Any abnormalities, inflammation, or injury of bones, ligaments and muscles of neck can cause neck pain or stiffness. Neck pain is a common complaint. Neck muscles can be strained from poor posture rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem.
Causes
- Muscle strains – poor posture, working at a desk for too long without changing position, sleeping with neck in a bad position and jerking of neck during exercise
- Worn joints
- Nerve compression
- Diseases – Meningitis, Rheumatoid ,Osteoporosis ,Fibromyalgia, Spondylosis,herniated cervical disk and spinal stenosis
- Injury
- Heart attack – Neck pain can also be a symptom of a heart attack
In rare instances, neck stiffness or pain occurs due to:
- congenital abnormalities
- infections
- abscesses
- tumors
- cancer of the spine
Signs and symptoms
- Pain that’s often worsened by holding head in one place for long periods, such as when driving or working at a computer
- Muscle tightness and spasms
- Decreased ability to movethe head
- Headache