Neck& shoulder pain for almost 3 years, in car accident 3 years ago. xray and mri normal, can it be nerve damage? will it come up in mri? what else?

Maybe: Not all nerve damage will show up on an MRI - only that which is caused by a disc pushing on a nerve coming out of the spinal column. The next step would be to see a pain management specialist or neurologist to try and ascertain the diagnosis. Fibromyalgia may be the problem which is not uncommon after car accidents and whiplash injuries.