Muscle Strain
The neck, tongue and upper throat muscles are especially prone to strain, which can lead to a sore throat. When you suffer from muscle strain, your body is suffering from inflammation in the affected area, which causes pain and discomfort.
Muscle strain can sometimes happen when an outside source strains your sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM). For example, if you turn your head suddenly or make a sudden head movement after looking down for an extended period, your SCM can become strained. Another common cause of muscle strain is trauma to the neck and upper back area. This trauma could be caused by a car accident or other incidents that leave you with neck pain and a stiff upper back.
When these muscles become strained, it becomes difficult to swallow. Your throat needs to work extra hard to compensate for the lack of help from these muscles. While increased swallowing effort doesn’t directly cause soreness in your throat, it can lead to irritation of your throat tissues, resulting in pain and irritation. Even coughing or talking loudly can cause these irritated tissues to become inflamed, causing additional pain and soreness.
