Question
My lower back has been hurting for a while. My guess is that it is from playing volleyball and motion of hitting the ball stresses my lower back alot. But now the back of my neck hurts as well and I want to know if it could be connected to my lower back pains??

Answer
Dear Amy,

The neck and the back are intricately connected due to the anatomical relationships of how the muscles attach and interact for daily motion of the spine.  If you have previously injured your back, no matter what the cause, it can easily influence motion, function and pain levels in the neck.

You need to figure out what the exact mechanism is concerning the low back pain, and then you will be able to better evaluate whether or not the neck pain has arisen directly from the low back issue, or whether it may just be a consequence of altered motions of the spine because of the low back pain.  Not to mention I would suggest you actually get the low back examined to find out the anatomical cause of the pain.  It could be from the joints, ligaments, muscles/tendons, or disk.  

Good Luck Amy!

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net