Now that you've identified your pain as being in the neck region, you next need to describe the pain.

Is it:

• Constant or steady pain (Muscle Pain)
• Burning or electric-like pain (Nerve Pain)
• Throbbing pain (Vascular [blood vessels] Pain)

Muscle pain that is constant or steady pain, may be slow throbbing, and may involve loss of range of motion, meaning you cannot turn your head all the way or bend it forward or extend it backward without pain. The neck muscles are sore to squeeze.

Posture problems can contribute to neck pain.

Causes of Muscular Neck Pain include:

1. Automobile accident or other trauma
2. Jaw dysfunction - see relationship between bite, sleep, and pain on the head and neck pain video
3. Posture - forward head (see proper/good posture)
4. Ergonomics at work, sitting or standing
5. Sleep disorder - frequent awakenings
6. Herniated disc in cervical spine
7. Weak muscles in neck or upper back
8. Long trips in car

What do I do next?

While nerves carry the message of muscle or vascular pain to the brain, if there is a problem with the nerve itself it is called neuralgia. Pain from neuralgia burns continuously or flashes quickly like when you hit your "crazy bone" in your elbow.

What do I do next?

Be careful how you describe your pain. Many people describe all pain as throbbing, but throbbing pain is pain that quickly throbs in rhythm with your heart beat and hurts worse if you shake your head.

What do I do next?