists for a over 6 weeks, I would suggest her to visit an Orthopaedic, so that at least a baseline X ray and thorough examination can be done . Based on these and her response to medicines and physiotherapy, she might require an MRI. But neck pain usually resolves with medicines, rest and physiotherapy in majority of patients suffering from the same. Hope this helps you All the best. Regards. Dr.SBK