Most neck and upper back pain is caused by a combination of factors—injuries, poor posture, subluxations, stress and disc problems

Most people do not realize how much they move their neck in a day until they can’t. The neck has very little muscular stabilization although it supports your average 15-pound head. Like a bowling ball held to a stick by small, thin elastic bands, the neck is susceptible to injury.

Referred pain is often the result. If your arm is numb, tingling, cold, aching or if you’re experiencing the sensation of pins and needles, it may actually be a problem in the neck. These symptoms can be confused with carpal tunnel syndrome, the result of repetitive motion tasks over extended periods of time. Keyboarding is one common culprit. Problems in the neck can also contribute to headaches, muscle spasms in the shoulders and upper back, ringing in the ears, otitis media (inflammation in the middle ear that is often mistaken for an ear infection in children), temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), restricted range of motion and chronic tightness in the neck and upper back.

Poor Posture
One of the most common causes of neck pain or headaches is poor posture. Innocent activities like reading in bed can lead to pain, headaches or more serious problems. Keep your neck in a neutral position whenever possible, avoiding hunching forward for long periods. Try not to sit in one position for extended times, but make sure your posture is good if you must. Keep your head in a neutral position, make sure your back is supported, keep your knees slightly lower than your hips, and rest your arms if possible.

Subluxation
If your head tilts or one shoulder is higher than the other you may be showing signs of subluxation. Is one sleeve longer than the other? Is your necklace hanging crooked? Is your head jutted forward? This is known as FHPD forward head posture and is very common for people who are stooped over their computers all day long. Subluxations that aren’t taken care of promptly can compound and get worse.

Stress
Stress causes people to unconsciously contract their muscles, particularly in the back. This survival response is called muscle guarding and occurs whenever we become emotionally stressed. Areas most affected are the muscles of the neck, upper back and low back, particularly the trapezius muscle. Reduce the physical effects of stress by increasing your activity level with exercise and by deep breathing exercises.

Disc Herniations
The discs in your cervical spine can herniate or bulge and put pressure on the nerves that exit from the spine. Cervical discs do not herniate nearly as often as lumbar discs do, except when the discs sustain damage from a whiplash injury.