Risks for developing neck pain

Find out about the risks for developing neck pain for office workers—work-related, biological and personal, and psychological.

Neck pain can be described in a number of different ways and often this is related to the cause. For example, neck pain caused by a car accident (traumatic event) is different to that caused by wear and tear through ageing. In the office environment the route to neck pain is not likely to be through a traumatic event.

There is also a difference in how we think about neck pain in that if it lasts less than 12 weeks, it is described as acute neck pain. Neck pain that continues for over 12 weeks is described as chronic neck pain.

As with other musculoskeletal disorders, neck pain can be described as specific or non-specific. Specific neck pain is where there is a fracture or a pinched nerve in the neck. Non-specific neck pain where there is no specific cause identified.

Most neck pain in office workers is non-specific but that does mean that some workplace factors can be changed to reduce the risk.

Work-related risk factors

The development of neck pain has been found to be associated with both physical and psychosocial factors:

  • prolonged computer work
  • having to work with a poor neck posture for a long period
  • repetitive movement of the neck
  • sedentary work
  • poor ergonomic design
  • job insecurity
  • high job demands
  • no variety in work tasks
  • being in a leadership position.

Biological and personal risk factors

Women are more at risk of neck pain and the likelihood of neck pain increases at around 30 years old.

Lifestyle factors also impact on the likelihood of neck pain including:

  • low levels of physical activity
  • self-perceived tension in the neck
  • having low muscle strength in the neck and shoulder muscles
  • reduced flexibility in the neck area of the spine
  • poor posture.

Genetics and ageing also play a part in neck pain. Some people are more likely to have neck pain because of their anatomy and physiology. Due to wear and tear with age, your neck may become less flexible.

Psychological risk factors

Links have also been found between psychological factors in neck pain including:

  • low self-efficacy—not believing in your ability to reach your goals
  • pain catastrophising—describing your pain experience in exaggerated terms and to feel helpless
  • fear avoidance beliefs—leading to inactivity due to fear of pain.

Interestingly, men tend to have fewer personal stressors and more occupational stressors compared to women.

Other risk factors

Two other risk factors have also identified linked to the development of neck pain in office workers. They are:

  • poor sleep quality, where individuals self-report poor sleep quality
  • lack of social support—having friends, colleagues and family who you can turn to for help.