Neck pain is a common complaint for a large portion of the population at any age. This kind of pain can often be debilitating and can make performing even the most simple tasks extremely difficult.

There could be many causes of pain in your shoulders and arms, including physical injury, muscle strain, a pinched nerve or problems in the cervical spine. The nerves that run from the spine in your neck, through the shoulders and down your arms can cause pain that radiates from the shoulders and down your arms – but the problem itself may be localized in the nerves in your spine.

The main symptoms and signs can include numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve, sharp/aching or burning pain, which may radiate outward, tingling, pins and needles sensations (paresthesia) and/or muscle weakness in the affected area.