Neck pain

The neck supports the head and therefore has a heavy task. The head weighs about 4-6 kilos and should be positioned neatly above the middle of the shoulders. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many people and the head is carried too far forward, resulting in neck pain. But poor posture is not the only source of neck pain.

Anatomy of the neck

The neck consists of 7 cervical vertebrae. Cervical vertebrae are bones with a vertebral body and several pointed protrusions towards the back and side. The spinal canal runs through the vertebrae from top to bottom.

In the spinal canal is the spinal cord. The spinal cord consists of a bundle of nerve tracts from which the nerves emerge on the left and right. These nerves then run to the arms to control the muscles and to make the perception of sensation (sensory function) possible.

All around the cervical vertebrae run muscles and ligaments. Along the vertebrae also run important blood vessels that go to the brain. 

Between two vertebrae (except the uppermost vertebrae) there is always an intervertebral disc. These intervertebral discs are made of softer material than the bone of the cervical vertebrae and thus make mobility and shock absorption in the neck possible. 

Neck symptoms
As mentioned, poor posture is a common cause of neck pain. This can arise, among other things, from working at a computer frequently or looking down at a smartphone with the head bent forwards.

However, there are also more specific problems that cause pain in the neck. There may be an entrapped nerve or a whiplash after an accident. These symptoms do not have to be limited to the neck alone. Neck pain is often accompanied by headache or radiating pain to the arm(s).

Check your neck pain

To find out where your neck pain comes from you can do the physiotherapy check. This is an online questionnaire that identifies how the symptoms arose and what problems they cause. The result provides insight into the possible cause of the symptoms and their treatment. It is advisable to make an appointment with a physiotherapist and, with professional guidance, overcome your symptoms.

Conditions of the neck and head

The list below provides an overview of conditions that cause neck pain and/or headache. Here you can read more about the anatomy, causes, symptoms and treatment of pain in the neck and head.