Causes

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Some causes of neck pain include:

  1. Cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis)
  2. Cervical spondylosis
  3. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)
  4. Fibromyalgia
  5. Herniated disk
  6. Meningitis
  7. Muscle strains (An injury to a muscle or to tissue that connects muscles to bones, called a tendon.)
  8. Myofascial pain syndrome
  9. Osteoarthritis
  10. Poor posture
  11. Rheumatoid arthritis (a condition that can affect the joints and organs)
  12. Sleeping in awkward positions or with too many or too few pillows
  13. Spinal stenosis
  14. Tension headache
  15. Trauma from accidents or falls
  16. Whiplash

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

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Oct. 22, 2024

See also

  1. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)
  2. Angina
  3. Bone spurs
  4. Brachial plexus injury
  5. Brachial plexus anatomy
  6. Chiari malformation
  7. Chordoma
  8. Coronary artery spasm: Cause for concern?
  9. CSF leak (Cerebrospinal fluid leak)
  10. Eyestrain
  11. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  12. Headaches and stress
  13. Hemophilia
  14. Hurthle cell cancer
  15. Medication overuse headaches
  16. Myocardial ischemia
  17. Neck pain
  18. Polio
  19. Polymyalgia rheumatica
  20. Pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension)
  21. Skull base tumors
  22. Small vessel disease
  23. Tension headache
  24. Relieving tension-type headaches
  25. Thoracic outlet syndrome
  26. Nutrition and pain
  27. Pain rehabilitation
  28. Self-care approaches to treating pain
  29. Thunderclap headaches
  30. Thyroid cancer
  31. Thyroid Cancer
  32. What is thyroid cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  33. Thyroid cancer FAQs
  34. Whiplash