Turn Away from Neck Pain

Neck pain: It affects so many of us and can be caused by so many things. The culprits include bad posture, your sleeping position, improper lifting, arthritis, degeneration of the neck’s cervical disks and injuries. Rarely, a tumor or infection is to blame. Fortunately, these simple steps can prevent many cases of neck pain:

• Change positions frequently while sitting down. If you must sit in the same position for long periods, make sure your hips are a little higher than your knees, keep your back supported and don’t hunch your neck forward.
• Lift properly: Bend with your knees, keep your head and shoulders up and hold the object you’re lifting close to your body.
• Substitute a backpack for a heavy purse and wear it with both arms through the shoulder straps.
• Sleep on your side or back instead of on your stomach. Use a pillow that keeps your spine straight and your neck in a “neutral” position — not bent forward, backward or to one side.
• Don’t cradle the telephone between your neck and shoulder. Instead, attach a neck cradle to your telephone or use a speakerphone or headset.