Chronic Neck Pain:
What Causes It?

Treatment for any neck condition is recommended as soon as possible to minimize the danger of further aggravation. The following is a list of only some of the conditions that may cause neck pain and is not a substitute for a visit to your doctor:

• Radiculopathy - A pinched nerve, often from a herniated, or slipped, disk. This causes pain down the arm that's often described as an electrical feeling.

• Myofascial Pain - Generally an aching pain in muscles that tends to be associated with poor posture, sitting at a computer or other job-related tasks. Patients can become sore in different parts of the body like the neck and arms, and often patients report they have difficulty sleeping or feeling restored from sleep.

• Spinal Stenosis - A narrowing of the nerve openings either around the spinal cord or nerve roots that can cause symptoms similar to a pinched nerve. The pain is described either as an aching or an electrical feeling down the arm.

• Tendon, Ligament and Soft Tissue Pain - Localized pain when an area is stretched or its muscles are overused. This results in tenderness.

• Spinal Instability - Increased motion between vertebra, usually resulting from an injury. The pain typically feels like tingling in the neck or arms.

• Non-Spinal Causes of Neck Pain - Pain imitating a neck injury, but from another cause. Shoulder and elbow injuries and gall bladder disease are examples of problems that can refer pain to the neck area.

• Repetitive Strain Injury - An injury that occurs from a chronically used part of the body, either in a normal or abnormal way. These problems are often found in people who sit at desks or work at computers.