Neck Pain Number One Cause: Poor Posture

The human spine is made up of vertebrae (bones that support body weight). These vertebrae are made up of the vertebral body in front, the facet joints in the back and the pedicles connecting the vertebral body to the facet joints. The spine is divided into three sections, one of them being the neck or the cervical spine.

The structure of the human spine can be injured due to several reasons, among which the common ones are, accident, awkward sleeping position and stress. When one or more structures of the spine is/are injured, especially the cervical spine, then the injury causes a short period of acute pain and swelling in the injured tissue which heals gradually over time.

Injuries transpiring to the cervical spine cause pain in the neck, the head (giving severe headache), arms and in the shoulders. The pain may start right away after injury or exertion.

Misalignment of the spine is considered by chiropractors as the chief and prime cause of neck sprain. The explanation behind this contemplation is that, misalignment exerts pressure on nerves which creates tension in the muscles.

This situation should be thoroughly examined by a good chiropractor, as they can tell you the root cause of your problem and will help you in curing it.

Your posture is a window to your spine making your spine crooked from inside if you have poor posture. Ask somebody to look at your body from the front and the side.

Your spine should be straight from the front and your shoulders and hips should be even. Your spine from the side should have smooth flowing curves and your ears should be leveled with your shoulders and your shoulders being leveled with your hip socket.

Neck Pain and Back Pain Are Often Related

Awkward sleeping posture and selection of a wrong pillow result in acute neck pain. Many people have a bad habit of sleeping on their stomach. This is the most awkward sleeping posture explained by a chiropractor.

When you sleep on your stomach your head is turned ninety degrees to the side to breathe. This position of your neck makes the neck muscles stiff causing pain frequently.

There are different types of pillows available in the market accommodating your need. However, a significant fact to keep in mind is that a good pillow maintains the natural curvature of the neck.

Cervical traction neck pillows are the best choice to cure as well as prevent neck pain as they keep the neck in proper posture while sleeping.

There are six other types of good pillows that maintain the neck curvature in order to support the head's weight.

These six types of pillows are:

- Knee pillow

- Body pillows

- Neck pillows

- Travel pillows

- Lower back support pillows

- Donut pillows

A knee pillow is used either between or below the knee while sleeping. Sleeping with a pillow in between or below your knee prevents misalignment of spine by keeping the spine in a neutral position.

For people who prefer to sleep on their side, body pillows are the best option as they serve several purposes. The upper part of the pillow is used to hold up the head and neck while the bottom part is used to hold up the knees and legs. This pillow eradicates the need of using separate pillows for head and knees.

A neck pillow is very supportive and beneficial for people suffering from chronic neck pain as it fills the spaces under your head and neck. Travel pillows are ideally designed for travelling. They have a U shape and are curved to fit around the neck and support the head in a sitting position. Lower back pillows hold the inward curve in the lumbar spine while sitting in one position for prolonged hours.

Inflammation is caused by muscle tension and muscle strain. It exerts pressure on nerves which results in severe pain.

Muscles strain and tension can be prevented and cured by performing effective neck exercises daily along with neck stretches which should be performed occasionally. These exercises and stretches help muscles loosen up.

Resulting Back and Neck Pain

Stress is your enemy. It is the root cause of main diseases. Your neck pain can also be due to constant stress as your stress travels through the back of your neck giving rise to the pain. Complete rest is what your body demands at this stage.

Overcoming stress does not need any medication really. All you have to do is take control of your mind and try your best to keep aside all your tension and workload. Smiling often is the best remedy for stress. Take plenty of rest and calm yourself down; you will see change take place.

While you are at work, you are constantly exerting pressure on your muscles and tissue by working in a poor posture. Studies have revealed the fact that people who spend maximum time working on computers have high tendency of developing neck and lower back pain. Moving around sporadically and performing exercises and stretches will relieve muscle strain hence, removing the neck pain.

Lifting too much weight causes major occurrence of neck pain. Similar to sleeping and working, exercise also requires proper posture which is not maintained by a number of people hence, causing neck pain. Pulling the neck while doing abdominal crunches is a common mistake observed. The correct way to perform abdominal crunches is to stick your eyes on the ceiling and focus on your abs instead of your neck.

Awkward positions if maintained for prolonged periods also cause neck pain. These positions have already been discussed above. Avoid reading with your head down, driving for long hours and working on the computer with your head leaned forward. Reducing these bad postures will help you prevent neck pain.

Simple and FREE Solution, but why so many people ignore this?

Another common mistake people are found doing is not stretching before a workout. If you are not stretching or performing your stretches properly then your muscles and connective tissue become prone to injury. Stretching does not require much time and putting in a few seconds to stretch prevents many unwanted days of pain.

These 3 Neck stretching exercises can help relief to your Neck Pain