Neck pain is almost as common as lower back pain in older adults. As many as 10 to 20 percent say they experience neck discomfort every day, and up to 70 percent will experience it at some point in their lives, according to the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
Because there are many causes of neck pain, spine experts say make sure to consult a physician if you have severe pain causing radiating or throbbing pain down the neck and arms or if you feel any numbness or difficulty in walking. Causes of neck pain can include injury from a fall or an accident, degeneration of the spine’s discs, osteoporosis, a pinched nerve from tissue inflammation and osteoarthritis, which can cause a narrowing of the spine, called stenosis.
But most commonly, the culprit is strains and sprains to the muscles and ligaments, says David Kohns, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and clinical assistant professor in physical medicine, rehabilitation and pain medicine at the University of Michigan School of Medicine.
“The most common type of conditions that we come upon within the neck tend to be myofascial in nature or muscle-related pain,” Kohns says.
