Poor Posture Can be a Real Pain in the Neck

Posture can play a major role in contributing to neck pain. The natural curves of your cervical spine (neck region) help to absorb and dissipate forces appropriately. When we lose this natural position due to poor posture, we place more stress on certain parts of the joints, ligaments, and muscles in our neck. This postural misalignment can lead to wear and tear of the joints, cause radiating pain into the shoulders and arms, and contribute to headaches, muscle spasms or stiffness. Other factors can attribute to neck pain such as one’s work environment, hobbies, household duties, and genetics.

Maintaining optimal alignment of your neck throughout the day can reduce stress to the region and help to eliminate or prevent pain. Here are a few tips:

• Keep your chin level with the floor and slightly tucked in. Avoid letting your chin jut out by making sure your ear stays stacked in line with your shoulder. For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of your head by 10lbs (see picture).
• Avoid neck stiffness by moving around! Don’t stay in one position for too long and take stretch breaks every 30 minutes.
• When sleeping, use one pillow under your head, either lying on your back or on your side. Make sure your head is pointed straight forward, in a neutral position. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• While working at your computer, keep the top of your computer screen at eye level. Elbows should be bent to 90 degrees by your side, with forearms parallel to the floor.

Written by Jenna Cooper, DPT