Many people suffer from neck pain. The pain that you feel may be a simple indicator of overuse of the neck muscles or it may be an indicator of a problem that is much more serious. If you have shooting pains that extend down your arms, are unable to touch your chin to your chest or have numbness in the upper limbs, your pain can be telling you that there is a more serious problem that needs the attention of a doctor.

Some of the pain may be the result of overuse of muscles in the neck. If you work at a computer all day with poor posture, you may have a pain in your neck. If you continue to strain those same muscles day after day the strain may lead to chronic pain.

Over time, as you age the joints of the neck can wear down and cause pain. In addition, the injuries caused by wear and tear can lead to the development of osteoarthritis of the neck. Osteoarthritis may cause stiffness and pain that make it difficult to move the head.

Problems of the spine may cause there to be less room for the nerves to branch out from the spinal cord. These problems can lead to a pinched nerve that causes a lot of pain. Examples of problems that might cause the pinched nerve include compressed discs, bone spurs or discs that have become stiffened.

Some pain may be attributed to accidents. Whiplash often occurs as the result of a car crash. In this injury, the head is forced forward and then snaps back using the soft tissues. Over extended soft tissues can cause stiffness and soreness when you try moving.

Rheumatoid arthritis may cause pain in many parts of the body including the neck. Most common places pain from rheumatoid arthritis include the hands and feet followed by the neck. This disease can cause pain that is difficult to control.

Spinal meningitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord and brain lining. Meningitis is a serious condition that is often first felt as a stiffness of the neck. Spinal meningitis is an infectious disease.

In some rare instances, the pain may be caused by cancerous tumors. Normally, the cancer does not start in the area of your neck, but it may travel here from another part of your body. Such tumors may require surgery or other treatment.

To diagnose the source of your pain, a doctor may use several tools. Some of the more common include imaging tests such as x-rays, CT scans or MRI. A spinal tap is used to test for meningitis.

Doctors treat your pain with medication and therapy. Some of the medications used include injections of steroids. Therapy includes temporary immobilization of your neck, traction or special exercises to help relieve the pain.

If you cannot seem to get over your neck pain, a visit to your doctor is in order. He will evaluate the source of your pain. He may need to use diagnostic tools to know the best plan of attack.