Poor Neck Posture

Long term abnormal neck posture leads to muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis, pinched nerves and instability. Poor health can result from stretching of the spinal cord. A major part of head, neck, jaw and shoulder pain is due to poor posture including fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, temporomandibular joint dysfunction and chronic fatigue syndromes.

Arthritis in the neck due to poor posture and related stress on the joints is divided into stages of degeneration

Over a period of time, poor neck posture may cause joints to deteriorate resulting in neck arthritis. The sensitive nerves can become pinched. Soft tissues like muscles and ligaments stiffen and become hard and inelastic as they try to assume a more supportive function. Because the joints become unstable the ligaments which attach bones harden and try to act like bones. The muscles used to move bones lose elasticity as they try to function like ligaments. This process of neck arthritis will continue and may result in severe neck pain and even disability.

Choosing the right neck pillow to help relieve neck pain

Almost one third of our life is spent sleeping. Sleep is an essential biological need. In addition to rest and relaxation, proper sleep is necessary in order to maintain good physical and mental health. In recent years, changes in lifestyle because of too many activities, sleep time is compressed to lesser and lesser amount. Neck pain can affect the time and quality of sleep. How to improve the quality of sleep by reducing the level of neck pain or discomfort and in such a limited duration of sleep is a very important issue which leads many people to seek a new pillow.

Many experts have suggested that poor neck posture and support during the night may be responsible for waking with neck pain and stiffness, headache and shoulder blade or arm pain. Headaches originating from the neck are called cervicogenic headaches. They are referred from the upper levels of the neck. Shoulder blade and arm pain can be referred from the lower levels of the neck. It is suggested that individuals who wake in the morning with symptoms that were not present the night before, or patients whose symptoms are worse in the morning than when they retired the preceding night, are probably either using an unsuitable pillow or adopting poor neck posture overnight.

Computer Headaches

Do you sit at a computer for extended periods? Do you get migraine headaches, tension headaches or neck pain? Can computers be the cause of your headaches?

Has it ever occurred to you that while you are happily typing away on your computer for hours on end you are actually creating a problem in your neck that can lead to chronic neck pain and headaches?

The types of activities that can lead to poor neck posture include sitting at a computer for extended periods of time, reading with the head bent forward, sitting while slouching in a chair or on a couch, sleeping with the head or neck in odd positions, or any other activity that places the head in a position forward to the body. So, to answer our original question, yes, headaches and neck pain can be caused by sitting at a computer.

Relieving Neck Pain

Neck pain can occur from postural strain due to faulty sitting posture or excessive desk or computer work. Most neck pain has a postural or mechanical basis, however, the causative factors are often poorly understood and are usually multifactorial, including anxiety, depression, neck strain, sporting or occupational activities and neck pain is common after whiplash injury.

Difficulty in relieving neck pain is also associated with poor psychological health, worrying, and becoming angry or frustrated in response to neck pain. Greater optimism, a coping style that involves self-assurance, and having less need to socialize, are associated with better prognosis.

Correct Your Neck Posture

Poor neck posture leads to a Forward Head Position which is one of the most common causes of neck, head and shoulder tension and pain. This can be a result of injuries like sprains and strains of the neck leading to weak neck muscles, poor sleeping positions and computer neck along with improper breathing habits.