Common traumatic events or factors that may lead to cervical strain/sprain injuries include motor vehicle accidents, lifting or pulling heavy objects, awkward sleeping positions, unusual upper-extremity work, and prolonged static positions.
Flexion/extension injuries may precipitate a myeloradiculopathic presentation in a patient with cervical spondylosis. Nerve root or spinal cord compression may occur from neural ischemia due to the preexisting stenosis that accompanies cervical spondylosis. Flexion/extension injuries, blows to the head, or neck injury while lifting heavy objects may precipitate an acute exacerbation of cervical spondylosis.
Repetitive or abnormal postures may contribute to cervical sprains and strains.
In a study by Giannoudis and colleagues, no dose-response association between the magnitude of trauma severity and the incidence of whiplash injury was found