Upper body strength, including the cervical (neck) region of the spine, can be stretched and strengthened to enhance mobility, reduce injuries, or reduce the severity of a sports related injury should one occur.

A professional reference book for conditioning the neck, or addressing neck injuries, is Treat Your Own Neck.  It is a 63 page handbook, written by Robin McKenzie, that offers a step-by-step system of education, awareness, exercise and prevention. When preparing for an exercise program, or addressing injury or pain, consultation with a trained, certified medical professional is advised. Once armed with with professional advice and guidance a conditioning program, accompanied with self aid devices, can be used to stretch, strengthen or rehabilitate the neck.

When neck pain of a mechanical nature does occur it is created when the joint between two bones has been placed in a position that overstretches the surrounding soft tissue, which can create strain in the cervical (neck) region of the spine with potential neck or referred pain to alternate regions of the body.

The cervical area of the spine is capable of a high degree of flexibility and rotation, but is more vulnerable than the rest of the spine because the neck is not surrounded or protected by other structures. This wide range of movement exposes the neck to an especially wide range of stresses, strains and protracted pain associated with mechanical loading factors to the cervical region of the spine.

When involved in sports a common form of neck pain is the overstretching of ligaments and postural strain due to rotation of the spine. A careful regimen of neck stretching prior to play can be an effective method of managing this potential issue.

Prevention of injury is the best cure, but should a mechanical neck problem occur then the use of cryotherapy (cold/compression) can reduce swelling and soreness. A cervical pillow , cervical roll, or back support can be used when driving or sitting to correctly position the spine and to properly support applied loads on the spine.