The pain in the tendons from the root of the ear to the neck may be caused by the following reasons: First, it may be caused by cervical spondylosis, some degenerative changes in the cervical spine, such as small joint misalignment, osteophytes, herniated discs or straightening of the physiological curvature of the cervical spine and reverse arch may compress the nerve roots in the upper part of the cervical spine, which may lead to the nerves on the back side of the head or behind the ear and to the neck. This condition usually occurs when the neck is moved, or the pain is aggravated on top of the original pain. Secondly, the pain may be caused by the local lymph nodes becoming enlarged and stimulating the surrounding nerves, most commonly caused by acute pharyngitis and acute tonsillitis caused by upper respiratory tract infection, usually accompanied by sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and even fever.