MODEL RELEASED. Neck pain. Elderly woman holds her neck in an expression of pain. Neck pain of unknown origin is very common and is not usually serious. In the elderly, pain is often caused by osteoarthritis of the neck bones (vertebrae). Osteoarthritis is characterized by degeneration of the cartilage that lines the joints between bones. It is aggravated by mechanical stress and leads to pain and stiffness in the affected joints.