Neck Pain Causes: Understanding Injuries & Underlying Conditions

Neck pain is a result of problems with the nerves, ligaments, muscles, bones, joints or spine. The most common causes are injury or wear and tear on any of these components, while more rare causes include tumors or infections.

Injury

• The most common cause of neck pain is an injury to the muscles and ligaments. Any sudden twisting or jerking, such as that experienced in automobile collisions, sports injury or a fall, can cause neck pain.

Disease

• Inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the neck by producing arthritic bone spurs or joint deterioration, which causes more pronounced, ongoing pain.

Wear and Tear

• As people age, the disks in the neck are susceptible to wear and tear, which can result in disk degeneration. This puts stress on the spine and can cause persistent neck pain.

Other Causes

• Other more rare causes of neck pain include tumors, infections, genetic abnormalities and conditions such as spondylolysis, myelopathy and stenosis.

When to Seek Medical Attention

• Any neck pain that is constant, severe or is accompanied by headache, numbness, tingling or pain that extends down the arms or legs should be reported to a physician.