Posted on Monday 20, April, 2026
Neck pain
The neck supports the head and is made up of seven bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of each other. Neck pain is a common complaint that can be a mild, dull ache through to debilitating pain. Neck stiffness or headaches are also commonly described with neck pain.
Causes of neck pain
- Poor posture
o Tech neck – sitting looking down at your phone for too long
o Poor ergonomics – sitting at your computer for too long or not having your computer/laptop and desk/chair set up correctly for you
o Sleep – sleeping awkwardly or with a poor mattress or pillow
o Inactivity – slouching on the couch, not getting enough daily movement - Muscle strain – overuse or lifting something that’s too heavy (this could be an object or weights), sudden movement can also cause muscle strain
- Injury or accident – whiplash from a car accident or fall or a knock during contact sports
- Osteo arthritis – overuse/ wear and tear on the joints
- Nerve compression – herniated discs or bone spurs
- Other causes – certain diseases including rheumatoid arthritis that is an autoimmune disease or certain cancers
What we do
We will take a full medical history and ask questions around your lifestyle to help us understand the potential causes of neck pain. We then do a hands-on examination where we check for tenderness or muscle weakness and range of motion (forward, back, side to side). From there we provide our treatment, that includes:
- Information and advice on what may be causing the neck pain and how to manage/avoid future occurrances
- Joint mobilisation and manipulation
- Soft tissue massage
- Exercise programs to strengthen and re-program the neck muscles
- Posture training exercises
- Recommendation for further advice or testing ie. imaging or specialists
Reference:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/neck-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20375581
www.healthdirect.gov.au/neck-pain
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/neck-pain