Sometimes the neck area hurts even though there has been no visible injury. Medical care is needed if pain is constant, severe, or comes with headache, numbness, tingling, or weakness. Neck pain is usually the result of soft tissue problems. Besides injury, this may be due to overuse of the muscles, ligaments or nerves. Other sources of pain are infection and tumors.
Arthritis can cause neck pain.
Osteoarthritis is a type of joint degeneration caused by wear and tear of the neck joints. Disc disease results from narrowing of the space between the vertebrae as the soft cushion between the disc breaks down and the bony surfaces rub together. Stiffness and pain occur with movement of the neck. A slipped disc results when a disc between the vertebrae breaks up and puts pressure on the nerves in the area. Occasionally, a disc will rupture, which is more serious and more painful.