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August 21, 2009

The Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Neck Posture & Get Rid of Neck Pain

1. 1. Design your workstation to be ergonomically correct. Check the distance and angle of your computer screen, the height of your chair, your keyboard, and how your arms rest on your chair. Little adjustments can make a big difference in how you feel at the end of the day. For example, the top of your computer monitor should be at the level of your eyebrows approximately. Angle your computer up or place a phone book or two under the monitor to raise it up as necessary. Continually having to look down or flex your head forward can put a lot of stress on the neck muscles and can lead to poor neck posture. You can even use a bookend or note holder (similar to recipe book holder) to place your documents on while typing, thereby preventing you from constantly looking down.
2. Use a Cervical Support Neck Pillow for Sleeping at Night. Using a supportive neck pillow such as the cervical linear traction neck pillow will allow your head and neck to be aligned while sleeping on your side or on your back. This pillow will ensure that you have good neck posture while sleeping by allowing your neck to the have the proper c-curve while sleeping. For those people who suffer from neck pain due to a herniated disc, disc bulge or degenerative disc- having the right neck pillow is crucial for pain relief and maintaining mobility in the neck.
3. Do neck exercises a few times a week. If you suffer from neck pain or neck stiffness, do these Neck Stretches slowly and only to the point that you can feel the stretch- you never want to do them to the point of pain. This is especially important if you suffer with neck arthritis or degeneration in the cervical spine. Keeping the joints moving and flexible is very important for patients with arthritis in the neck. This will ensure flexibility and mobility in the neck. When stretching don’t bounce during the stretch- hold the stretch steady for 10-15 seconds (or as prescribed by your therapist). Remember motion is life!

Here are very good tips to help improve your neck posture and reduce pain especially number 3 (Neck Exercises)!