Neck pain is something that two thirds of the population will experience at some point in their lives. The most common sources of neck pain are neck pain from joints, and pain from the soft-tissues in the neck.
Postural neck pain is something that we treat very frequently, particularly in office workers. This is due to the strain on the neck of holding the weight of the head for long periods. This strain is magnified if sitting posture or desk set-up/ergonomics are poor. Tension builds up in the muscles and joints of the neck and eventually causes pain. This is very treatable, with physio targeted at relieving symptoms with manual and soft-tissue techniques, and addressing the cause of the problem by improving posture, ergonomics and anything else that may be contributing to the problem.
Acute neck pain can occur as simply as throwing your head back while washing your hair, or from trauma, for example in a whiplash injury. Treatment again is aimed at relieving symptoms with manual treatment, and, depending on the extent of the injury, in rehabilitating the area.
The important thing to note is that most neck pain is benign and will ultimately resolve once managed correctly.