What Can Cause Neck Pain?

Some neck pain may be job related. Individuals who sit in the same position and face the same direction for long periods, such as secretaries and wordprocessor operators, may experience neck stiffness and/or muscular spasms. Other jobs, such as those involving the repetitive motions which are common in industry, may also lead to neck pain. Workers who operate a drill press, power equipment or continous assembly-line operations may feel fatigue and soreness in the supporting head-and-neck muscles. These and similar situations can bring on muscle tension and irritation of the nerves and blood vessles in the neck.

Strains to the cervical vertebrae are another common cause of neck pain. Strains can be brought on by a forceful movement of the neck, strenuous lifting, swinging or pulling motions of the arms, or a fall. One of the most frequent of neck ailments - whiplash - can produce mild or severe reaction, even resulting in debilitating, permanent damage.

A degenerative disease of the bones and joints - osteoarthritis - can also be a source of neck pain. Sometimes called "wear and tear" disease, it can be the result of a lifetime of physical traumas (shocks) or even poor posture. Slumping, rounded shoulders, and even a straight military posture can be harmful. Osteoarthritis occurs when the discs become thin - pulling the bones closer together and producing grinding sounds. This leads to pain and nerve disturbances, and may eventually cause the vertebrae to fuse together.

Still other causes of neck pain may include osteoporosis, swelling of tissue, irritation of joints, damage to the nerves or spinal cord, fracture of a vertebra, tumors and cancerous conditions, and less obvious sources such as referred pain from a heart attack.