About 1 in 3 people a year will suffer from neck pain. Neck pain can either be acute, or chronic. Acute neck pain is when your neck hurts for short periods of time, but after time, and some treatment, the pain eventually goes away. Chronic neck pain, however, is neck pain that lasts for more than 3 months. Both types of neck pain can really detract from everyday life. It can take away our ability to connect with others, to concentrate, or to even complete physical tasks that would have otherwise been easy for you to complete. So, what is the cause of acute neck pain?
Sleeping on Neck in Awkward Positions
It is very common to experience acute neck pain after sleeping on your neck in an awkward position. In fact, that is the most common cause of acute neck pain in people. When your neck stays kinked throughout the whole night, it is very common to experience pain as a side effect. This type of neck pain can be fixed with massages, over the counter pain relief, or even correcting your sleeping form. It has been shown that sleeping on your side over a long period of time can put your body out of alignment. It is important to fix that way that you are sleeping so that your neck will not have pain all the time.
Whiplash
After getting into a car accident, it is very common to have whiplash. Whiplash is when your head and neck are jolted quickly which results in tiny muscle tears that will cause pain as you go throughout your life. A good way to get this pain relieved would be to visit your local physical therapist. Neck pain specialists know just how to help you if you have suffered from neck pain that is due to whiplash. They will help you with exercises that you can do to stretch and strengthen your neck to help the muscles feel better.
Hunching over a Computer all Day
Office jobs have really increased the frequency of neck pain in people. Sitting at a desk the whole day and hunching over a computer is a big contributor to acute neck pain. This can also happen as people are hunched over their phones all day. These examples of bad posture can really cause a sore neck due to the improper way of holding the body. It is important to take breaks throughout the day from sitting and taking a bathroom, or just a small break to make sure that your posture is not bad all day while you are at work. It is also important that when you get home you are not spending all your time hunched over your phone, as that will have the same effect on your neck.
Conclusion
Although neck pain is bothersome, it is important to know some of the causes. That way you can be careful in your sleeping positions, as well as the way that you sit at your computer desk, to help prevent future neck pain.