Cervical pain is very common, almost everyone has suffered discomfort in this area at least once in their life. There are several factors that influence the appearance of this discomfort. For example stress or carrying too much weight. Being such a common injury we have created a guide with practical tips to prevent it.
The WHO (World Health Organization) qualifies it as a set of signs that alter the normal functioning of the neck region, right in the vertebrae. These alterations cause disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.
Causes of neck pain
There are many factors that can cause these pains, it is almost always the interaction of several of them. They are rarely from serious causes.
For example, in women, wearing a bra can also cause cervical pain. A sedentary lifestyle, maintaining an inappropriate posture for a long time, making a bad gesture, making too wide joint movements…
Other factors can be an osteoarticular degeneration, a muscular tension or even neurological alterations. When suffering in another area near the neck, the pain can reach these vertebrae. It usually starts with muscle pain.
The pain usually goes away after a few days. The problem arises when this does not happen naturally.
Symptoms of cervical pain
- Muscle tension.
- Stiffness of joint movements.
- Pain on one side.
- Pain when moving the neck or when doing specific postures.
- Headaches and nausea.
- Jaw and facial pain.
How to end this ailment?
The tips that we are going to give you below are very easy to put into practice, they are small changes in the daily routine that will help you prevent cervical pain.
There are several things we can do at bedtime. The most important thing is to keep your neck in a straight position all night long. If we sleep on our back, it’s best to use a low pillow. But if we sleep on our side, it would be better to use a slightly higher one. This will help us keep the neck horizontal.
It is also important that when we are at work, we take a series of tips, such as: if we work in front of a table, we must sit with the chair as close as possible (important to feel comfortable), so we don’t lean forward all the time. We must choose a table that adjusts its height to ours, so that it does not force us to remain in a hunched posture. We have to sit correctly, close to the backrest and not on the edge of the chair.
Nor is it advisable to support the weight on one side of the body or cross the legs. We will avoid soft seats and chairs without backs or those that are too big or too small.
As we usually sit for many hours, we are going to give more details on this topic. We have to prioritize high chairs with a straight back, avoid sofas that are too soft. Even if we do not sit in a chair, we always have to sit with our backs straight. If we are going to spend several hours sitting, it is better to do it in anatomical seats, those with a small curve in the lumbar area, and with armrests. In case you don’t have them, rest your arms on the table.
It can also be very good to use a footrest and a headrest in the car.
We all know that the way we pick up objects is very important, so we explain the best way to do it: We have to squat down with bent knees, back straight, pick up the object and go up with the load close to the body. Remember that we should never pick up heavy objects with a bent back, we must try to distribute the weight between the two arms.
If this is not possible, we can use a wheelbarrow or other item to help us. If we use it, we must pull forward and not drag it.
Although it may not seem like it, when we pick up the phone we can also force our posture and cause cervical pain. To do this, we will not put the phone on the shoulder and lift it, it is better to hold it with your hand or use headphones. That way we won’t bow our heads so much.
Do not overfill bags and backpacks, as it makes us strain our back and head. The back muscles are also unbalanced and the center of gravity alters.
We must use the two handles of the backpacks, and even better if we use a ribbon that ties it to the waist. This will bring the weight closer to the body and prevent it from shifting. Weight should not exceed 15% of the person’s weight. And for bags, it is not advisable to exceed 10%.
If you put these simple tips into practice, you can prevent cervical pain.