There are many things that can cause neck pain.  Poor posture that comes from sitting in a chair all day, or looking down at a smart phone all day long or spending a long time driving in the car with poor posture.  Even if you get massage therapy, chiropractic care, physical therapy or acupuncture you will continue to damage and hurt yourself if you don’t start to use proper body mechanics.

Causes of Neck Pain

Causes of Neck Pain – Forward Head Posture

“The forward head posture” is often a major culprit to neck pain causes.

Your ear should be centered over your shoulder so if you dropped a rock from your ear it would drop exactly on your shoulder.  This mean when you are sitting in a chair you can not slouch back.  You need to be actively sitting which mean that you are not hunched over.

If you are slouched over in a chair when you are on the computer that creates an extra 20 pounds of weight for your cervical spine.  Your eight to ten pound head will feel more weightless for the rest of your spine.  If you let your head go forward then this will create extra twenty or thirty pounds of stress which your neck is not designed to do.This can lead to herniated cervical discs, pinched nerves and muscle tightness.

The Mayo Clinic says that that having a forward head posture when driving and sitting can create long term muscle straines and pinched nerves.

Causes of Neck Pain – Bad Sitting Posture

So how can you correct getting back to correct neck posture?  When you are sitting, it must start at your lower back.  You can only have good neck posture when your entire spine is in the correct position.  Having a lumbar roll at your low back at your seat will help to reinforce having correct spinal alignment.  If you can drop a rock from your chin onto your chest and not onto the floor.

Causes of Neck Pain – Sitting and Standing Properly

One of the easiest ways to remember to have good neck posture is to remember to sit tall.  Often when you sit up tall, you should feel like you are enlongating through the crown of your head.

Causes of Neck Pain – Sitting in Front of a Computer Improperly

When you are in front of the computer you should not be reaching far in front of you to see your computer.  Make sure your mouse is not too far away.   If you have to look down at the keys to type then you should consider having the keyboard higher so you don’t have to let your head drop which can affect your neck posture. Your wrist should be flat and your elbows should be level with the keyboard.

This posture will feel strange when you first start to do it.  The more you get in the habit of sitting correctly the more natural it will feel.  Enroll your family and friends in encouraging you to have proper posture when sitting or driving.

Causes of Neck Pain – Remember To Stand Properly 

Having prolonger poor posture will not only result in neck pain but can also result in back pain.  The other thing you need to remember to do is to stand tall. When you are standing a rock should be able to drop from your ear to your shoulder.  Feel like someone is pulling a hair on the top of your head and just gently elongating you.

Causes of Neck Pain  – Final Thoughts 

So in summary remember to

• Sit and Stand Tall
• Stay our of the forward head position
• Remember that good sitting posture starts at the low back
• The forward head position lead sto long term muscle strains, disc herniations and pinched nerves.