Understanding Neck Pain (Cervical Pain): Causes, Symptoms, and Solutions

Dr. Cortney
Jul 28
2 min read

Updated: Aug 6

Neck pain, also known as cervical pain is one of the most common reasons people seek help from musculoskeletal specialists. It can range from mild discomfort to severe pain that affects your ability to function day to day.

What Is Cervical Pain?

Cervical pain refers to pain or discomfort in the neck area. It may result from disorders or dysfunction of any of the structures within the neck or surrounding areas, including:

Cervical vertebrae (your spine)
Intervertebral discs
Muscles
Nerves

These structures can be affected by injury, inflammation, infection, or long-standing postural issues, all of which can contribute to ongoing pain and dysfunction.

Common Symptoms of Neck Pain

Neck pain presents differently from person to person. Some of the most common symptoms include:

Neck soreness or tightness
Stiffness in the neck, upper back, or shoulders
Headaches
Tingling or numbness in the arms or hands (often mistaken for carpal tunnel)
Weakness in the arms or hands
Shoulder pain or discomfort
Decreased range of motion
Loss of grip strength or coordination

It’s important to understand that neck pain is often not isolated. Symptoms can radiate into the upper back, shoulders, arms, and hands. This is why a full-body view is essential when evaluating the root cause.

Why “Treating the Neck” Isn’t Always Enough

Because the neck connects so intricately to other areas of the body, a narrow focus on treating the neck alone may not resolve the issue. A comprehensive assessment that evaluates posture, movement, mobility, strength, and lifestyle habits is key to getting lasting results. This is not something you can find with every PT or Chiropractor. Many focus on the area of pain due to time constraints.

How Edge Can Help

At Edge, we don’t just chase symptoms, we identify and treat the root cause of your pain.

We start with a FREE discovery call: a 30 minute conversation with our team to understand what you’re experiencing, your health goals, and whether Edge is the right fit.

If invited to the next step, you’ll receive a thorough, 60 minute in-person functional assessment to accurately diagnose the issue.

From there, we’ll create a customized treatment plan just for you. You’ll receive one-on-one care at every visit, using specific, non-invasive techniques such as: