Osteoarthritis in the cervical spine typically affects the articular cartilage between the bones of the vertebrae, causing them to rub against one another and cause damage. Arthritis: arthritis is characterized by the gradual degeneration of the structures in the body.

Some injuries may heal, but they can sometimes heal in an incorrect way that leads to neck pain later in life. Injury: traumatic injuries, especially those that involved a form of whiplash, can contribute to neck pain after the injury and later in life.The causes listed below are the most common, but it is important to get examined to ensure that the cause of neck pain is diagnosed correctly. The many small parts of the neck leave it susceptible to several different injuries. Each has a list of things that can go wrong, depending on an individual’s activity level, history of injury, or degenerative illness. These structures include muscle, tendons, cartilage, vertebrae, nerves, and spinal discs. Nerve damage can have many causes as well, due to the fact that there are many moving structures that could contribute to different forms of damage. When nerves are damaged, signals can no longer be sent in the same way, causing a myriad of symptoms. These nerve endings are a very important part of the entire body’s ability to perform most activities.ĭespite the protection that the spine offers, nerve endings can still be susceptible to damage or injury. The spine also protects spinal cord, which contains many of the nerve endings that send signals from the brain to the rest of the body.

This section of the spine is responsible for supporting the head, lower spine, and shoulder area. The cervical spine is the section that exists in the neck.

There are three sections of the spine: cervical (neck), thoracic (torso), and lumbar(lower back).

Xray pinched nerve in neck