In persons age 40 and older, with neck pain that lasts at least two weeks but is not painful with the application of pressure, the most common causes of neck pain are
osteoarthritis
disc disease - often associated with radiating pain, numbness or tingling into one arm.
Muscle strain or spasm is possible (mostly because it's so common) but these tend to be painful with the application of pressure.
In most people with these conditions, treatment is often effective--that is, the prognosis is good.