How to prevent 9 common triggers of neck pain

A pain in the neck.  Literally.  Aside from an obvious neck injury, there are some habits that many people do every single day that could be causing neck pain.  Once you are cognizant of these triggers, you’ll be able to stop them and eventually prevent neck pain altogether.

So, let’s get right to it, shall we?

1. Do you shrug your shoulders while reaching overhead (or while doing shoulder press exercises)?

Stop turtle-ing!  (Yes, we just made up the word “turtle-ing,” but it works, right?)  Keep your neck elongated and your shoulders down and relaxed.  To get technical, keep your trapezius muscles relaxed, and make your deltoid muscles do the work.

2. Do you hold stress and tension in your neck, shoulders, and upper back?

Relax your shoulders and focus on belly breathing (using your diaphragm muscle to breathe).  Your diaphragm muscle is a large muscle that sits under your lungs.  When taking a deep breath in, allow your abdomen to expand rather than expanding your chest and raising your shoulders.

3. Do you sleep on your belly with your head turned to one side?

This is a big no-no!  When your body is fully relaxed in this position, it puts too much pressure and strain in the neck region (and lower back too).  We know belly sleeping is a tough habit to break.  Here’s a suggestion that has worked for many of our patients; sleep on your side with a body pillow against your front.  This can give you a similar feeling of comfort and can prevent you from rolling all the way onto your belly.

4. Do you sleep with two pillows under your head?

More importantly, do you sleep in any position that puts your head and neck into a non-neutral position (like on the arm-rest of a couch)?  When you sleep, your head and neck should be in the most neutral position possible.  Your ears should be in line with your shoulders, and your nose and chin should be in line with your sternum (breast bone).  Find your Goldilocks pillow—one that is the exact right thickness for your body size and shoulder width—not too thick and not too thin!

5. Do you sit and stare at the computer screen for hours on end?

Betcha start turtle-ing here too!  Take a break and stretch.

6. Do you cradle your phone between your ear and shoulder?

Do people still do this, or did we just date ourselves?  Use speaker phone, headphones, headset, or some other hands-free device, period.

7. Do you suffer from “tech neck?”

Yes, it’s really a thing in today’s modern world.  Stop looking down at your phone or tablet all the time.

8. Do you “crack” your own neck?

The feeling, need, or want to “crack” your own neck is usually a sign of ligament instability.  Each time you “crack” your own neck (or back), you are perpetuating the instability.  In turn, ligament instability can lead to osteophyte (bone spur) formation and even degenerative disc disease over time.  Stop “cracking,” and instead, see an upper cervical chiropractor for a specific adjustment.

9. Is your head on straight?

Proper alignment of the upper cervical spine is absolutely necessary for optimal function of the brain, spinal cord, neck musculature, and blood and nerve flow.  In our office, neck pain sufferers show remarkable improvement once their spinal alignment has been corrected.  If you suffer from neck pain, get your upper cervical spine checked for balance/imbalance.

Remember, when you are aware of the triggers and you address the cause of your neck pain, you can prevent it from occurring in the first place!

UPDATE:  This post has been updated with a FREE guide with these neck pain prevention tips, plus additional tips and bonus tension-relieving stretches (with pictures)!

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