This One Posture Mistake May Be Causing Your Neck Pain

If you have currently been dealing with any sort of acute or chronic neck pain, or even if you have experienced it in the past, you know that it can really be detrimental to the quality of your everyday life. The many health issues that arise from neck pain can prevent you from getting a good night's rest, and can keep you from fully enjoying many daily activities and hobbies that you used to participate in frequently.

Still, there is one particular aspect about neck pain that really seems to be the most upsetting part about it, based on what I know from personal experience, in addition to what friends and family have told me about their own struggles with neck pain, and that is the fact that so many people simply can't pinpoint the exact cause or reason for their neck pain. This is because the truth of the matter is that sometimes neck pain can be caused by just one sudden injury or strain, but many times, neck pain is brought on as the result of one or two bad habits that slowly and gradually strain the muscles of the neck and the spinal column, to the point where inflammation occurs and pain and stiffness begin to show up in the neck and upper back area.

I recently learned about one of the top causes of neck pain after coming across a very informative article post by Spine Health, and it relates directly to a person's daily posture. Here is what I learned from the article.

The particular posture that leads to neck pain and trouble for so many people is known as forward head and shoulder posture, and chances are high that you find yourself in this position without even realizing it multiple times a week. This posture involves a person sitting or standing while rolling their shoulders forward into a hunched position, craning their neck downwards, and jutting their chin out in a very unnatural position that is incredibly stressful on the spinal column, which now must work much harder to support the neck in this position.

You can thank technology for this now increasingly common posture, since sitting down at a desk and staring at a computer screen or looking down at a smartphone are two of the most common causes of the forward head and neck posture position. To break free from this issue, be sure to take frequent breaks from sitting or standing still for too long; stretch out your neck and shoulders often throughout the day. You may also find benefit from regular chiropractic adjustments, in which a doctor of chiropractic will perform manual manipulations on your spine in order to improve posture and relieve stress in the muscles. 

Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Emilia Eriksson