(HealthDay News) -- The neck has the vital task of supporting the head, but since it isn't as protected as the rest of the spine, is it more susceptible to injury.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says possible causes of neck pain include:
- An inflammatory condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
- Degeneration of a cervical disk.
- An injury stemming from an incident such as a traffic accident, sports injury or fall.
- An infection or tumor affecting the neck, although this is rare.
- A congenital abnormality of the vertebrae in the neck, which also is rare.
