Why do I have neck and shoulder muscle pain?

While you can have neck and shoulder pain on their own, respectively, it’s common to have neck and shoulder pain at the same time. This is because your neck and shoulders are connected by many of the same muscles. Conditions that affect one of these muscles can cause pain to spread from the neck into the shoulder or vice versa.

A number of conditions can cause neck and shoulder muscle pain. If you have ongoing or intense neck and shoulder muscle pain, you should visit your health care provider for a diagnosis. In many cases, neck and shoulder muscle pain is related to one of the following conditions.

Strain

A strain occurs when you have stretched or torn one of your muscles or tendons. This can happen in your neck and shoulder for different reasons. Overexerting the neck and shoulder in physical activity, such as lifting heavy objects, can cause a strain. 

Poor posture is also often a culprit. Sitting with your head hunched forward all the time can stress your neck and shoulders, which can lead to a strain injury. 

Sprain

A sprain occurs when you have stretched or torn one of your ligaments. These are the tissues that connect your bones and joints together. Sprains usually occur from a forceful motion on one of your joints, such as holding your arm out in front of you while falling and twisting your shoulder while trying to catch yourself.

Herniated disc

While a herniated disc isn’t a muscle condition, it is important to include here because the symptoms might be mistaken for muscle pain. 

A herniated disc is a disc in your spine that has burst and caused fluid to spread around the nerves in your spine. This fluid causes pressure on the nerves that can be painful and cause numbness and tingling as well. When a disc in your neck herniates, the pain can radiate down the nerves into your shoulder.

Visit SSOR today about neck and shoulder muscle pain

If you have neck and shoulder muscle pain, you may have one of these conditions or something else that requires professional treatment. At SSOR, our team can examine your neck and shoulders to identify the source of your pain and begin working on treatment to manage the pain and improve your range of motion. Contact our team today for more information about neck and shoulder treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.