6 Causes Of Neck Pain That You May Not Be Aware Of

Neck pains are such common occurrences that you never stop to think of what might be causing them. Unless it’s an obvious one like an injury.

That said, knowing the cause is important as it can not only help you heal it the right way but can also aid you in preventing a relapse of this mobility-restricting, life-disrupting pain.

Of the many, many causes of neck pain out there, there are few that you are probably not even aware of. These are actually the main culprits that force you to reach for that neck brace more often that you’d like to. And the worst of all, these reasons are rooted in your daily life.

Although neck pain is not a very serious condition, it can lead to complications, which you can help avoid by shunning these 6 habits (read: causes) of pain in this area!

1. Long Hours At The Computer

Feeling stiff in the neck after a 9-hour long work day in front of your computer screen? Your posture is to blame here. Since you have to spend so many hours sitting and staring at a screen, you must make sure you do so in the right posture or you may end up with more than just neck pain. Your neck muscles tense up when you sit in the position for hours on end. Now you can’t quit your job to fix that, but there are certain things you can do, such as:

• Maintain the right posture when sitting and working. Your back should be straight and your elbows should not rest on the desk. Also, raise your computer screen in a way so that you don’t have to bend to look at it.
• Take short 5-minute breaks to stretch your muscles and prevent them from tensing up.

2. Incorrect Use Of Your Mobile Devices

Mobile devices include your phone, laptop, and tablet, which you practically use all of the time. Extended as well as incorrect use of these devices can make you complain of neck issues, as the size of them forces you to modify your posture in different ways so you can view them better. This causes the muscles in your neck to tense up and lead to that inevitable pain (1). Do these to make things better:

• Try limiting the use of your mobile devices to the extent you can. Or make sure you do not modify your posture too much to use them.
• Practice neck exercises to strengthen the muscles there and decrease tension.

3. Poor Sleeping Posture

Sleeping is supposed to help repair the wear and tear that your body is subjected to each day. However, when you sleep in the wrong posture, you add to the wear and tear rather than fixing it. The result? Neck and back pain (2). This what you can do it to alleviate it:

• When sleeping, make sure your neck aligns with your spinal cord, no matter your position.
• Do not sleep on very high pillows as it can increase your chances of neck pain.

4. A Heavy Backpack Or Purse

When you’re off to work, a bag is a must for carrying all your daily, necessary supplies. But be careful of what you put in there. And also, how you carry it! Carrying your backpack on one shoulder or lugging around a lot of weight in it can strain the muscles of your neck. So, take these preventive measures:

• Lighten your daily bag to the extent you can and do not carry your bag on just one shoulder.
• Also, make sure your bag’s total weight is no more than 10% of your total body weight.

5. Smoking

Cigarettes contain toxic materials, which can wreak havoc on your muscular health. Smoking slows down the oxygenation of your muscles and leads to an increase in muscle pain and dehydration. Overtime, smoking can also lead to the degeneration of the discs in your back (3). Here’s what you can do to fix this:

• Quit smoking, or go through periodic detoxification periods to eliminate the toxins in your body.
• Avoid passive smoking.

6. Improper Core Exercising Ways

Sometimes when you’re trying to be fit and strong, you end up achieving the opposite effect. Take abdominal exercises for example. If you do them wrong, neck and back pain are bound to ensue. Adopt these measures to fix neck pain caused by exercising:

• Focus your physical energy on your abdominal area rather than on your neck.
• When exercising, direct your gaze upwards. Also, make sure there’s ample space between your chest and chin.

As surprised as you may be reading this, the above causes of neck pain are very much real and dominant. However, as long as you take the preventive and corrective measures we’ve listed here, you have nothing to worry about!

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