Neck pain affects most of the population at some point in their life, irrespective of age, occupation or health. Neck pain can originate from muscles, nerves, spinal vertebrae and the cushioning disks in between. It can also come from the neck, shoulder, jaw, head or upper arms.

When your neck is sore or stiff, you may have trouble moving it. You may experience headaches. If you have a pinched nerve, you may feel numbness or tingling in your arm or hand.

Common causes of neck pain result from everyday activities. These include working at a desk all day with head extended forward and back rounded;  placing your computer monitor incorrectly - too low or too high; or slouching while watching TV or reading . And these days, more and more young people are using their cell phones and video devices several hours daily. The resulting neck-forward posture can lead to long-term muscle strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves. Whiplash injury is one of the most predominant neck injuries; neck pain is due to the damage that the whipping action has caused to the supporting tissues of the neck, such as the nerves and muscles.

 As we age, the risk of long-term neck pain due to osteoarthritis, degenerative disk disease and spinal stenosis will increase. As well, loss of flexibility and elasticity of the spine are more noticeable as we age.

If you experience neck pain, see your health care professional for help.

After you’ve had your neck pain treated, a supportive pillow is helpful in maintaining proper neck position during sleep. The Mediflow Waterbase Pillow has been shown to relieve neck pain. A clinical study at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD concluded that the Mediflow Pillow was associated with increased pain relief, reduced morning pain intensity and improved quality of sleep. (Published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol 78, No 2).

Usually a neck problem like this is minor; however, injuries do take some time to heal. For example, excessive head movement can slow the healing process and may even cause re-injury. Watch out for situations that may aggravate the pain, and try to avoid them.  This includes reading – if necessary, wear glasses while reading so you can be farther away from your book.  Sit back farther from your work – computers keyboards and office chairs are more ergonomic than ever to accommodate a variety of body shapes. If you don’t have ergonomic office furniture, consider getting some. If you already have it, experiment with different sitting and working positions until you find the one that’s right for you.

Keep the use of painkillers to a minimum or don’t use them at all.

Sleep on a firm mattress. Don’t sleep on your stomach. If you sleep on your side, place a pillow so that your neck is in a neutral position; not pointing up towards the ceiling and not pointing down towards the mattress. An excellent pillow to use is the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow. The water envelope sewn into the base of the pillow can be infinitely adjusted to provide the exact amount of support required, simply by adding water. A soft layer of polyester fiber fill floats over top of the waterbase to provide a comfortable night’s sleep.

These are a few recommendations that may help alleviate your neck pain.

We’ve all had a night where we woke up with a stiff neck and It’s no fun. Here are some ways to lower your chances of getting a sore neck –

Don’t use a lot of pillows. This will tip your spine out of alignment.

Avoid sleeping on your stomach. This places your spine in a twisted position, distorts the pelvis and places extra strain on your lower back.

Allow 7-8 hours a night for sleep. That’s how we recharge our batteries and heal our body.

Sleep on a good firm mattress and place a pillow so your neck is in a neutral position, neither pushed up nor hanging down.

Get a good cervical pillow. One that’s been clinically shown to be effective is the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow. It was studied at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. In this study, The Mediflow pillow was consistently associated with significant improvements in overall quality of sleep, pain relief and reduced morning pain intensity. It works by combining a thin adjustable water layer with a soft layer of Dacron polyester fiber fill. The fiber fill floats over the water layer to provide a comfortable and supportive night’s sleep.

Give these tips a try and you may find that you wake feeling more refreshed!

Whiplash injury is an injury to the neck that’s usually associated with car accidents in which your car is rear-ended or struck from behind by another vehicle. It can happen even from low speed crashes.

The symptoms of whiplash may vary. For example;

You may notice reduced range of movement of your neck.

You may experience neck, shoulder or back pain.

You may be dizzy or giddy.

You may have headaches.

Although you may notice some of these symptoms immediately after an accident occurs, sometimes it may take several days or more before any symptoms appear.

If you think you have a whiplash injury, it’s wise to see your health care practitioner immediately, no matter how minor the symptoms appear to be. The longer you delay, the more damage can be done to your neck.

 And once your injury has been attended to, it’s good idea to select a supportive pillow to minimize the return of the symptoms. One of the most recommended pillows for people who suffer from neck pain and associated discomfort is the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow.  It’s especially effective for whiplash injuries, with a unique Waterbase design that continuously adapts to support your head as you change position on your pillow through the night.  

“ Computer neck”  is a common side effect of our modern sedentary lifestyle. Conditions like computer neck are frequently seen by health care practitioners. The resulting forward head position can lead to neck, head and shoulder pain. If left untreated it can further develop into strained muscles and more.

Specific exercises and therapies can help. Start by sitting in the correct position at your computer station. A health care professional can advise you on the proper posture. For example, you should be relaxed, not hunched over the keyboard. You should also get up from your chair every hour or two and move around. This will help relieve any neck and head strain.

Whiplash injuries resulting from car accidents are another common cause of neck pain. Whiplash can be serious and quite painful. See your health care practitioner immediately.

Sometimes people will wake up in the morning with a stiff neck for no apparent reason. The problem may be their pillow. Your pillow should be tailored to match your sleeping position. For example, if you sleep on your side you will need more support than if you sleep on your back. It’s important to maintain the natural curve of your neck while sleeping. One pillow that does this well is the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow. It consists of a super soft layer of polyester fiber fill that floats over a thin water envelope. The soft fiber layer provides the comfort that people expect from a premium quality pillow, and the thin water envelope can be tailored to give ongoing support to your head and neck throughout the night by adjusting the amount of water in it. See www.mediflow.com for more information.

A supportive pillow such as the Mediflow Waterbase Pillow can also help to maintain your natural spinal curve between adjustments from your health care provider for whiplash or computer neck injuries.