I am sure that each of you has suffered from neck pain at least once in your life. Haven't you?
Most often it is due to uncomfortable movements or sleeping in an unfortunate position, but sometimes the pain seems to come out of nowhere.
What could be the cause of the discomfort?
Neck pain can be caused by many factors, from poor posture to gadget abuse. Our daily habits also play an important role, including those that are often not given much importance.
For example, one of the most common causes of neck pain is improper body posture when using a phoneor tablet. The head is lowered, the neck is at a right angle, and the hands with the smartphone are resting on the lap or on the table. This posture contributes to the accumulation of tension in the cervical spine. Over time, it can become chronic. The correct position of the hands – the elbow rests on the chest, and the other hand supports it so that it does not slip. The phone screen should be just below eye level.
If a person slouches, the load on the neck increases many times over. Neglecting proper posture over the years can manifest itself in constant back and neck pain. In this situation, physical activity can bring relief. Every hour, stretch your neck with your hands and do small exercises.
The habit of reading in bed before going to sleep helps many people relax. However, this does not relax your neck, especially if your head rests on the armrest of the sofa or a high pillow on the bed. An unnatural neck position can contribute to deformed spinal discs, leading to herniated discs and protrusions.
Many people think that smoking and alcohol consumption have little to do with the onset of neck pain.
As a general rule, musculoskeletal diseases are rarely associated with smoking. It's not lung cancer or diabetes. However, it is not that simple. In a smoker, the spinal discs are significantly dehydrated, causing them to shift and put excessive pressure on them. This causes back and neck pain.
Alcohol, in addition to its harmful effects on blood vessels and bone tissue, has another unpleasant effect. When a person is sober, during the night he turns over and repeatedly changes his posture, experiencing the slightest discomfort for the body. When a person is drunk, he sleeps motionless all night in any position, even the most ridiculous and uncomfortable for the body. Of course, in the morning, stiff muscles guarantee neck pain and not only that.
It is also harmful for adults to sleep on their abdomen. Turning the head and neck to one side for long periods of time can cause the cervical vertebrae to curve and compress the vertebral artery, especially if the vertebrae are not properly rotated. In this case, the neighboring vertebrae is working for two, which can cause a variety of problems. As a result, the body cannot rest properly, and the person wakes up tired, with a heavy head and neck pain.
The habit of carrying heavy bags on one shoulder can also cause physical discomfort and neck pain. Constantly carrying heavy bags on one shoulder causes imbalance. As a result of this habit, posture, neck and back muscles suffer.
The solution is simple: buy bags with wide, comfortable straps and carry them alternately on different shoulders. And if you go shopping, it is better to take with you a good ergonomic backpack, so that it does not put pressure on your back and shoulders.
As you can see, the health of your spine and neck depends mainly on you. Watch yourself, your posture, how you sit or sleep, how much time you spend in one position. Regularly perform physical exercises, or better yet, take up sports. By the way, moderate physical activity can protect against many diseases, and not only of the musculoskeletal system.