5 Reasons Why Your Neck Is in Pain 

Americans are no strangers to neck pain — more than 30% of the general population develops the problem yearly, making it the fourth leading cause of disability in the United States. And those numbers certainly reflect those globally — in 2020, neck pain affected 203 million people worldwide.

At Sunshine Spine and Pain Specialists, PLLC, Dr. Peter Fernandez, Dr. Amanda Fernandez, and our team have treated many people struggling with neck pain. This considerable experience has revealed a good deal about the common causes of neck pain, and we want to share those with you. We also want to assure you that we’re well-equipped to bring you relief for your neck pain, no matter what’s causing the discomfort.

1. Aging and degenerative conditions

Far and away, what we see most at our practice are conditions caused by aging and natural wear-and-tear. Certain areas of your spine enjoy more movement and work harder than others, including your cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine (lower back). As a result, degenerative changes tend to occur in these areas.

For example, your neck features seven small vertebrae separated by six intervertebral discs. Over time, these discs can degenerate and become flatter and more brittle. Called degenerative disc disease, this condition is evident in about 90% of people by the time they hit 60.

Another degenerative condition that can lead to neck pain includes osteoarthritis in your cervical spine. 

2. Cervical spinal stenosis

This item on our list of neck pain culprits falls under the aging and degeneration category above, but it’s prevalent enough that we want to single it out. When you have spinal stenosis, there’s a narrowing in your spinal canal that pinches nerve roots. When the stenosis occurs in your neck, you can experience local neck pain, as well as symptoms that travel down into your arms and hands, such as pain, numbness, and tingling.

This narrowing is usually driven by thickening ligaments that support your spine, as well as bone spurs that develop in response to other issues, such as facet joint arthritis.

3. Poor posture and tech neck

Did you know that Americans spend an average of 7 hours and 3 minutes staring at a screen each day? This is fueling the phenomenon called tech neck, which describes pain in the neck caused by keeping the head in an awkward position to stare down at screens.

Your spine is meant to move. However, when we freeze it in place to stare at screens for hours on end, we’re creating pressure on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles and connective tissues.

4. Neck injuries

After getting hit from behind, either in a car or in person, your head can get whipped back and forth — a sure path to neck pain. Whether whiplash develops or not, any rocking of your head can compress your cervical spine and strain connective tissues.

5. Stress

Aside from increasing screen time, Americans are more stressed than ever, which often leads to body-wide muscle tension. Much of this tension collects around your neck and shoulders, leading to an achy neck.

The bottom line is that living with neck pain is challenging, and we urge you to visit our office so we can diagnose the issue and explore your treatment options. Trust us, there are many solutions for neck pain, and we’re confident we can provide you with much-needed relief.

To schedule your neck pain evaluation with us, simply contact our Sarasota, Florida, office by calling 941-867-7463, or you can use our online booking request form.