Neck pain affects more than 13 percent of the US population at any given time, according to Spine Health. More often than not, it’s caused by the so-called soft tissues: things like muscles, tendons, and ligaments which all link up with the bones in the cervical spine.
Often problems in the neck are caused by an underlying problem, including disc degeneration, arthritis, and spinal stenosis. If you’re suffering from a pain in the neck, take a look at some of the things doctors recommend to remedy it.
Sleep On Your Back
Sleeping on your back is generally the best position for making sure that the whole spine is laid out comfortable. It can sometimes help to place a pillow under each arm as well as the head to take strain away from the neck.
If you do like sleeping on your side, it’s a good idea to make sure that the pillow you’re using isn’t too high. Often a high pillow can cause the spine to come out of alignment during sleep, putting undue pressure on sensitive tissue, like your neck muscles. Keep your pillow to between four and six inches in height. There’s more information on the best pillows on Soundful Sleep.
Keep Your Computer Monitor At Eye Level
Neck problems often arise as a result of repetitive strain injury caused by tilting the neck down for long periods of time to look into a monitor. The problem is particularly bad when using a laptop, since these tend to sit much lower than eye level than regular desktop monitors. If you use a laptop all day for work, put it up high or lower your seat so that your eyes are level with the middle of the screen.
Use A Headset Instead Of A Phone
Balancing a phone between your ear and your shoulder for long periods of time puts a lot of strain on your neck muscles. To prevent chronic neck pain, use a headset instead, enabling you to avoid holding a phone up to your ear. Modern headsets usually have some sort of button that allows you to take calls, as well as put the phone down when you’re finished. Bluetooth headsets are particularly helpful if you need to keep your hands free for typing or searching on the internet while you’re speaking with customers.
Carry Weight Evenly
According to Spine Health, one of the biggest mistakes people make is not carrying weight evenly. Often, they say, people will carry their briefcase or backpack on one side of their body, causing an imbalance. A better idea, they say, is to use a backpack that evenly spreads weight over both shoulders, allowing the user to maintain a better posture.
Like laptops, our smartphones are usually held below eye level. When we look down at our phones for long periods of time, we put a lot of strain on our necks. Instead of typing your message into your phone directly, try speaking them instead, using your phone’s voice command feature. And remember to take frequent breaks: excessive texting can lead to degenerative changes in the neck.