Major traumas get all the headlines, but for a large percent of Americans, their underlying pain condition is actually brought on by subtle stress or microtrauma experienced over months and years instead of a single instance. Because of this, many people don’t realize how their actions or their lifestyle choices are actually contributing to their pain condition. With that in mind, we wanted to use today’s blog to look at four ways your lifestyle may be fueling your chronic neck pain.

How Lifestyle Choices Are Causing Your Chronic Neck Pain

Here’s a look at four ways your lifestyle or daily actions may be contributing to your chronic neck pain.

1. Your Posture At Work Or While Driving – A lot of people spend time sitting in a car each day as they commute to a job where they’ll sit at a desk for eight hours, and if their head isn’t in the right position while they are sitting, their cervical spine will have to take on more stress. If you’re leaning back in your car seat or hunched forward at your work desk, your neck is tasked with handling the weight of your head, and it’s heavier than you may realize! The average human head weighs about 11 pounds, and that stress on your neck is amplified when your head isn’t positioned directly above your shoulders.

2. Your Sleeping Habits – If your pillow or mattress are too firm or too soft, it can push your neck and spine out of proper alignment. Consider how many hours the average person sleeps each day, it’s easy to see how an extended period in an undesirable position can be hard on your neck. Find a firm, supportive mattress and rest your head on a single pillow to make it easier for your spine to be in alignment when you sleep.

3. Your Smartphone Habits – Smartphones allow us to connect with others or look up information at the push of a button, but if we use the device for hours each day, there’s a good chance that our necks are suffering because of it. When you’re looking down at your smartphone, your neck is likely leaning forward, which as we talked about in the posture section, puts a lot of strain on your cervical spine and the muscles that help support it. Strive to have your cell phone out in front of you instead of in your lap when you’re texting or scrolling, and really make it a point to limit how much you’re on your device to help give your neck a break.

4. Your Exercise Habits – Finally, your exercise habits play a big role in the health of your neck. Aerobic exercise helps to push healthy blood to vital structures in your neck that need them to function properly, whereas inactivity contributes to muscle stiffness and atrophy. Low-impact exercises like walking or swimming are great for your neck, while living a sedentary lifestyle can lead to pain and other symptoms in your cervical spine. Just another reason to get your exercise each day!

If you’re dealing with pain or other symptoms in your neck and you want a specialist to help you get to the bottom of your discomfort, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.