Mechanical neck pain is a result of degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the facet joints of the cervical spine.       Mechanical Neck Pain is a condition that can become chronic due to degenerative disc disease and arthritis in the neck, with the source of pain coming from the spine and its structure. This happens when one of the joints in the spinal area loses its normal resiliency and shock absorption. When a joint becomes dysfunctional, its normal range of movement may be affected and it can be rather painful. 

Dysfunctional joints may turn into muscle pain, and even affect the nervous system. This may happen because of the high amount of nerve receptors in the joint. Any muscles related to the joint can become tense and underactive. The muscle imbalance can cause additional stress on the joint, aggravating the joint dysfunction that exists already. Nearly any joint in the spine, from the neck all the way down to the sacroiliac joints, can cause pain. When the joints aren’t being used on a regular basis, degenerative pain occurs.

What Causes Mechanical Neck Pain?

• Degenerative issues with the cervical spine, the mechanical parts that allow us to move our head up

and down and around

• Minor strains or sprains to muscles or ligaments in the neck
• Bad posture. For example, neck pain is more common in people who spend much of their working day at a desk, with a ‘bent-forward’ posture.  
• Sometimes the exact cause is unknown.   

Symptoms of Mechanical Neck Pain

• Mechanical Neck Pain will not only induce pain in the neck, but also in the shoulders, and upper back  
• Headaches  
• Spasms
• Neck pain tends to worsen with movement

Neck Pain due to Whiplash

Whiplash syndrome is a collection of symptoms that result when there is soft-tissue injury of the cervical spine.  Whiplash is very common whenever the head is forcefully jerked forward, back, or both. It is a common injury with automobile accidents. In fact, many people have suffered whiplash even in low impact car collisions. It is also common for someone to have a delayed onset of whiplash, where the person does not realize that they have had a whiplash injury. When this occurs, usually at some future point in time, that patient will begin to present with some of the classic signs of a whiplash injury.

What Causes Neck Pain from Whiplash?

The rapid and forceful movement that jerks the head forward and back, causes major strain to the cervical spine. Though most often associated with a rear-end collision, whiplash can also occur from a sports injury, physical abuse or trauma.

The most common whiplash symptoms are:

• Neck pain and/or stiffness 
• Blurred vision 
• Difficulty swallowing 
• Irritability 
• Fatigue 
• Dizziness 
• Pain between the shoulder blades 
• Pain in the arms or legs, feet and hands 
• Headache 
• Low back pain and/or stiffness 
• Shoulder pain 
• Nausea 
• Ringing in the ears 
• Vertigo 
• Numbness and tingling 
• Pain in the jaw or face