There are many causes for neck pain. Some causes result from acute injuries which cannot be avoided, such as an automobile accident resulting in a whiplash-type injury. Other causes can be avoided and result from the use of "bad" or improper habits and techniques, such as poor posture and improper lifting. These "other causes" make up the majority of neck pain causes and can be effectively treated once the cause(s) is/are identified and the appropriate measures to avoid these "bad" and improper habits and techniques are implemented.

Some of the more common causes of neck pain include:

• incomplete rehabilitation of past injuries
• lack of proper and periodic spinal alignments
• presence of cervical spine subluxations
• whiplash-type injuries
• improper workstation setup
• poor posture
• prolonged sitting
• prolonged use of non-ergonomically designed equipment
• excessive repetitive neck motions
• improper telephone techniques
• excessive mental stress
• physical inactivity
• poor diet and nutritional practices