Neck pain is a common condition with several proposed biomechanical contributing factors. Thoracic spine dysfunction is hypothesized as one of the predisposing factors, which necessitates the need to explore the contribution of thoracic posture and mobility toward neck pain. The causative mechanisms rarely implicate a single anatomical structure and are dependent upon several contributing factors, no matter if it’s a traumatic injury or you wake up one day with a “kink in your neck,” or experience radicular neck pain. Any event leading to altered joint mechanics or muscle functions can cause neck pain.

In nontraumatic neck pain, the most significant contributor is poor posture. Restricted segmental mobility of the cervical and thoracic regions has also been reported in people with neck pain. The pain can vary in severity, from a constant dull ache to sharp and stabbing pains. Neck pain can sometimes include additional symptoms such as stiffness and muscle tightness in the upper body, discomfort and pain when remaining in the same position for too long, loss of sleep due to pain and discomfort, numbness or tingling into the upper extremities, headache, arm weakness.