Neck Pain, Arthritis, and Nerve Pain: Why Your Neck Hurts (and What Actually Helps)
- Dec 10, 2025
- 5 min read
Neck pain is basically a modern epidemic.
Screens, driving, old injuries, sports, stress, sleep positions, aging joints—your neck sits in the crossroads of all of it.
For some people, it’s a deep ache at the base of the skull.For others, it’s stiffness turning to check a blind spot.For some, it’s burning, tingling, or numbness traveling down into the shoulder, arm, or hand. For some, it's headaches.
You might have been told you have:
“Arthritis” or “degenerative joint disease (DJD)” in your neck
“Pinched nerve” or “radiculopathy”
Muscle tension or myofascial pain
That can sound scary, especially if you’ve seen your x-rays or MRI.
But here’s the good news:
Even if the joints are a bit worn, your neck is not a lost cause.Muscles, fascia, and nervous system patterns are highly changeable.
With a thoughtful combination of:
Gentle movement
Targeted stretching and strengthening
Myofascial work
Gentle-style chiropractic care
many people can significantly reduce their pain and improve how their neck works day-to-day.
What’s Actually Going On in Neck Arthritis and DJD?
“Degenerative joint disease” (DJD) and “arthritis” in the neck mean:
The discs may be a little thinner or dehydrated
The joints in the spine (facet joints) can become a bit roughened or enlarged
Bone spurs may form over time
These changes are very common with age—like wrinkles on the inside. They don’t automatically equal pain.
Pain usually shows up when you combine:
Stiff joints that don’t move well
Muscles and fascia that are guarding and overworking
Sensitive nerves, sometimes crowded or irritated
Daily habits that keep you stuck in the same stressful positions
The goal is not to give you a “brand-new neck.”The goal is to help the neck you do have move better, carry load more evenly, and calm down the nervous system that’s been in protection mode.
What Is Cervical Radiculopathy? (The “Pinched Nerve” Scenario)
When pain travels from the neck down into the shoulder, arm, or hand, we start thinking about nerve involvement.
Cervical radiculopathy basically means a nerve root in the neck is irritated or compressed where it exits the spine. That can feel like:
Sharp, burning, or electric pain down the arm
Tingling or numbness in specific areas (like thumb, index finger, or pinky)
Weakness in certain movements (grip strength, lifting the arm, etc.)
This can be related to:
Disc bulges or herniations
Bone spurs narrowing the space where the nerve exits
Inflammation and swelling around the nerve
Muscle or fascial tension adding extra pressure
Radiculopathy can sound alarming, but many cases improve with:
Decompression (positions that reduce pressure)
Gentle movement and nerve glides
Targeted strengthening so the neck is better supported
Manual and chiropractic care to improve joint motion and soft tissue balance
Where Myofascial Work Comes In
Muscles don’t exist in isolation—they’re wrapped in fascia, a web-like connective tissue. When you’ve had pain for a while, fascia and muscle can develop:
Trigger points (“knots”)
Tight, ropey bands
Areas that refer pain to the head, neck, or shoulder
Myofascial work aims to:
Release those high-tension areas
Improve glide between muscle layers and surrounding tissues
Reduce referred pain (for example, headaches from upper trap or suboccipital trigger points)
Make it easier for you to move and exercise without your neck bracing and fighting back
Typical myofascial targets in neck pain and DJD include:
Suboccipitals – small muscles at the base of the skull that can trigger headaches and a “helmet of tension” feeling
Upper trapezius and levator scapulae – the classic “I carry my stress here” muscles
SCM and scalenes – front and side neck muscles that can affect neck rotation, headaches, and sometimes nerve tension
Pec minor and chest muscles – pull the shoulders and head forward when tight
Upper thoracic muscles and fascia – between and around the shoulder blades
Techniques might include: gentle sustained pressure, myofascial release, trigger point work, cupping, or instrument-assisted soft tissue.
The most powerful setup is:
Release with myofascial work →then re-train with stretching and strengthening →repeat with consistency.
Where Gentle-Style Chiropractic Fits In
Chiropractic care is about restoring motion and inspiring better nervous system function—especially in the spine and related areas like the ribs and shoulders.
For neck pain, arthritis, and even some cases of radiculopathy, gentle-style chiropractic can be helpful. That might include:
Low-force or instrument-assisted adjustments
Gentle mobilization of the cervical spine (no aggressive twisting)
Improving motion in the upper thoracic spine and ribs
Addressing how the shoulders and upper back move together with the neck
When the joints are stiff and not moving well, the body often compensates by:
Overusing certain muscles
Locking down other regions
Changing posture in ways that strain other tissues
By improving joint motion—safely and in a gentle way—you can:
Reduce mechanical irritation around arthritic joints
Take some pressure off irritated nerve roots
Make it easier for the muscles and fascia to relax
Create a better foundation for your home exercises to “stick”
The key is a collaborative approach:
Your provider evaluates whether manipulation, low-force instrument adjusting, or simple mobilization is safest.
Myofascial and soft tissue work reduce tension.
A customized home protocol helps you maintain and build on those improvements between visits.
Why You Need a Stretch & Strength Plan (Not Just “Good Adjustments”)
Adjustments and myofascial work can open a window of opportunity.What you do with your body during that window matters.
Without specific, targeted exercises, the body tends to drift back into old patterns:
The same areas tighten up
The same joints stiffen
The same pain returns
A good neck program should:
Gently mobilize the neck and upper back
Activate the deep neck stabilizers (the “core” of your neck)
Strengthen the muscles around the shoulder blades so your neck isn’t doing all the support work
Respect nerve sensitivity in cases of radiculopathy (no aggressive stretching of irritated nerves)
Be simple enough that you’ll actually do it
That’s exactly why I created a Cervical Stretch & Strengthen Protocol—a guided sequence you can use at home to support what we do in the office.
Introducing the Cervical Stretch & Strengthen Protocol
If you’re dealing with neck pain, arthritis, headaches, or nerve symptoms down the arm, you don’t need a thousand random exercises—you need a clear, gentle, step-by-step plan.
The Cervical Stretch & Strengthen Protocol is designed to:
Help you find “positions of relief” that reduce pressure on irritated joints and nerves
Guide you through gentle neck and upper back mobility that won’t aggravate symptoms
Activate the deep neck flexors (often ignored but crucial for stability)
Strengthen the shoulder blade and upper back muscles that protect the neck
Include options and cautions if you have signs of radiculopathy
Complement your myofascial and chiropractic care so your results last longer between visits
It’s laid out in a simple, printable format you can follow at home. This protocol is available to Naural Wayz blog subscribers.
When to Get Checked Before You DIY
While most neck pain is mechanical and manageable, there are times when you should be evaluated before starting any program:
Recent major trauma (car accident, fall, sports injury)
Sudden, severe headache unlike anything you’ve had before
Progressive weakness, clumsiness, or dropping things
Loss of balance or difficulty walking
Changes in bowel or bladder control
Pain that wakes you at night and doesn’t change with position
If any of those apply, get assessed first. You can still benefit from movement and bodywork—just with a clearer understanding of what’s going on.
The Bottom Line
Neck pain, DJD, arthritis, headaches, and even nerve pain down the arm are not random punishments from the universe. They’re signals from a system that’s carrying too much load in too few places.
A smarter approach looks like this:
Calm the system with comfortable positions and gentle movement
Release tension with targeted myofascial work
Restore joint mobility with gentle-style chiropractic care, when appropriate
Reinforce it all with a structured stretch and strengthen protocol you can use at home
