What Really Causes Neck Pain? The Truth Might Surprise You...
Identifying Risk Factors
A major 2018 study by Kim and colleagues set out to find the real risk factors behind getting neck pain for the first time and the results might surprise you.
They looked at nearly 900 research papers and narrowed them down to 10 high quality studies. What they found was clear: things like texting, screen time, and so called “text neck” weren’t listed as risk factors at all.
Instead, the biggest contributors to neck pain were psychosocial factors meaning things like:
High job stress
Low physical activity
Feeling down or depressed
Lack of support at work
Poor work life balance
What Can Be Done
While awkward postures can play a small role, they’re not the main cause of neck pain. Research shows that stress, low physical activity, lack of social support, and poor overall health are far more important.
The good news? These factors are modifiable. Staying active, managing stress, building strong relationships, and improving neck muscle endurance can significantly reduce your risk.
As osteopaths, we can support your recovery biomechanically by improving joint mobility, reducing muscular tension, and encouraging healing. But to really address neck pain long term, we need to take a biopsychosocial approach looking at the whole picture: your lifestyle, work environment, mental health, and daily habits.
Some risk factors, like gender or past injury, can’t be changed but the focus should be on what can be.
Bottom line? Neck pain isn’t just about slouching or screens. It’s about how you live, how you manage stress, and how you support your body and mind. And yes, you can get better.
Do you suffer with neck pain? I’d love to help.
