Early neck pain is usually caused by muscle or ligament strain from poor posture, repetitive use, prolonged sitting, or minor injury. At this stage, there are often no visible structural changes, but irritation of soft tissues and pain receptors leads to discomfort.
Neck pain and stiffness? Read this.
The result: structural changes that compress nerves, causing neck pain, stiffness, and radiating symptoms into shoulders and arms. Most treatments address symptoms temporarily but don't reverse the underlying degeneration.
Over time, repeated muscle strain and poor posture increase mechanical stress on the cervical spine. As the body ages, this stress accelerates degenerative changes in the discs, joints, and ligaments, leading to cervical spondylosis. Thus, early neck pain can be a functional warning stage that precedes structural degeneration of the cervical spine.