A neck injury is most often caused by some type of trauma. Call for emergency care if pain is severe after injury or there is lack of movement or feeling. Urgent care should also be given if neck pain radiates into the arms or legs.
Accidents are major causes of neck injury.
Sudden jerking of the head back and forth causes whiplash injuries. Whiplash is a neck sprain in which the ligaments that link the vertebrae together are stretched or torn. Pain and stiffness may take a few hours or days to develop after an injury. 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.