Six Habits That Cause Neck Pain

About 67% of the world’s population suffers from neck pain. Do you belong here? Do you know which habits cause neck pain? And what can you do to treat this discomfort? 

Neck pain is usually caused by activities that require you to constantly perform the same actions or sit or stand in the same position for long periods of time. Neck pain can cause tension, ligament injuries and spasms in the neck muscles.

Often your habits are the culprits of neck pain. Maybe you never thought about it. Or maybe you’re fully aware that the habits you maintain are harmful to your health, but you’ve just never associated them with your neck.

In this article we tell you which habits can lead to pain in your neck. So pay close attention and change habits that keep you from living a pleasant and enjoyable life.

A sedentary lifestyle can cause neck pain

A lack of exercise is very harmful to your entire body.

Not getting enough exercise is a habit that can seriously damage your neck. This has to do with the metabolism of the intervertebral disc. It needs movement to keep the cells in balance.

Because the structure of your spine allows you to move your body with ease, lack of movement actually leads to injuries. The result is pain along the spine. This will be especially problematic around the neck.

You can prevent this by exercising enough. Any kind of exercise will be good:

• To walk
• Run
• Swimming
• Dancing
• Yoga

However, remember not to push yourself too much in the beginning. If you have not moved for a long time and then suddenly start a very intense training schedule, this can lead not only to neck injuries, but also to knee and back injuries.

You have bad posture

Bad posture can cause neck pain. Many people suffer from neck pain and for many of them this problem is caused by their beloved friend: the computer.

Office chairs are often not at all supportive of the natural curves in the spine. Because the lower back and arms are not well supported at all, many people who work at the computer are forced to bend over and hang over their desk.

This habit is very harmful to the neck. This creates a bend in the shape of a ‘C’ in the spine. As a result, there is more tension on the neck.

So it would be best to be able to work with facilities that are ergonomically designed. That way you can support your posture. And it has no negative impact on your health. You can also try setting an alarm to remind you to change positions every thirty to forty minutes.

This is good for:

• The blood flow
• Better blood circulation
• The backbone

Your posture is also influenced by other factors. For example, think of things like wearing bad footwear and lifting heavy bags or objects that negatively change your posture.

Remember, the goal is never to lift more than ten percent of your body weight. While this isn’t always feasible, it’s important not to forget it. This is especially important in the case of children. They often have to carry a much too heavy school bag with them.

You smoke

The third habit that can cause neck pain that you may not have thought of at all is smoking. Lung cancer and diabetes have already been linked to smoking. And now you can add one more thing to your list of reasons to quit smoking: chronic neck pain.

Smoking causes your intervertebral discs to become dehydrated, accelerating the degeneration process. This can lead to a hernia or compression, which prevents your spine from functioning properly.

This habit also causes your arteries to become clogged. This is a serious problem. This ultimately ensures that less oxygen reaches your spine and intervertebral discs.

Are you stuck with your smartphone?

Sending messages via your phone is not only hard on your thumbs. It can also cause neck pain. Every time you have to look down to do something on your phone, you also strain the muscles in your neck.

You can compare this to a ball on top of a golf tee. Your head weighs about four to five kilos. This means that it takes a lot of effort to make sure that ball stays on top of the tee.

Spending less time glued to your screen and holding your phone at eye level are two ways to solve this problem.

You drink too much alcohol

It is not surprising that you suffer from neck pain the next day if you slept in an uncomfortable position the night before. Yet this does happen from time to time. Some people say that this is more likely if you drank alcohol the night before.

This is because normally people often change position several times during the night. However, when they have been drinking, they tend to move less while sleeping. This means that your body can lie in a weird position for a long time that is hard on the neck.

To prevent this, it is wise to drink the appropriate amount of alcohol that you can handle. If possible, it would be even better to avoid alcoholic beverages completely.

A bad mattress or bad pillows can cause neck pain

Another thing that can cause neck pain is sleeping with too many pillows or on pillows that are way too soft. This affects the line from your head to your spine, causing your neck to tense.

In addition, it is also bad to sleep on a mattress that is too soft, as this creates certain pressure points in your spine. A mattress that is too hard is also not good, because your spine is naturally curved and your mattress has to adapt to this.

So it would be best to buy a firm mattress and ergonomically designed pillows that are meant to ensure that your head is in a straight line with your spine.

Avoid habits that are bad for your neck and cause neck pain. Have you been able to put your finger on the bad habits that cause you neck pain? Then now is the time to unlearn these habits and give your neck some rest.