Muscle strains
Overuse, such as too many hours working at a computer or a smartphone, often triggers muscle strains. Even minor things, such as reading in bed, can strain neck muscles.
Wear and tear of joints:
As with other joints in the body, neck joints tend to wear with age (osteoarthritis). Age related ‘wear and tear’ is normal, but sometimes in response to this the body often forms bony spurs that can affect joint motion and cause pain.
Nerve compression:
Herniated disks or bony spurs in the vertebrae of the neck can irritate the nerves branching out from the spinal cord. This neck pain can often include numbness or loss of strength in the arms or hands, or pain that shoots into a shoulder, upper back or down an arm.
Injuries:
Road traffic accidents can often result in whiplash type injuries. These occur when the head ‘jerks’ backward and then forward, straining the soft tissues of the neck and upper back.
Diseases:
Very rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem, such as rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis or cancer. Prompt diagnosis by the correct medical professional can help treat these conditions.
